Gods and Generals: The Paintings of Mort Kunstler rivals its previous companion book to Gettysburg. Kunstler tells the story leading up to the battle of Gettysburg using his masterful brush to translate history into color paintings. The text and the paintings weave the tale of how America eventually tore itself asunder in the Civil War. Its an excellent collector's piece and great introduction into the Civil War.
I also found Kunstler did not paint as many movie scenes in this book, instead capturing the actual historical looks of these "Gods and Generals" of the Civil War. Any lover of history or military art will appreciate his attention to detail and riviting scenes. Enjoy!

Mr. Kunstler has provided us with another book of his arrestingly beautiful paintings. Art, of course, is largely a matter of taste and proverbially in the eye of the beholder. Mr. Kunstler, however, even from as objective a standpoint as possible, has no peer as a chronicler of the Civil War. I have been interested in that period of history for about half a century, but it has been Mr. Kunstler's paintings over the past dozen or more years that have brought that war to life for me, and, I am sure, for many others. Although he is a prolific artist, he never compromises with quality, and the quality of his work is unsurpassed.

The subjects of Mr. Kunstler's paintings are invariably interesting, and he does not like to paint scenes or events that have been done previously by other artists. This book is the companion to, and illustrative of, the events and people of the novel "Gods and Generals" by Jeff Shaara, soon to be made into a motion picture of the same name. It follows four exceptional soldiers through the first two years of the war: Robert E. Lee, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, Winfield S. Hancock, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.

In this book, there are many new paintings not yet published elsewhere, but whether you are an old Kunstler aficionado or newly introduced to his work, you will find this book unequaled. The reproductions of the paintings are eye-catching, displaying each painting in vibrant, striking colors, true to Mr. Kunstler's originals. I say above that his paintings are educational, and so they are. I urge you to look closely at every work of art. If you do, you will not only see an astonishing amount of detail, but also learn much about the people, the times, the objects people used, and the war. Again, we have Mr. Kunstler's constant striving for perfection to thank for paintings which are correct in every detail. He is the quintessential perfectionist, who painstakingly researches every detail, no matter how small, to provide his audience with true, as well as beautiful, depictions of people, places, and things. He consults with knowledgeable historians, such as Professor Robertson, who wrote the text for this book, on even such matters as the weather on the particular day that he wants to depict in a painting. All of the accouterments are true, as well as the animals, the uniforms, the weapons, the landscapes, the battlefield situations, the lighting -- everything. Rarely does one find, in one individual such as Mr. Kunstler, artistry to the point of genius coupled with an unceasing demand for perfection in all of the details of his art.

I admit that I am no connoisseur of art and that I can claim no expertise or experience in art. Even someone such as I, however, can at least partially appreciate the artistic techniques used by Mr. Kunstler. His positioning of people, animals, buildings, and other objects to lead the observer's eye to the main subject of the painting, his extraordinary use of light to play on this or that subject in the picture in greater or lesser brilliance in order to accentuate or subordinate that subject, and his use of color, always precise, to delineate bright sunshine or dark shadow, or to emphasize or minimize, are all techniques that even such as I can note and admire. His paintings are so life-like as to defy the observer to differentiate them from photographs. But no photographs could depict such wonderful color and the precise instants in time which Mr. Kunstler so deftly chooses to picture.

Mr. Kunstler has, with every book he has introduced, been able to obtain the very best in historians/commentators to draft the texts. He has obtained the services of, for example, Henry Steele Commager (for the book "The American Spirit: The Paintings of Mort Kunstler"), James I. Robertson, Jr. (for "Jackson and Lee: Legends in Gray," "The Confederate Spirit: Valor, Sacrifice and Honor," and the current work), James M. McPherson (for "Gettysburg"), and Dee Brown (for "Images of the Old West"). Dr. Robertson's text in "Gods and Generals: The Paintings of Mort Kunstler" is, as always, the perfect complement to the paintings. As with Mr. Kunstler's art, so also with Dr. Robertson's narrative, one can learn much, whether one is a novice or an experienced hand.

Thus, whether you are a "Civil War buff" or simply interested in exceptional art and edifying prose, you will enjoy this book (and you would do well to consider obtaining Mr. Kunstler's previous books, named parenthetically above). You cannot go wrong with the team of Kunstler and Robertson.

This book is worth 5 stars!! My 8 year old son is just beginning to discover what it means to be born in the south. I want him to have an accurate picture of what the civil war was all about. It is hard to find civil war books with enough pictures to keep him interested. This book has plenty of high quality art for him to see and includes text that we can read together! I highly reccomend it based on those gorgeous paintings.

Several months ago I saw the movie "Gettysburg" based on Michael Saara's novel- The Killer Angels. Since I was deeply moved by the film I decided to buy the book. I couldn't put it down- it was even stronger that the film. M Saara didn't try to stick to one side of the story: he wrote it from the point of view of those who took part in the Civil War with no regard to the colour of their uniform. He portrays us the battles and the feelings of the soldiers from both camps in an intelligent and beautiful way and style. After his father's death, Jeff Saara decided to continue his work by writing two other books which all together make a wonderful and touching trilogy. The two novels written by Jeff are as good as 'The Killer Angels' and I would like to shake his hand and tell him how breathtaking and deeply human this trilogy is. Good work! Don't miss it!

I don't know that I could write better reviews than those quoted in these three books by prominent Civil War historians, but as a US History teacher I have never read better material to bring a story to life. It is hard sometimes to convince young minds that people and events from our past are more than just words in a textbook. These books do just that, and I plan to share them all with my classes. Though there are literally thousands of accounts of the great battles of the Civil War, these books, told from the perspective of the men who were actually there, will make you feel as if you are there with them. You will feel their frustrations, share in their triumphs, and finally see through their eyes what this war really meant to the men in uniform. As a person who reads a great deal of historical literature, fiction, and/or nonfiction, I can truly say that these three novels are the best books I have ever read on any subject, Civil War or otherwise. This is brilliant work. I only hope Jeff Shaara will continue his writing career and take us even farther back in time to when these men all fought on the same side, in the Mexican War.

Since I took a trip to Gettysburg, PA, when I was 12, I've always been quite interested in the Civil War. I saw the movie Gettysburg, and read miscellaneous articles and such online about the war. Last year I invested in Gods and Generals and The Killer Angels, both of which were phenomenol. I enjoyed Jeff Shaara's depiction of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, especially how he was as a husband, a father, a soldier, and a man. J. Shaara did a wonderful job of showing the order of events that led up to the war, including Robert E. Lee turning down command of the United States Army. "The Killer Angels" was absolutley amazing, with a slighly different style of writing than Jeff Shaara. I loved Michael Shaara's depiction of James Longstreet and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. There was never a dull moment in this novel, and it should be tought in every United States History course in the country. Shaara brings you to a swift conclusion, leaving you breathless. The sequence of events including the Battle of Little Round Top and Chamberlain's 20 Maine Regt. was fantastic, and very addicting to read. Also, Shaara's story of Pickett's Charge was very thrilling, especially his depiction of Lewis Armistead and his relationship to Winfield S. Hancock. "The Last Full Measure" was also very entertaining, with some very harsh chapters. The story of Cold Harbor and the tunnel was very chilling, and Lee's surrender is quite sad, but Chamberlain's ordering his men to salute their countrymen was quite good.

Overall, I recommend this trilogy to every person who is interested in learning about the Civil War, especially the Southern Cause, and about the men that led the armies.

Michael Shaara did an excellent job in describing in detail the Battle of Gettysburg without making it boring. His line by line account of the battle allows the reader to understand the emotions of the men fighting for their beliefs. Shaara shows the real men that fought, they weren't gods, just ordinary men who got homesick for their wives and children. While reading the book, the details create a vivid image that allows the reader to clearly understand the troubles of war. Food was scarce, weather was bad, and leaders were unreliable. The advantages in war were hard to obtain but lost so easily. Shaara also lets to reader into the minds of some of the key leaders at Gettysburg. Lee and Longstreet for the South, and Chamberlain and Buford for the North. Each man has a different view of the war, but each is equally interesting and important to the whole account of the battle. Overall the book was very good and captivating. It is easy to read, but informative. When looking for a detailed description of the Civil war, The Killer Angels is the book to read.

It was my privilege to be enrolled in Mike's Creative Writing class in college, but I had no idea what a successful novelist he would prove! This book actually makes me want to visit the historic site of Gettysburg--to see for myself the scene of so much suffering and sacrifice. Not only with my eyes, but now with my heart, thanks to the well-researched information presented in THE KILLER ANGELS. First President Lincoln and now master storyteller Shaara have honored the lives and courage of all those who fought valiantly for their regrettably-opposing views.

This novel is very intense: 355 pages stretched out over just three days. The first remarkable thing is the accuracy of Shaara's historic detail. Next we are impressed by his impartiality: each chapter focuses on one officer, but he switches "sides" easily, demonstrating absolute fairness to North and South. This style of the divine narrator leads us to realize that it is War itself which proves the real evil, since both sides espouse principals of honor. We are amazed that he can present such vivid word portraits of the officers who orchestrated the prolonged Battle of Gettysburg. Shaara takes us inside their heads--and their hearts. Their foibles, dreams, terrors, regrets, and private anguish are laid bare for the reader. We share the agony of mlitary decision, the loneliness of high command.

This novel also is impressive because it proves very readable--not the boring history text you might expect. One reason is the use of extensive dialogue. Some conversations seem to be scenes from a play; they remain with the reader long after the action has moved on. But the historical persons depicted appear very human, despite the intervening years. Even if you never cared for military history, this book will enlighten, touch and entertain you. Shaara provides great insight into why men will lay down their lives: for a Cause or for an Ideal. Fabulous literary and historical reading for all Americans!

This book helped to launch an entire genre of fiction, the "historical novel", in which the author invents dialogue and interaction among a group of real life characters who all act in a manner consistent with their real-life models. Here, Shaara brings the battle of Gettysburg to life in gripping, emotional, historically accurate detail. The book will move you like few other "non-fiction" accounts of the battle or the Civil War itself ever can.

Shaara doesn't appear to take sides in telling the story, as he cuts back and forth between extra-ordinary depictions of characters like Lee, Longstreet, Stuart on the Confederate side as well as Union participants like Joshua Chamberlain and George Meade. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Lee and Longstreet, who tried to talk Lee out of a frontal assault at Gettysburg in favor of a defensive maneuver in which the southern armies stood in the path of Washington D.C., as well as the heroic exploits of Virginia's Lewis Armistead, who gallantly charged under General Pickett hoping he wouldn't be forced to confront his good friend, Union General Win Hancock. The novel is filled with gripping, true to life storylines where generals and their inferior officers came to life in Shaara's skillful hands.

The research done to support The Killer Angels was obviously meticulous, and the book includes maps to give the reader a sense of the overall development of the battle, to accompany the personal interactions of the participants. If you are a Civil War buff you owe it to yourself to read this book, which is far superior to the later, similar novels written about the war, both pre- and post-Gettysburg, by the late author's son Jeff Shaara. If you are not all that interested in the War Between the States, read The Killer Angels anyway, and you may find yourself looking for more, like the 3 part history of the war by Shelby Foote, which this novel inspired me to read. I give it an enthusiastic five stars.

This is easily Jeff Shaara's best novel. It doesn't slow down like "Rise to Rebellion" . He is slowly getting away from the temptation to tell instead of show, but it still happens at times. This book easily could have been two novels, which would have given more space to describe more of the Revolution in detail. A few small chapters seem inserted just to name drop historical figures like John Paul Jones soley to say it covers all the important figures There are so few novels about this important war, that Shaara should get some credit for raising attention and interest in it. However, I still am skeptical that he will ever reach the level of his father's "The Killer Angel". I would recommend "The Glorious Cause" to any history buff or anyone curious about American History.

The Glorious Cause is the second book in a two-volume series chronicling the American Revolution. Written in typical Shaara fashion, the story is told from the multiple perspectives of the war's major figures. If you enjoyed Jeff Shaara's previous novels on the Civil War and the Mexican War you will not be disappointed in either The Glorious Cause or Rise to Rebellion, the first book of the series.

I am a big fan of Jeff Shaara and have read all of his books to-date. I think that all readers should understand that Shaara does not write history books per se. Rather he writes wonderful fiction told in historical settings. I am sure that he does his due diligence in researching the facts before undertaking his novels. But if some of the facts don't jive with the true historians then so be it. That should not diminish one iota the pure enjoyment of reading this novel. High school history class should have been so enjoyable.

This is a splendid book. I thought that Jeff Shaara did a great job in Rise to Rebellion, the first book in this series, that began with the Boston Massacre and ended with the Declaration of Independence. In The Glorious Cause, we see the infant United States facing the might of a furious King George and an aroused British people. The Americans are ill-trained and ill-equipped, but they have two things going for them - their determination and their military leader, George Washington. He is the dominant figure in Shaara's picture of the revolution. I think we sometimes forget how great this man was, but he was every bit as great as most Americans regard him. Shaara protrays Washington's courage, his moral standards, his kindness, his sometime doubts in himself, and above all, his brilliance on the battlefield, where he successively outmaneuvered British Generals Howe, Clinton, and Cornwallis. We also see how the Americans used guerilla tactics to kill British soldiers at every opportunity all over the nation in bitter, little fights. Finally, the French make America's independence possible by supplying powerful aid to bring Cornwallis, and really the British Army, to defeat at Yorktown. In 638 pages, Jeff Shaara tells a fascinating and inspiring story.

I was enamoured of The Killer Angels written by Jeff Shaara's father, Michael. He took the principals of the battle for Gettysburg and after extensive research wrote the story through their eyes, reliving their experiences. Jeff continues the saga through the Civil War with the subsequent books. Last year he came out with a history of the Mexican War, a topic sadly lacking in my education. Now we have Rise to Rebellion, a story of the AMerican Revolution as seen though the eyes of the likes of Adams and Franklin. Having just finished David McCollough's book on Adams, this novel reiterated the story I was familiar with but told it in a very engaging manner. I found that while I had knew most of the facts I understood what happened better.

His style is wonderful. Shaara said that when researching the Civil War books the likes of Lee and Grant visited him, as in a dream. I expect that Franklin (my favorite character) did likewise. I truly envy him!

This is volume one of an expected two volume set. I read this book quickly today (devoured it!) and am looking forward to volume two.

This fine book, which starts with the 1770 Boston Massacre, describes the flow of political and military events-both in the American colonies and in England-that culminates in the Declaration of Independence. It's fascinating reading and shows how a strong dislike of British policies and British high-handedness gradually morphs into military, and then formal political, opposition. Shaara conveys these events by imagining the individual experiences of a few key players-John Adams, Ben Franklin, General Thomas Gage, and so on-in this 1770 to 1776 time period, thereby communicating both an American and British perspective on events. This is a good read, particularly in its description of the Battle of Breed's Hill. Still, Shaara's odd tendency to write in very choppy sentences (no conjunctions) when describing his characters in the mundane matters of everyday life is annoying.

Excellent... In the tradition of Shaara's Civil War trilogy (Gods and Generals; The Last Full Measure; Gone for Soldiers), Shaara presents the first of a two-book chronicle of the American Revolution. The book is well founded in historic fact and breaths perfect life into our founding fathers beyond the limited dimensions of the characters we've read about for some many years. Beyond a doubt, your minds eye will work overtime in to visualize the settings, environment, persons and actions that simply unfold with life and character to retell the greater story about the birth of hope, an idea and a nation.

Clearly an extraordinary amount of research has taken place to portray this story. Shaara has crafted and virtually illustrated the perspective and personalities of Samuel Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin Patrick Henry, John Hancock, George Washington Thomas Paine, Paul Revere, Thomas Jefferson and British Gen. Thomas Gage. The book principally begins in 1770 and extends through the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July, 4, 1776. It is set in the historical places of that time; Boston, Lexington, Concord, Fort Ticonderoga, Bunker Hill and Philadelphia. I was practically partial to the environment and life of the Continental Congress and found the accuracy of Shaara's canvas to be both satisfying and exciting. A must read for every patriot.

I wanted very much to enjoy this book.

Back in the early 70's, I was on a graduate school sabbatical from the Army. The Killer Angels had just received the Pulitzer, and the man who shared my office, another Army officer bound for the West Point faculty, encouraged me to read it. He later re-wrote the Army leadership manual with references to Chamberlain at Little Round Top. For years, the Army harbored something like a Chamberlain cult.

The trouble with Last Full Measure -- like its predecessor, Gods and Generals -- is that is so very broadly focused, we are unable to put aside the simple fact that we know how it ends. TKA told the story of a few days, and the points of view were carefully chosen. Jeff Shaara didn't have the luxury of such lapidary perfection, since he chose to tell the story of the whole war in the east. Under such circumstances, the normal tools of fiction are likely to be trampled by the rampaging elephant of history.

Some of the touches are nice, but the characters tend to be too self-consciously noble in their private motives. Wars are won by SOBs, not by generals with the qualities of a noble horse. In particular, Jackson seems a bit mild and introspective; he may have been introspective (though I don't think I'd like to eavesdrop on his private musings!), but such mildness as he possessed serves best in giving depth to a manner and motivation as hard as obsidian, and somewhat blacker. This general's God was not given to forgiveness and leniency, and Jackson's background craziness -- like Patton's and yet different -- is far more interesting than the kitsch of gentle religiosity.

For a different and perhaps more realistic view, I recommend Tom Wicker's "Unto this Hour." As a Civil War buff, I wouldn't have missed Jeff Shaara's work, but read Bierce as an antidote for all that idealizing.

Often in historical fiction, the writing style leaves the reader believing that the author wasn't there, and that the story isn't very interesting. Not so here. Mr. Shaara has mastered the art and is worthy of following in his father's footsteps.

This book deals with the post Gettysburg peroid of the Civil War, and continues into the 20th Century. Having read the trilogy completely, I was sad to see my Civil War friends fade away. But their stories live on, and wonderfully told by Mr. Shaara.

The book doesn't dwell much on fighting, but goes into great depth discussing the people in important roles, Grant, Lee, Chamberlain, etc. After reading all the books, these figures become close to the reader, and their trials, successes and failures have a great effect on the reader. It was a very pleasent experience getting close to these men whom I have studied for years, but in a different fashion.

The conversations are real enough, and even the legends are present in common dialog. I actually came to feel that Mr. Shaara might have actually been there. Also, his insight into the personalities of the major players I feel is right on.

A very good read, although not a 5 star, but good none the less. If you can, take all three members of the trilogy in sequence. The results will be very rewarding. If not, this is still a book well worth the time to read it. Thanks Mr. Shaara.

"The Last Full Measure" by Jeff Shaara is the final installment in the Civil War trilogy started by Michael Shaara (Jeff's father) with the award winning book "The Killer Angels". I know comparisons are natural especially when both father and son are writers, they both authored books about the Civil War and they both wrote their stories using very similar styles. However, I liked all three books. I believe that the Civil War is worthy of many views and Jeff Shaara tells his story well.

"The Last Full Measure" takes place during the last years of the civil war, the story begins after the horrific battle of Gettysburg. Shaara focuses upon the war in Virginia and primarily upon the battles between General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant. He tells his story through the eyes of the combatants, Grant, Lee, Chamberlain, and to a lesser extent Hancock, Stuart and Longstreet. Grant's war by attrition and Lee's efforts to evade the Union forces are the focal points of the novel. There is no need to concern myself with spoilers I believe everyone know the outcome...the North Wins but at a huge cost. One of Shaara's main points is the terrible cost of the war, the ruin on the battlefield as well as in the minds of participants.

I enjoyed this novel immensely. If I had to find anything wrong with the book, I would say that the book requires more maps or better maps. It's hard to picture a battle unless you can see a map showing all the players. Also, the story drags a little at the end. Shaara doesn't focus upon the Civil War reconstruction but instead gives us biographical chapters with post-war recaps. I would consider the Civil War Reconstruction just as important as the capsule biographies of the major characters and perhaps a more important end to his story. However, these are very minor points and I would not let them deter you. The is a very fine novel and one worthy of your attention.

This book, found in manuscript form among the author's papers after his death, is like an ode to the purity of the game of baseball. The protagonist, Billy Chapel, is a throwback to the old glory days of the sport, when players spent their whole careers with one team, and had annual meetings with the team owner to iron out next year's contract.

Chapel is about to take the mound at the end of his 17th big-league season, for a losing team, playing before 80,000 fans in Yankee Stadium (must have been the old, larger House that Ruth built) against a team desperately needing the win for a playoff berth. Amidst personal crisis (Chapel hears a rumor that he's been traded, and his girlfriend is destined to marry another), he tries to block out everything and go out in style, giving it all he's got for one majestic, final game.

The book is written like an internal monologue, and especially in between innings Chapel reminisces about childhood, about his chance encounter with the beautiful Carol and their amorous adventures together, and about his departed parents. The scene of Billy pretending to sleep in the backseat of his folks' car, while they marvel at his talent and discuss how special he is, was especially moving. Chapel is so introspective that he is essentially roused out of his reverie to take the mound each inning by his catcher and best friend Gus.

I liked the interplay between the baseball game and the dream-like flashbacks, although readers should understand that this is more than just a novel about baseball. Themes such as solitude, grace under pressure, camaraderie between the pitcher and catcher, and the recognition that Billy is an aging athlete playing what could be his last game are all explored in moving detail. I read the book this past week, against the backdrop of a classic game 7 World Series matchup between two old warhorses Clemens and Schilling, and could appreciate even more the way pitchers ignore the pain and lay it all on the line in big games. Shaara, whose masterpiece "The Killer Angels" explored the psyche of civil war veterans like Lee, Longstreet, Armistead and Hancock, does a good job getting inside the head of a hall of fame pitcher. The book is also nice and short, susceptible of being completed in one long sitting if desired. While some of his references may seem a bit dated (like athletes listening to Neil Diamond tapes the night before a game), the book is a winner.

This book was the best book I have ever read! I read it from begining to end. I just could not put it down. This book is not only just for people who like baseball stories, but its for people who like love stories. Billy has just found out that he is going to be traded at the end of the season. He has to choose between retiring and going ahead and playing for another team. The main portion of the book takes place during what could be the biggest game of Billy Chappel's life. Billy's best friend, Gus, helps Billy through his hard times with Billy's girlfriend, Carol, and he is Billy's motivation when he is down. In my opinion this is the best book ever written. You will enjoy it if you decide to read it!

Shutting out everything, concentrating on that one goal, time and time again. Why? All for the love of the game.

This little gem of a book was found by the author's son and published posthumously. Though it is no Gettysburg, it is a wonderful book from an author who left us too early before we got a chance to know him.

Billy Chapel is an aging major league baseball who once knew the pinnacle of greatness. But age has taken over, and he is on the verge of being put out to pasture--or as rumors roam--being traded. He is pitching his last game of the season, and as he pitches he ruminates over his life over a stream of conscienceless of thought. He knows it is the end of his career, but he is not going without a flash and begins to pitch the best game of his life. As he pitches, he begins to think back on his life, but as he does so he stays focus on the game--the perfect game. Why? For the love of the game.

There are no simple answers to his life. Nothing but memories, the future, and the love of the game.

A perfect little book from a great author.

In "Gods and Generals" Jeff Shaara follows up on his fabulous "The Last Full Measure," filling in the trilogy of civil war novels that includes his father's classic "The Killer Angels." Where "The Killer Angels" detailed the battle of Gettysburg and "The Last Full Measure" picks up Robert E. Lee's trail and follows him all the way to Appomattox, "Gods and Generals" chronicles some of the key Civil War events leading up to Gettysburg.

This is an odd way to complete a trilogy: write the first story last, the middle story first, and the last story second, but at least readers aren't required to read them in that order--and I suggest they don't. I recommend reading the stories in sequence with the war: "Gods" first, "Angels" second, and then the "Measure." One reason is the simple logic of following the natural progression of the characters and the war. Another is that in that order the writing goes from good to great. Reading the books in reverse order can lead to letdown.

While "Gods and Generals" is an excellent primer to the subsequent volumes, it is not on the same literary level. Shaara introduces the main characters, Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee, and a few key Union players in the war in the East, i.e., Hancock and Chamberlain, and follows their exploits from Bull Run I (Manassas) through the Peninsular Campaign, Jackson's 1862 Shenandoah campaign, Antietam (Sharpsburg), Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. He glosses over the early fights and builds tension by providing more detail of each subsequent battle, mostly won by the underdog but aggressive and brilliantly led rebels. Most of his specific battle-scene descriptions center on Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, where Stonewall Jackson receives his fatal friendly-fire wound. But for those who loved "Angels" for its detailed account of the Gettysburg battle, this book will be unsatisfying; the individual battles do not receive enough attention. For those who were moved by the climactic drama and powerful evocative writing in "Measure," this book will seem flat, uninspired, and aimless. On its own, the ending tends to fizzle out to nothing. Of course, it's not on its own, and was never intended to be. It is a strong foundation for one of the best historical war novel trilogies of all time. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of BIG ICE and WAKE UP DEAD.

My first love is Scottish History, but since I was raised on both sides of the pond, I grew to have a great love for the complexities of the War Between the States in the US. So, it was great pleasure I read this book.

Shaara, in this case Jeff, the son of Michael, had a hard act to follow. His father was the author of Pulitzer Prize Winning Killer Angels (1974). Killer Angels looked at the high watermark of the Confederacy which ended with the battle of Gettysburg. That was the single most important event of the whole War Between the States, in a war that shaped the United States. It gave such insight, such reality into the horror, the glory, the humanity and inhumanity of war, of Generals Lee, Hancock, Pickett and Chamberlain. Shaara's words brought alive the battle and made you feel it all, the anticipation, the frustration, the fear and the anger.

In Gods and Generals, Jeff picks up his father's pen and gives you another masterpiece. Though father and son, both have a different writing voices. Jeff picks up the threads of what happened before Gettysburg, a prequel to his father's award winning novel, giving you insight into the men facing what would be their hardest trial. He again centres on the driven Lee, the bumbling Chamberlain, the dashing Hancock, but we also see Jackson, the man who could march his men 40 miles in a day and then fight a battle, one of the most efficient Generals of the whole war on either side, yet overwhelming a religious man. What interested me most, was his portrait of Lee, his dedication to the Confederacy winning and yet the pain of being torn by his loyalty to the Union army he once served and likely of which he would have been General had he not resigned his commission.

A tour de force for a first time writer.

Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara is a tremendously awesome book explaining the battles between the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. Shaara did a wonderful job giving key details while making it interesting. Some history novels are so boring. People just read about what happened without enjoying the book because it would not have any people or scenes or anything because it is strictly summary. This book showed Shaara's true capability of teaching the reader while the reader is enjoying the book.
Before reading this book, I lacked a lot of knowledge pertaining to the Civil War. I did know the basics, it started with slavery and the Union won. Once I read the first chapter, I knew that it was going to be an overwhelming and an awe-inspiring book and I knew that I was going to learn a lot. I learned about each of the major generals, many of the major battles, and actions the people made. I went from knowing almost nothing to being a person with a good deal of knowledge regarding the subject of Civil War.
General Robert E. Lee was a major character and Jeff Shaara really focused on him as well as Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson from the Confederacy. From the Union, Shaara did not focus on one or two of the generals, it was more evened out. Although Shaara focuses on these two generals, I felt that I got to know each character and what they felt. That is one of Shaara's strengths when he writes, the reader feels like they get to know the characters.
It is impossible to characterize the greatnessof Gods and Generals and it is impossible to not have to the chance to read it. If you are want to read a book and learn while reading and enjoying, I strongly suggest that you buy this book and read it because those around you are going to want to borrow the book and read it as well.