Rating: 
Summary: "Four cardboard god/generals"
Review: I read this book and 'Killer Angels' back to back, but only went on to 'Killer Angels' because the author was different.'Gods and Generals' really is not a very good book. While J. Shaara does a credible job in the actual battlefield accounts, his work in between is dreadful. Unlike 'Killer Angels', G & G spends most of its time off the battlefield and in the personal lives of four important generals, and Shaara underwhelmed me in this aspect. He portrays The Four Generals - Lee, Jackson, Hancock, and Chamberlain - as such one-dimensional, cookie cutter versions of recruiting poster soldiers that you just never get a feeling that these are real people with human foibles or emotions, beyond feelings for their physically and emotionally damaged wives. Shaara's biggest problem arises from his refusal to do what his father was happy to do in 'Killer Angels' - give us an earthy, believable vision of how these men might actually have been, warts and character flaws and personality conflicts included. It really seems like Shaara means for us to infer from his title that these four men were both gods and generals. They are all perfect soldiers, and say nary a discouraging word all the livelong day. I'm not buying many of his characterizations. For instance, can anyone truly picture Robert E. Lee sitting down in his private study to chat about old times with a former slave who shows up on his doorstep one night? Lee was considered aloof by WHITE people! Most absurd is Shaara's portrayal of Jackson as being aghast that his fellow southerners would wish hell upon John Brown, because Stonewall was such a caring person! In fact, Jackson may have been the most bloodthirsty general in that war (quote: "We don't want them brave, we want them dead."), and was a religious fanatic of a brand that was not the norm even for that time, so why would he feel any compassion for John Brown? I also disbelieved Shaara's having Hancock in mid-1860 being unaware of the entire concept that the south might secede over state's rights, even though Hancock had previously served in "Bloody Kansas" during the 1850s. After reading G & G, I approached 'Killer Angels' with some trepidation, but on the second page Michael Shaara referred to Lee's assistant as a "prissy man" and I knew I was indeed reading a different author. In those two words, M. Shaara instilled more life into HIS book than Jeff Shaara could do with hundreds of pages.
Rating: 
Summary: This novel will be misconstrued as historical fact, too bad!
Review: Novels like Killer Angels by Jeff's father Michael riveted many to a story of people and events of the war that shaped our country. As a first read for the average non-history buff it encouraged those readers to gain an interest in the Civil War and continue in its study. It was not written as a dry history and that is why it was such a popular book. (I would rate Killer Angels 4 stars). Now, with Gods and Generals the concept of the novel has taken a spiral downward in sloppy research before the book was written. The writing style is not very well crafted and is merely a good juvenile attempt. I was very disappointed in the character studies of people like Jackson and Stuart. Shaara took the easy way out on these personalities and did them extreme injustice in his rendering and in his zeal to portray unusual or quirky characters (probably with an eye to the screenplay). I was so disappointed in this book that I refuse to see the movie or read the sequel. As you can see by the number of reviews here, people take this novel as fact in many cases. It may be a good read for some but my research background makes it impossible for me to enjoy it. I recommend not buying this book if you want to learn about the war. If you like soap operas, then maybe its for you.
Rating: 
Summary: A life-changing experience.
Review: This is an outstanding read. Jeff Shaara's writing style is different and refreshing. He takes you back to the scenes and gives you a real feel for how it must have been. An enjoyable way to learn real history with the excitement of a novel! Through his revelations of the true character and integrity of the men who fought in the Civil War...it changed my life.
Rating:
Summary: Anticipating more, I found less
Review: I have to admit, I was very excited when I heard that this book was coming out. I thoroughly enjoyed Killer Angels for its approach, it's very well written prose, and its conciseness. I was sure that Jeff Shaara would have some difficulty following in this style. What I found was worse. It is a very difficult book to begin reading, and after several chapters I put it down for good. I found the writing style virtually unreadable and found myself re-reading lines to see if I was missing something. I always finish books...but this is one exception.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: A terrific follow-up to Michael Shaara's "The Killer Angels", which focused on the Battle of Gettysburg. In this book, Jeff Shaara (Michael's son) describes the events leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg in a most enlightening way. Though a combination of fact and fiction, fiction is only used to give us an idea of what must have been on the minds of the generals who made life and death decisions during our bloodiest war. Anyone who read "The Killer Angels" and enjoyed it should read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Check for typos!
Review: I waited for the release of this book. Killer Angels is what inspired me to become a History Teacher. It is clear that Shaara struggles with trying to imitate his fathers method of writing. In the beginning of the book I feel sympathetic toward him and applaud his attempts at matching the unorthodox style of his dad. But after seeing numerous, (I stopped counting after 20) typos and several areas where there is misinformation, my sympathy began to change to anger. There is no excuse for having that many typos in a book. I found it distracting and an annoyance. HINT - do not capitalize words after commas!! The publisher should be ashamed.
Rating:
Summary: It was the best book I have ever read!
Review: When I was first assigned to read the book Gods and Generals by me history teacher I just hoped it was a thin book.Well it didn't turn out to be very thin but the material in the book was great. I can now reconize this book as the best I have ever read and can't wait to start the Killer Angels.I would recommend Gods and Generals to anyone interested in reading or doesn't really enjoy reading.It will become one of the great's of our time.
Rating:
Summary: Read it now, before the movie comes out!!
Review: Someone once wrote of a book titled *Ishmael,* I now put all books into two categories: those I read before *Ishmael,* and those I read after. Along those lines, for many of us, father Michael's *Killer Angels* forever changed what we expect from a historical account. In that light, *Gods and Generals* does not disappoint. Comparison to his father's work in unadvoidable -- so I will address it up front. While *KA* did a much better job of bringing the Big Picture, the strategic level of the battle to the reader, *GAG* holds its own in all other aspects. Overall, a thrilling book that really dives into the psyches and motivation of the key players we thought we knew so well. It would be a mistake to dismiss this as merely a follow-up to his father's work. *GAG* stands quite well on its own.
Rating:
Summary: If you live history, then you must read God's and Generals
Review: God's and Generals is a must read. Not only is it based on a very popular issue, the Civil War, but it is readable, informative and riviting. I particularly enjoyed the insight into the personal lives of America's greatest warriors and even though it is only based on fact, an aweful lot of fact is in the book. I finished the piece very quickly and bought it's "sequels" Killer Angels and The Last Full Measure. I rather enjoyed watching Gettysburg and wouldn't mind at all if someone made a few movies out of Jeff Shaara's masterpiece. Any questions feel free to contact me.
Rating:
Summary: A History Book for Those Who Don't Like History
Review: This is by far one of the best books I have read recently. I found it almost impossible to put it down once I had started. Though most of the content of the book is based on the diaries, letters, etc. of the characters, it has been painstakingly translated into modern day English by the author. Considering the topic, one would expect another boring doctoral thesis. However, this book is clearly written with the average consumer in mind. It is dramatized to accentuate those portions of Civil War life that are similar to today, thus making it read more like Grisham or Clancy than like an Oxford history professor. Battle details are included just enough to satisfy the average Civil War buff, but not enough to bore to death those who could care less. All in all, this is one of the best Civil War novels I have ever read, and I recommend it strongly to anyone.
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