Rating: 
Summary: Mythic, powerful and historical!
Review: Jeff M. Shaara follows in his father's footsteps to write about popular northeastern Civil War generals or key players in the northern campaigns. As a prelude to Gettysburg (movie)/Killer Angels (book), Shaara's novel covers the beginnings of Generals like Jackson, Lee and Hancock. He explains where they were, what they did and how they came into the fold of war. Shaara paints a picture easy to follow and develops his characters well with descriptive writing. This method explains these men of history to make the reader understand their personalities and lifestyle. Shaara follows history quite well though treats this era with fiction in which real-life human individuals are named and placed in historical context. Shaara likes to portray people like General Lee and Jackson as almost "God-like" entities in his writing. That is where a mythological, larger-than-life feeling is born and these people tend to be blessed with Zeus-like traits. This makes for great fiction though I think it becomes overdone since real names and places are being used. Shaara's writing seems flowery and poetic at times when it comes to these individuals making them seem absolute, perfect and without flaw or error. Such traits are God-like and it rings true to the title of the book.As the war grows these God-like characters are involved in the major campaigns such as Fredericksburg, Antietam and Chancellorsville. Shaara's balance of covering the Fredericksburg battle was excellent. The events surrounding key players like Lee,Longstreet,Jackson,Hancock,Burnside and Couch bring the great winter saga to the front with very descriptive and intelligent presentation. The battle of Chancellorsville completes the final fourth of this fine book which covers Jackson's flanking movement on Hooker's army, the death of Jackson and Hooker's retreat from the city. This book will soon be out as a movie in early 2003.
Rating:
Summary: Making people out of legends
Review: How do you take legends and historical figures who have statues of them in parks and state capitols and turn them into people who cry at the death of a neighbor and can actually be embarrased? As much as people like to tote Jeff Shaara's attempt at writing a prequel to his father's masterpiece Pulitzer prize winner "Killer Angels" as simply an attempt, there are points in the book when you see what the real purpose of the book is. Where Shaara may not be as finely tuned a writer as his father was, he can certainly bring the human qualities of these men out, maybe better than his father, and develop an atmosphere that is as rich as though you're standing there. There's no flowery descriptions of nature in here, he keeps his words few and rich, for both the natural settings and the characters. He does whatever he must to endear us to the characters, and soon, even at each shift of each chapter we clearly start to see and anticipate the quirks and dreams, idiosyncracies and hopes, loves and fears of these people. We start to feel for them, and even at points where the language might be slightly awkward we know its heartfelt. This is a very good book. He turned Robert E. Lee into a father and husband, brings Chamberlain down to earth, and above all, which I believe is the greatest triumph of the book, makes Stonewall Jackson into a human being who is no longer a "stone wall" but a man who mourns, believes in something, loves, and feels the pain and beauty around him, and we feel it all too.
Rating:
Summary: Could not put it down
Review: This past Christmas, my mom got my grandpa the Civil War Trilogy of books by Jeff and Michael Shaara. He read them and really enjoyed them. So, I picked them up at the book store as well and all I have to say is,as of reading the first volume "Gods and Generals" I could not put it down. I am now reading "The Killer Angels" and it is excellant as well. These books are amazing in their characterizaton and detail and provide a look into the history of te Civil War that I have never had before.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't be fooled: Jeff Shaara is not his father
Review: Don't be fooled (as I was, and as marketeers hope you will be) into thinking that Jeff Shaara carries on the tradition of his father's writing: he doesn't. His writing drags and plods along. He should have left well enough alone. "The Killer Angels" is a masterpiece, and Jeff Shaara is dragging it out to no good end. He should try to write something of his own, rather than capitalizing on his father's good name. "The Killer Angels" stands alone and does not need to be dragged out in this manner. Jeff Shaara adds nothing to the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Another great book from this family
Review: Once again, the Shaara family gives us some insights into those that had such an important impact on this country's Civil War. The operations described in this book are less well known as that at Gettysburg and, for this reason, perhaps more interesting. I particularly enjoyed learning how a river crossing was accomplished during this time period. However, like his father, the real treat in this book is getting to know the participants of these historical events. While this book does not fully recapture the living nature of the characters as did "The Killer Angels," that is more due to the brilliance of that work as opposed to any shortcoming in this book. I can certainly recommend this book especially to those that would like to learn more about the Civil War in a way other than simply reviewing dry facts and figures.
Rating: 
Summary: too military-oriented
Review: Althought this book was very well-written and the research appears to be incredible, I felt it did not provide a well-rounded prespective of the Mexican-American War. All of the views presented are from military leaders. I was hoping Shaara would include at least a couple chapters told from the stance of someone involved in the political and/or economic aspects of the war; or perhaps from some of the more "common" people who are affected by war. Since this is technically a work of fiction, it seems he could have easily done this without disrupting the sequence of military events in the war. In "rise to rebellion" Shaara told the story from several differing points of view. Here the characters are not very divergent from one another and so I felt like I was getting a one-sided view of the entire conflict. Read only if you are interested in MILITARY fiction, not necessarily historical fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book, Soon to Be - Great Movie
Review: Michael Shaara may not be as good a writer as father, but he surely comes close to it in his prequel to his father's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Killer Angels. In Gods and Generals, Michael Shaara explores the lives of Generals Lee, Hancock, Jackson and Chamberlain. It delves into their thoughts, actions, remembrances leading up to the battle at Gettysburg. He shows them as people not as unknown figures talked about in boring history classes. People who had feelings, yearnings, and fear. One does not need to be a Civil War buff to thoroughly enjoy this book. It could have been longer because so many battles are included, but then this may have made the book tedious to read. The movie comes out in 2003. If it is as good as the book, it will be a winner.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully Written Masterpiece
Review: Acturate and detailed story of the times preceding Gettysburg. If you want to learn about the Civil War, I can't think of a better book! I'm in 8th grade, and I had to read it. It was cool man! I was really mad about having to read such a big book, but that's because it goes into so much detail! I hardly wanted to put it down. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: General = Stonewall Jackson.
Review: "Gods And Generals", by Jeff Shaara, Audio book read by Stephen Lang.
Random House Audio, Inc, 1998. The central character of this book is General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, (1824-1863). The book is presented from the viewpoint of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The book does deal peripherally with Confederate generals Longstreet, A.P. Hill, cavalry general Jeb Stuart, but all from the view of how they interacted with Jackson, or laid the path for actions and battles in which Stonewall Jackson was involved. On the Union side, the chief protagonist is General Winfield Scott Hancock and accordingly he receives more attention than, say, Union General Joshua Chamberlain (the hero of Gettysburg) or Irish Brigade General Thomas Meagher (pronounced MAAhar). In fact, this is one of the few books not explicitly addressing the Irish Brigade that actually gives credit to that general and his famous Civil War outfit for its bravery at places such as Antietam and Fredericksburg.
Stonewall Jackson is described as leaving his teaching position at Virginia Military Institute, but bringing most of the cadet corps with him to serve in the newly forming Confederate army. A brief interlude describes how Jackson earned the name of "Stonewall" at the Battle of Bull Run, July 1861, and how that name stuck with him. (I wonder why Shaara did not describe the Fighting 69th, the core of Irish Brigade at Bull Run? That New York outfit was one of the few Union groups to retire from the field in order.) The book then deals with change in leadership of the Army of Potomac, and the errors the Union generals made at Antietam and Fredericksburg.
The audio book builds up the tension until the darkness of the Battle of Chancellorsville, where Stonewall Jackson was shot by Southern troops. Shaara ascribes a poignant quote to General Lee, who wrote to Jackson that, "...you may have lost your left arm, but I have lost my right". Many historians think that the Civil War would have been greatly different, or, at least, much longer, if the team of Lee and Jackson had been able to collaborate on defeating the different commanding generals that President Lincoln put in charge of the Army of Potomac. Just as an aside, the Western Theatre is hardly mentioned, so, naturally, the name of U.S. Grant is not mentioned either. The audio book's reader failed to develop a true Southern accent with which he tried to characterize the Confederate generals. Thus, when he came to dialogue assigned to Robert E. Lee, the reader lowered his voice to a quiet tone, which, along with the Southern drawl, made the character appear, to my ears, effeminate as opposed to a voice of a commanding general.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: Shaara's Gods and Generals is a fantastic prequel to his father's Pulitzer Prize winning story of Gettysburg -- The Killer Angels. G&G is both similar and different to The Killer Angels. Both books are historically accurate and loved by historians and Civil War Buffs. Both books bring the generals' personalities to life with dialogue. Both books bring the Civil War alive in a way that not many book can. G&G is different than The Killer Angels in some ways that made this book not only unique, but possibly even better in some regards. Most significantly, the book covers a longer period of time from the end of the Mexican War, through the start of the Civil War and up until Gettysburg. Two battles are covered in details -- compared to TKA's coverage of just one -- Fredricksburg and Chancellorsville, but other battles such as Williamsburg are covered as well. Lee's vs. the Unions troop movements and strategies are fascinating. And the dis-union of the United States is fascinating and insightful, as this is brought to life from 4 or 5 perspectives throughout the country. When you read one of the Shaara's novels in this trilogy you'll end up reading them all because you'll like them so much. You can read them out of order, like I have, but you might as well start at the beginning with this one for the sake of continuity. Highly recommended.
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