Rating: 
Summary: Shaara-rific
Review: The Civil War always fascinates and as time goes on seems less real in the fuller context of American History. The 150th anniversary of the war did not get much attention from mainstream media outlets that I can recall (of course, my powers of recollection are not what they used to be) but this book has provided a unique perspective that such sources would not likely have been able to provide anyway. And judging by the reviews of the film released this past summer, one is better off with this book.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: It's been years since a book has captured my imagination as completely as this one did. Once I made it through the introductory chapters, the storyline swept me forward and kept me enthralled for the duration. Being a bit of a history buff and a big fan of Ken Burns' PBS documentary "The Civil War," I thought I had a pretty good understanding of the events of the war. Now I realize I was missing the essence of the worst human drama in American history: the human beings themselves. Jeff Shaara takes you inside the minds and hearts of the men who led the great armies to learn about their motives, shortcomings and conflicts. What's more, he does it in a way that is totally believable and satisfying. This is an outstanding historical novel.
Rating:
Summary: Are you a God or a General?
Review: Gods and Generals is a fantastic book. To really understand this book you must know a little about the civil war. The way that Jeff Shaara portrays these characters is interesting. The movie is somewhat like the book. The book is much more in depth, and really gives you the feeling of what things were like. What is really interesting about Jeff Shaara's writing style is that he will have on chapter about what General Lee is doing, and then the next chapter will be about what General Hancock is doing, so he tells both side of the spectrum. Something that is really helpful is in the intro, Shaara tells about each General portrayed in the book. It gives you somewhat of an Idea of what the Generals where like. As much as I like this book it isn't for everyone. If you appreciate history this is for you.
Rating:
Summary: This was good.
Review: I have never been a history buff. I picked this book up when I was stuck at an airport in Baltimore for half the day. Not sure why I picked this one, but I'm glad I did. Shaara has done his homework. He fleshes out the characters of some of the most famous names of American history: Lee, Jackson, Hancock, Chamberlain. Not only do you see the war strategies come together, you feel their excitement, anger, loss, and patriotism.It is rare that a book imparts as many lessons as this one, and you don't have to be a history buff to enjoy it. Now go get it! That's an order!
Rating:
Summary: Great beginning for Jeff Shaara
Review: I read Gods and Generals by Jeff Shaara after finishing his father's magnificent treasure, The Killer Angels. Gods and Generals is not on par with The Killer Angels, but then, what is? Jeff Shaara decided to carry on his father's story by writing this prequel and then following that with The Last Full Measure, about the ending of the War. Gods and Generals deals with beginnings and develops the characters who we will grow to love as though they were relations. The battle scenes are realistic and vividly told, with great respect for historical accuracy. I highly recommend this book. I'll add that Jeff's later books are even better--he has become a terrific author in his own right.
Rating: 
Summary: Like Father, Not Like Sun
Review: Filled with awkward prose, and bizarre grammar, Gods and Generals only proves that literary talent may not be genetic. Do yourself a favor and just reread Killer Angels.
Rating:
Summary: A Marvelous Prequel to The Killer Angels
Review: A wonderful book written by Jeff Shaara as a prequel to his father, Michael Shaara, book The Killer Angels. Written about the years before the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, it is based from the point of view, thoughts, and feelings of Robert E. Lee, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Winfield Scott Hancock, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. It begins with Lee at his estate in Arlington, Virginia and soon goes to his putting down John Brown's Raid. It goes on visiting the other men until the first shots are fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor to begin the war. The war goes on chronicling the lives of the men fighting and Jackson earns the nickname "Stonewall" at the battle of First Manassas. The victory for the Confederates at First Manassas, leads to the Seven Days campaign, Second Manassas, and the bloody draw at Antietam. The Confederates win the major battle of Fredricksburg in the winter of 1862. In May of 1863 the Confederates surprise the Union at Chancellorsville but Jackson is killed. We can now only await to read Killer Angels.
Rating:
Summary: Great opening to the series
Review: This is a great novel. Outside of The Killer Angels this is probably the best historical fiction I've read. The best part of this book is the relationship between jackson and a little girl. One other thing that I enjoyed about this book was the way the author showed how the North could have ended the war much earlier if they had listened to their lower ranking generals opposed to the peacocks that Lincoln was pressured into appointing. Great addition to any library.
Rating: 
Summary: God's and General's....good or bad?
Review: Gods and Generals is an amazing novel about the civil war and Ghettysburg. Exploring all views from the generals Lee, Jackson, Hancock, and Chamberlain, Jeff Shaara makes this book one of the best of the Civil War. This book was not one I would have picked off the shelves, nor did it appeal to me, but still I understood it. This novel's history was very accurate and was way better than anything you could get out of a textbook and gives you a much more thorough understanding of the battles. How he could get almost inside one of the generals heads from both the Union and the Confederacy side was outstanding and helped me understand everything much more. This book would definitely take on interest for anyone who happens to have a great interest in history and the Civil War, but if you are not quite as fond of history then this just might not be the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Lucaso's Gods and Generals
Review: I recently have read the book Gods and Generals. In this book there are several characters, which I found very interesting. The main charcter though was Thomas Jackson. Then there were other charcters such as Robert E. Lee, but for the most part it focussed on Thomas Jackson. He was a teacher at a military school in Virginia, but left to join the confederate army. He did not go alone, he took some of his students with him. Many people were involved in combat with Thomas Jackson and many crossed him in the story. For example Jeb Stuart was an important character in the story always helping. In the beginning of the story, it was a little to mellow for me. But as the story progressed further into the war and into the battles it started to become intriguing and exciting. This book over all was an enjoyable read and I would suggest it to anyone who likes to read about history and people in the war.
|
