The New York Times bestselling prequel to the Pulitzer Prize–winning classic The Killer Angels
In this brilliantly written epic novel, Jeff Shaara traces the lives, passions, and careers of the great military leaders from the first gathering clouds of the Civil War. Here is Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, a hopelessly by-the-book military instructor and devout Christian who becomes the greatest commander of the Civil War; Winfield Scott Hancock, a captain of quartermasters who quickly establishes himself as one of the finest leaders of the Union army; Joshua Chamberlain, who gives up his promising academic career and goes on to become one of the most heroic soldiers in American history; and Robert E. Lee, never believing until too late that a civil war would ever truly come to pass. Profound in its insights into the minds and hearts of those who fought in the war, Gods and Generals creates a vivid portrait of the soldiers, the battlefields, and the tumultuous times that forever shaped the nation.
The New York Times bestselling prequel to the Pulitzer Prize–winning classic The Killer Angels
In this brilliantly written epic novel, Jeff Shaara traces the lives, passions, and careers of the great military leaders from the first gathering clouds of the Civil War. Here is Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, a hopelessly by-the-book military instructor and devout Christian who becomes the greatest commander of the Civil War; Winfield Scott Hancock, a captain of quartermasters who quickly establishes himself as one of the finest leaders of the Union army; Joshua Chamberlain, who gives up his promising academic career and goes on to become one of the most heroic soldiers in American history; and Robert E. Lee, never believing until too late that a civil war would ever truly come to pass. Profound in its insights into the minds and hearts of those who fought in the war, Gods and Generals creates a vivid portrait of the soldiers, the battlefields, and the tumultuous times that forever shaped the nation.
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Overview
The New York Times bestselling prequel to the Pulitzer Prize–winning classic The Killer Angels
In this brilliantly written epic novel, Jeff Shaara traces the lives, passions, and careers of the great military leaders from the first gathering clouds of the Civil War. Here is Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, a hopelessly by-the-book military instructor and devout Christian who becomes the greatest commander of the Civil War; Winfield Scott Hancock, a captain of quartermasters who quickly establishes himself as one of the finest leaders of the Union army; Joshua Chamberlain, who gives up his promising academic career and goes on to become one of the most heroic soldiers in American history; and Robert E. Lee, never believing until too late that a civil war would ever truly come to pass. Profound in its insights into the minds and hearts of those who fought in the war, Gods and Generals creates a vivid portrait of the soldiers, the battlefields, and the tumultuous times that forever shaped the nation.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780345422477 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Random House Publishing Group |
| Publication date: | 04/01/1998 |
| Edition description: | 1 MASS MKT |
| Pages: | 512 |
| Sales rank: | 101,776 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.20(w) x 6.90(h) x 3.90(d) |
| Age Range: | 14 - 18 Years |
About the Author
Jeff Shaara is the New York Times bestselling author of A Chain of Thunder, A Blaze of Glory, The Final Storm, No Less Than Victory, The Steel Wave, The Rising Tide, To the Last Man, The Glorious Cause, Rise to Rebellion, and Gone for Soldiers, as well as Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure—two novels that complete the Civil War trilogy that began with his father’s Pulitzer Prize–winning classic, The Killer Angels. Shaara was born into a family of Italian immigrants in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and graduated from Florida State University. He lives again in Tallahassee.
Hometown:
Kalispell, MontanaDate of Birth:
February 21, 1952Place of Birth:
New Brunswick, New JerseyEducation:
B.S. in Criminology, Florida State University, 1974Website:
http://www.jeffshaara.com/Read an Excerpt
Gods and Generals: Antietam/Sharpsburg
After Lee's victory at Bull Run, he took his men on a march into Maryland, drawing the Union army out of Virginia. But Union commander George McClellan captured Lee's plans; for once in his life he moved quickly to pin the Confederates down in the fields around the town of Sharpsburg, by Antietam Creek.
On September 17, 1862, the two armies clashed in the bloodiest day of the entire war. McClellan launched a series of uncoordinated attacks on Lee's outnumbered army. Joshua Chamberlain served in the Union army's reserve, waiting all day to be ordered into the bloody fight.
Excerpt
They reached a small village, Porterstown, and marched through wide streets, the townspeople standing in doorways, leaning out windows, some waving, others just staring. Farther ahead, on the creek itself, was the Middle Bridge, held by the Confederate division of Daniel Harvey Hill. The rebel forces were dug in, back, away from the creek, and to their front the Federal army was spreading out, into lines of attack, were crossing the creek and preparing for the assault. The battle had begun on the far right, just after dawn, and now, as the sun began to rise up behind them, Chamberlain could hear the steady rumble, and as they moved closer, the sharp sounds of single cannon. He sat high on his horse, moving along with the same slow rhythm of the march, but now the men did not fall out, did not feel the weight of the hot September morning, but stared to the front, marching steadily, closer to the sound of the guns.
He heard the steady clatter of muskets now, still off to the right of the road, to the northwest. The battle is not in front of us, he thought. Strange that we should move this way...not up there.
In front of them, Chamberlain saw a rise, a long, wide hill, and as they began to move up, he saw guns, rows of black cannon set into shallow, round depressions before the crest of the hill. Just then they began to fire, quick bursts of gray smoke, and a sudden shocking boom that startled him and his horse. He bounced around on the road, had to grab the horse hard to calm him. From over the hill he saw Ames, riding hard, past lines of troops that were moving away now, to the right, toward the sounds of the battle.
Ames reined up his horse, and Chamberlain saw he was sweating. "Colonel, we're here, right here. Keep the men in column lines. Let's move them out into this field. Wait for further orders. We are part of the reserve."
Chamberlain turned, and Ames rode past him, into the columns of men, and gave the command to the bugler. With the signal, the men moved quickly off the road. Then Ames rode up again, toward the front of the column, slowed his horse as he reached Chamberlain, said, "Colonel, keep them tight, keep them ready. I am to survey the field to our front."
Chamberlain watched him ride away, up the long hill, turning his horse to the side behind the rows of black cannon. The guns began to fire again, a loud and thunderous volley, and the hill became a great, thick fog bank.
He stayed on his horse, saw now across the road, on the left, vast numbers of troops, lines disappearing into a distant grove of trees, and the men not moving, keeping their formations. He rode out the other way, to the right, into the grass, saw more troops farther out that way, a great field of blue, waiting. He looked to his own men, saw the companies staying in their formations, coming off the road, and he rode up to the head of one column, saw Captain Spears of Company G, a small, sharp man who had also been a teacher. He had a narrow, thick beard, sat on a horse, watched Chamberlain approach, puffed on a large round pipe.
"Well, Colonel, do you think we will get our chance?"
Chamberlain looked back to the crest of the hill, could still not see through the smoke, and another volley thundered out, shaking the ground, startling his horse again.
"Whoa, easy...We'll see, Captain. Right now we must be ready...be ready to move forward on command!" He felt a little foolish, a vague order, felt again as if he were left out, didn't know what was happening. The battle sounds had continued to the northwest, and he wondered, Are they moving away, around us? He glanced at Spears, said, "I'll be right back...just going up the crest a ways, take a look maybe."
"We're right here, Colonel."
He turned the horse, then decided to dismount instead. This wasn't a parade. He jumped down, felt his belt, his pistol, began to walk toward the thick cloud of smoke.
The guns continued to fire, every minute or so, and he wondered, How far away is the enemy? There had been no explosions, no incoming shells, none of the sounds he'd been told about, coached about, by Ames, just the deadening thunder of their own big guns....
Now, from the sounds of the battle, he saw his first troops, thick lines of blue, uneven and ragged formations, moving toward a cornfield, and then smoke, solid lines of gray, and in a few seconds the sound reached him, the chattering musket fire, and the blue lines were in pieces, men moving back, some still advancing, some not moving at all. He saw more lines now, solid blocks of blue spreading wide, advancing, and more smoke, and more sounds, and then, farther away, a glimpse through the smoke, other lines of men, some moving, some firing, quick flashes of white and yellow, and the big guns beside him firing again....
He turned to watch the men working the cannon, and was startled to see more men, his men, watching the battle, lying on the ground, creating a neat blue patch on the hill. He had not thought anyone else would be up here, should not have been up here; he should not be up here, but he knew they could not just wait, could not sit behind some big hill and hear it all and not see.
Chamberlain stood up, began to wave his arms, fast and high, motioning to his men, and another blast came from the guns. He braced himself, did not fall, kept waving, back, move back, wondering if they saw him or were ignoring him. He moved along the hillside, tried to yell, but the sound of the guns took his voice away, and suddenly he heard a high, distant scream, louder now, whistling toward him, dropping down on him from behind. He turned, saw nothing, but the sound pierced his ears, and the ground suddenly flew high around him, dirt spraying him, knocking him down, and he lay still, shook his head...checked, all right, but...a bad day for the ears. Then another scream, overhead, and behind the hill, down where the rest of his men sat waiting, there was another explosion, and he tried to see, but it was beyond the crest.
Suddenly, someone had him under the arms, lifting him, and he said, "No, I'm all right," and he saw the face of an officer, a man with black crust under his eyes, around his mouth and nose, glaring at him with eyes of cold steel.
"You are bloody well not all right, you damned fool! Get these men back off this hill! You're drawing fire to my guns!"
Table of Contents
What People are Saying About This
"The battle of Gettysburg featured a cast of characters dramatically and poignantly portrayed in Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels. This new novel by his son Jeff Shaara describes the interconneted paths that brought these men together at this crossroads of our history. Readers of The Killer Angels won't want to miss Gods and Generals. -- Author of Battle Cry of Freedom
Interviews
On Monday, July 14, barnesandnoble.com welcomed Jeff Shaara, author of GODS AND GENERALS.
Moderator: Civil War buffs and fans of historical fiction, don't miss this chat! Tonight in the barnesandnoble.com live events Auditorium, we are pleased to welcome Jeff Shaara, author of the newly released GODS AND GENERALS. Jeff's novel is the prequel to THE KILLER ANGELS, the wildly popular Civil War novel written by his father, Michael Shaara, in 1974. Good evening, Jeff Shaara! Thanks for being here!
Jeff Shaara: Good evening -- thank you! Pleasure to be here.
Paul from Tampa: How would you compare/contrast your writing style with that of your father's?
Jeff Shaara: I did not set out to mimic my father's style, but I have been told there are similarities. I just tried to tell the story in my own way, and it came out very close to my father's way. I don't have a better answer than that.
JT2U2 from Maryland: Jeff, I am a Civil War buff but usually only read nonfiction books. What makes your book fictional? How much is fact, and how much of it is fiction?
Jeff Shaara: The history is as factual as I could make it. That was critically important. By definition, what makes it fiction is the dialogue and the thoughts of the characters. But I knew historians would jump on this if the history wasn't correct, so I really tried to make the history as accurate as I could. That's what is interesting about these characters -- you don't have to embellish what they did. It's a wonderful story just telling the truth.
Alex from Hackensack, NJ: Hello, Jeff. Tell me, do you welcome comparisons to your father's work, or are you ready to be considered as your own writer?
Jeff Shaara: Comparisons to THE KILLER ANGELS are inevitable. I knew that going into this, and had to accept it from the start. What I did not expect were the positive comparisons, which are wonderful. If people feel that GODS AND GENERALS can simply sit on the same shelf as my father's book, that's wonderful. I don't mind the comparisons a bit. Maybe after I've done this for a while, I hope that people will hear my voice, instead of just me and my father. But I'm too new at this to expect that.
Francine X. from Tennessee: What was the most fun about researching this book?JS
Jeff Shaara: Discovering the character of Jackson. We learn about characters like this in history textbooks, usually in one-dimensional ways. It was an adventure for me to feel like I knew this man. The problem with that is that learning to love a character like this meant that it was a very, very difficult thing to have to write his death.
Howard Raleigh from Spokane, Washington: Jeff, how do you compose dialogue for historical figures like Joshua Chamberlain, who lived and spoke themselves once but are not here now to defend themselves? Does anyone get up in arms about your liberties in essentially "putting words into the mouths" of famous figures?
Jeff Shaara: I have had people question my right to put words in the mouths of these characters. There is no other way to tell a story like mine or my father's without doing that. My research gave me a very personal insight into who these people were, how they thought, and how they spoke, and I felt comfortable with the dialogue that I gave them. If I am not comfortable with what they are saying, then the reader will not be comfortable either, and the whole story falls apart. If I don't believe it, neither will you.
Eugene Rossman from Highridge, NJ: Jeff, do you feel that there is any inherent danger in historical fiction as a genre? Impressionable people, or young students, who read your book could easily mistake your fictions for fact, and thus the truth is obscured. Do you agree?
Jeff Shaara: I don't feel that I obscured the truth at all. If someone else feels that way, or senses something fake in my story, then I have failed as a writer. If there is a danger in historical fiction, it is when the facts are twisted, or history is falsified.
Jim Frost from State College, PA: Are you planning on writing a novel that picks up where THE KILLERS ANGELS leaves off?
Jeff Shaara: Yes! I am almost finished with the manuscript now, and the publisher is already calling for publication next May. It begins exactly where THE KILLER ANGELS ends, moves through the end of the war, and brings in the wonderful character of Grant.
Gerald G. from Jackson, MS: Mr. Shaara, good evening. Did you feel a lot of undo pressure, or added pressure at the very least, in writing this novel? It was, of course, your first published work, correct? And what a legacy to live up to!
Jeff Shaara: Yes. But there was no pressure, because all I set out to do was continue my father's story, not compete with it. I never had any idea that GODS AND GENERALS would be receiving this kind of attention, something my father never saw in his lifetime.
Rory from Florida: Hey, Jeff, I have three questions for you
Thanks a bunch!
Jeff Shaara: Certainly the research has to be done before anything is put onto paper. I am extremely lucky in that I have never experienced writer's block. I spend anywhere between two hours and 12 hours a day writing, depending just on how much comes out. I write until it stops, as if somebody turns off the switch.
Ned S. from Leroy St.: Jeff, do you finally feel that your father can rest in peace? Or did that happen long ago, with the success of THE KILLER ANGELS?
Jeff Shaara: It did not happen long ago, because I don't feel that he was ever really understood. My memories of the end of his life were that he considered himself a failure. That's a real tragedy, considering the monument he left behind. I know full well that GODS AND GENERALS and the sequel would be his books if he was alive. There is closure in that.
Theodore from Chicago: Jeff, what kinds of parameters were set around you by other works of historical fiction? What did you read in preparation for writing GODS AND GENERALS? Any Gore Vidal, perhaps?
Jeff Shaara: No, I read no other historical fiction on purpose. I didn't want anyone else's style to interfere in what I was trying to do. Of course, the only exception to that is THE KILLER ANGELS. I still have a hard time reading other writers' historical fiction.
Emily from Richmond, VA: Have you been back to Gettysburg recently?
Jeff Shaara: Yes, I was just there last week. I will probably be there every July for the rest of my life. [laughs]
Frank from Gettysburg: So, when's the movie due out? Turner Studios optioning the deal?
Jeff Shaara: Turner is not involved at this point. Ron Maxwell, director of "Gettysburg," and I, are developing it to begin production, we hope, late next year. I have to be a little vague, at this point, but we hope to be able to make a serious announcement at the 135th of Antietam in September.
Ken from Stow, MA: Jeff! Thanks for being on tonight. Loved GODS AND GENERALS. As owner of the Joshua Chamberlain Home Page, I would like to know if JLC will be in your next book, which I understand is to take place after KILLER ANGELS.
Jeff Shaara: Absolutely! The story doesn't exist without him. The principle characters are JLC, Lee, and Grant. The story will likely end with a brief chapter on JLC at the end of his life in 1914.
Alex Randhava from Chicago, IL: Jeff, in your research, did you ever ponder what would have happened had the South won the Civil War? What if Jackson hadn't been mortally wounded? As a historical novelist, you have the liberty and the license to write it like this -- ever considered it? Just wondering. Thanks.
Jeff Shaara: That's not my style to rewrite history, although it can be very entertaining. Clearly Jackson's presence at Gettysburg would have certainly affected the outcome of the battle. I love getting into this stuff with historians, because everybody has a different theory on how things might have ended.
Eric K. from D.C.: Having visited Gettysburg numerous times, and being a history buff myself, I've always felt that the legend of great warriors is only colored more vividly through history's interpretation of them. Take Chamberlain, for instance. A remarkable man and leader, whose legend reaches more people and becomes even more, well, "godlike," to steal a phrase from you, over time and as more and more is written about him. Do you feel that your work lends credit to these great generals, or leads people in the wrong direction, blurring the line between fact and fiction?
Jeff Shaara: If it does lead people in the wrong direction, it's because I've done a bad job in telling the story. I have no interest in creating myths. I know my father understood this well, particularly about JLC. If people discover a wonderful character like this because someone like my father, or maybe me, tries to tell his story, then I'm pretty happy with that.
Mark from NYC: How do you feel about the online forum as a medium for discussion and interview? Ever done this before?
Jeff Shaara: I have done it three times before, in both Civil War rooms and other author rooms. I'm very happy with the quality of the questions. It makes me think pretty hard on what it is that I do.
Joe from Richmond, VA: Jeff, since you've obviously studied the pre-Gettysburg period, I'd be interested in your opinion of John F. Reynolds.
Jeff Shaara: Reynolds probably could have, and maybe should have, commanded the Army of the Potomac. Everyone who knew him wrote that he was unequalled as a commander of troops in the field, except possibly by Hancock. It certainly is likely that the war would have ended sooner than it did, and Grant might never have come to command.
David Levin from med. school, but a history buff!: What set Gettysburg apart from the earlier battles that you cover in your book, battles like Manassas, Fredericksburg, Antietam, etc.? What did you enjoy most about writing the road to Gettysburg?
Jeff Shaara: Gettysburg is always singled out as the turning point of the war. It's as close as Lee came to actually winning, and certainly if the battle had gone the other way, the war may have ended right there. One of the objections of doing a film about GODS AND GENERALS was raised by one Hollywood studio, who said "Didn't all the good stuff happen at Gettysburg?" Obviously I enjoyed writing about a great deal more "good stuff" that led up to Gettysburg. And by the way, I feel like the real turning point of the war was the death of Jackson.
Selene Green from Casselberry, FL: Do you have any other Civil War books in the planning stages? (Say hi to Lynn....)
Jeff Shaara: Hi! I'll say hi to Lynn, and yes, the sequel to THE KILLER ANGELS will be out next May. After that, I'm already beginning to work on a Mexican War story...
John Mack from Abingdon, MD: When you finished your research, which Civil War general did you respect the least? Why?
Jeff Shaara: Probably Joe Hooker. Even someone like Burnside, who was essentially incompetent -- at least he had good motives. Hooker seemed to have so much of his own self-interest at heart that he was outright dangerous, not only to his cause but to his own men.
Steve from White Bear Lake, MN: Will there be a movie from your book? Gettysburg was such a good film.
Jeff Shaara: What we certainly want to do is keep the same spirit that the reenactors brought to the spirit of "Gettysburg." There were many lessons learned in the production of "Gettysburg," and I promise, the beards will be better!
Robin from Myerstown, PA: Jeff, with your next book, will you continue in the direction of your father with your treatment of General Longstreet? I think your father finally showed him as he really was, for which we are very grateful.
Jeff Shaara: Certainly to some extent. The problem, of course, is that Longstreet is wounded in May of 1864, and doesn't return until near the end. For that reason, he can't be a main character in the story, but Lee certainly feels his loss, and in fact I've already written most of that part in the new book. You will see Longstreet getting wounded -- from his own point of view.
Gina from Pennsylvania: A lot of people are comparing you to your father, quite positively in fact. How does that feel?
Jeff Shaara: It is amazing. At first, I simply didn't believe it at all. I thought maybe that people were just being too generous. As I've read more and more of those kinds of comments, what I'm now feeling is that my father truly left me a gift. And that by continuing his story, and actually seeing myself as a writer, not only can I honor him, but my whole life is moving in a different direction.
Reggie from Palms Springs, CA: When did you know it was time to stop? Did you hear your father talking to you through your words?
Jeff Shaara: It was very important that the reader be able to finish GODS AND GENERALS and pick up THE KILLER ANGELS and not miss a beat. So it was always clear where the ending would be. Just like it is very clear in the sequel where the beginning will be.
Roger from South Hadley, MA: Any recommendations of good books to read for the summer?
Jeff Shaara: I have been hearing a lot of good things about this new book called COLD MOUNTAIN. I haven't read it, and probably won't until I finish the sequel. I would also recommend a book called SHARPSHOOTER by David Madden.
Bob from Philadelphia: Why did Lincoln continue to appoint incompetent generals to command the Army of the Potomac, when many generals already in the field, such as Hancock, knew full well who would be the best commanders?
Jeff Shaara: The best commanders were not always willing to take the job. Reynolds is the best example of that. Also, politics played a role. Lincoln had to deal with pressure from Halleck and Stanton, who had their own choices and their own motives. I believe that Grant finally was put in command because Lincoln had run out of patience.
Jane from NYC: How do you feel about the publishing world, now that you are immersed in it?
Jeff Shaara: I have no complaints. This is a very different experience for me than it was for my father. It is quite likely that he would be a much more famous man if his relationship with New York had been better.
Jim from Pennsylvania: In your opinion, how good of a strategist was General Lee? I remember, in your father's novel, Longstreet saying that Lee used outdated tactics. Would you agree with this? Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems from GODS AND GENERALS that you consider his ability to understand and lead men to be his stronger skill. Thanks for being online tonight!
Jeff Shaara: That might be really the only point of disagreement between me and my father. However, consider that after Gettysburg, Lee did begin to use Longstreet's defensive tactics much more. Consider that through the wilderness, until the end of the war, Lee basically survived Grant's onslaught by using superior defensive strategy. If the Confederate soldiers didn't agree with Longstreet's idea of trench warfare, if it wasn't considered "manly" to dig a trench and hide from your enemy, by 1864 every man was looking for a shovel.
Ken Rickert from Stow, MA: Thanks for the last answer. Two more JLC questions. (Sorry, blame your dad for my interest in him!) First, have you had the chance to visit the JLC Museum in Brunswick, Maine? And second, in the film you mentioned for GODS AND GENERALS, any chances of grabbing Jeff Daniels for another turn as JLC? Thanks again.
Jeff Shaara: I hope to get to Maine this fall. I really want to see what they've done with his house. Jeff Daniels is absolutely my first choice for JLC.
Richard Green from Casselberry, FL: Did you get more inspiration from letters and histories or from gut feelings for Hancock?
Jeff Shaara: My best source of information on Hancock were two books his wife's and General Walker's (on Hancock's staff). Also, the great surprise to me was realizing that Hancock was very much like my father. That made his character a great deal of fun to write. Thanks, Richard!
Moderator: Thanks for joining us tonight, Jeff Shaara! And thanks to all who participated. We enjoyed hosting you all. Jeff, any final words before we go?
Jeff Shaara: Thanks to everyone for the extraordinary attention. This past year has been the ride of a lifetime. Thank you all!