Live and Die by the Historic Controversy
Henry Merola
Gods and Generals (1-81)
By: Jeff Shaara
My only problem is sometimes the history element seems slightly forced at times. When Lee arrives at the riot scene a man comes to him, “‘Colonel, my name is Fulton, I’m a newspaperman, from Philadelphia. I know who your man is, there. … Colonel, I have no doubt that the man you are facing is Mr. John Brown.’” (45). This Fulton guy just shows up, gives expansion and then leaves. We don’t even see this character again, he’s just there to tell us the rioter’s name.
Like most books, the imagery is amazing and gives you a sense of the characters and their world. Nate is described, “He spoke slowly, with a deep cavernous voice,” (72). Jeff Shaara describes the characters through dialogue and actions instead of telling the reader what the character should be. The story doesn’t overdo it either, like taking up an entire page. It finds a nice balance and it flows well with the scene.
Personally, I really enjoyed this book. It does take a while for the story to get to the action but where it lacks in action it strikes gold with tension. If you don’t like a title like this or hate history, then this won’t quite be up your alley. If you enjoy history told in a storytelling way and, or adore drama books with some action thrown in, then you’re really going to adore this novel like me.
Are you a history buff but hate straight facts being thrown at you? If so, this historical fiction novel, Gods and Generals, is the perfect book for you. The story revolves around four Civil War Generals, both Union and Confederate, those Generals being Robert E. Lee, Winfield Scott Hancock, Thomas Jackson, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Each character has their own story, the most interesting being Lee's and Hancock's, Robert Lee was second in command of a regiment in Northern Texas. After catching word of his father-in-law who passed away and his wife being ill, he goes to his plantation to comfort them. After seeing his daughter, who was overjoyed to see him, and his sick spouse, he pondered if he should quit being in the service and become a farmer. This dream is short-lived when he is called by the president to stop a riot happening in Maryland. Lee successfully put down the riot, due to over preparation. Lee then returned to the army following freeing the brother of Nate, one of Custis’s (Lee’s son) former slaves and seeing his partner deathly sick. Hancock, on the other hand, was stationed in California. He was appointed command to the new department of southern California, which is made up of him and him alone. He was constantly being harassed by former local Mexican soldiers. It then came to Hancock sitting in the armory with only two pistols. He then heard the steps of horses. It turns out to be a few men he knew to help out with protection. Fortunately, in the morning a regiment of cavalry arrives and more was yet to come.
One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the tension it can create. While Hancock sits in the dark armory, “The horses came closer, outside the picket fence, and he saw them now, saw the riders, could not tell much, just gray shadows, no voices. He watched the men dismount, tried to count… five, six.” (66). It really gets to you and it’s so good that even if you know what’s going to happen, you second guess yourself and fear for the worst. When the action does come around, it is well worth and deserved. It also hints before the situation and reminds us of it to keep the reader on edge, if it may come back.
One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the tension it can create. While Hancock sits in the dark armory, “The horses came closer, outside the picket fence, and he saw them now, saw the riders, could not tell much, just gray shadows, no voices. He watched the men dismount, tried to count… five, six.” (66). It really gets to you and it’s so good that even if you know what’s going to happen, you second guess yourself and fear for the worst. When the action does come around, it is well worth and deserved. It also hints before the situation and reminds us of it to keep the reader on edge, if it may come back.
My only problem is sometimes the history element seems slightly forced at times. When Lee arrives at the riot scene a man comes to him, “‘Colonel, my name is Fulton, I’m a newspaperman, from Philadelphia. I know who your man is, there. … Colonel, I have no doubt that the man you are facing is Mr. John Brown.’” (45). This Fulton guy just shows up, gives expansion and then leaves. We don’t even see this character again, he’s just there to tell us the rioter’s name.
Like most books, the imagery is amazing and gives you a sense of the characters and their world. Nate is described, “He spoke slowly, with a deep cavernous voice,” (72). Jeff Shaara describes the characters through dialogue and actions instead of telling the reader what the character should be. The story doesn’t overdo it either, like taking up an entire page. It finds a nice balance and it flows well with the scene.
Personally, I really enjoyed this book. It does take a while for the story to get to the action but where it lacks in action it strikes gold with tension. If you don’t like a title like this or hate history, then this won’t quite be up your alley. If you enjoy history told in a storytelling way and, or adore drama books with some action thrown in, then you’re really going to adore this novel like me.
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