Gods and Generals - Jeff Shaara [256]
—The Dallas Morning News
“In Gods and Generals, [Shaara] writes in the same spare but elegant prose style his father did and measures up to Michael’s genius for crafting exciting fiction against a historically accurate backdrop. He conveys to the reader the same vivid sense of battle as his father did and builds characterization with wonderfully believable dialogue.”
—Houston Chronicle
“Verges on the miraculous . . . Against all odds Jeff Shaara’s Gods and Generals succeeds in leading you back to The Killer Angels.”
—Gabor Boritt
Director of the Civil War Institute
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
“Civil War buffs and fans of the hefty historical novel will find plenty to enjoy in Gods and Generals. . . . Historical detail and depth of character carry the book, which examines the viewpoints and vulner-abilities of one of the most fascinating collections of military minds ever assembled on a single battle front.”
—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“AN HONORABLE EFFORT AND A CLEAR INSIGHT
INTO UNITED STATES HISTORY.”
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
“This heartbreaking story offers understanding of man’s fascination with battle and made me marvel at how wave after wave of soldiers marched into sure death, driven there by generals who deeply believed in causes that to them were perhaps greater than any we hold today. The portraits of the battlefield are vividly horrid, of the men profoundly emotional, and of the war, intense. I wept as I turned the pages.”
—Anniston Star
“Shaara hits his stride as the political debate turns to armed conflict. The early days of war and the epic battles at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville come to life on the pages of Gods and Generals. Not only the main characters in the novel, but the secondary and subsidiary ones contribute to a fine portrait of a people and a nation in conflict.”
—The Chattanooga Times
“A robust portrait of the early years of the war . . . Like The Killer Angels, this novel displays an impressive grasp of the particulars of the conflict. . . . Shaara’s wonderful command of detail and his generally shrewd depiction of character make for an impressive debut.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Shaara has created human beings of the myths and cold facts.”
—St. Petersburg Times
“Shaara tells a tale impressive in its sweep, depth of character, and historic verisimilitude. . . . Like his father, Shaara gets deeply into the minds of his protagonists. . . . The Shaara genes, it seems, are in fine shape.”
—Publishers Weekly
“[Gods and Generals] did something The Killer Angels did not; it made me cry.”
—Nashville Banner
“A HIGHLY ENGAGING BOOK . . .
Shaara weaves together a coherent battle narrative, conveying the difficulties of moving troops and the near-chaos of fighting in the days before modern communications.”
—The Commercial Appeal
“Writers, like athletes, from time to time find themselves in that elusive ‘zone’ where everything seems to go right, and they surpass their greatest expectations. . . . In writing his bestselling Civil War novel Gods and Generals, author Jeff Shaara often found himself in that zone.”
—Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
“In every sense, even when compared with the father’s celebrated work, the son’s uncommon skill has produced a Civil War novel that stands out among all others. . . . Gods and Generals is truly more epic in scope than The Killer Angels.”
—BookPage
“Shaara treats his material with the kind of respect it deserves and does not try to remake his characters to appeal to modern sensibilities. . . . He is, in every sense, faithful to his material and to the legacy of his father.”
—American Way
“Shaara is an excellent writer, who pays tribute to his father with a fine first novel.”
—The Orlando Sentinel
“Jeff Shaara does shine when he writes about Jackson, and the general’s death is the most moving part of the novel.”
—Indianapolis Star
“Gods and Generals is as good as The Killer Angels, maybe better. Jeff Shaara has written a masterpiece.”
—Mort Küntsler
Historical artist
Copyright © 1996 by Jeffrey M. Shaara