Monday, June 14, 2004

My first Review: Gods and Generals

Gods and Generals
By Jeff Shaara

It’s the story of the Civil War. No actually, it’s the story of men. Men who were soldiers. Men who fought for what they believed. Through these men, the war in unfolded from all across the nation. From California to Texas. From Texas to Virginia. From Virginia to Maine. There are battles. Someone wins and someone looses. But that is not what makes this a great story, a great novel. This story is great because it is about mankind. It is about difficult decisions. It is about what we give up and why. A story of courage and true heroism.

When you read Gods and Generals, you can’t take sides. It’s not about who won the Civil War or who was right and who was wrong. It is an magnificent and direct reminder that men lived and died for what they believed. That men followed orders knowing that death was moments away. There is so much more to this story than a war. That is what makes it so great. I have opinions about who should win; who was right. Those opinions didn’t matter while I was reading. Shaara writes a story about the men, and it is the men that you come to respect and admire---especially knowing the outcome.

If you want to read about war, don’t read this book. If you want to read about human nature and how it faces some of the most difficult decisions out there, than read this book. You may get some history out of it…but I can assure you that is not all that you will come away with.

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