Grant by Ron Chernow

Grant by Ron Chernow
1074 pages / 48 hrs, 2 mins

"A biographer at the height of his powers, Chernow has produced a portrait of Grant that is a masterpiece, the first to provide a complete understanding of the general and president whose fortunes rose and fell with dizzying speed and frequency.

"Before the Civil War, Grant was flailing. His business ventures had been dismal, and despite distinguished service in the Mexican War, he ended up resigning from the army in disgrace amid recurring accusations of drunkenness. But in the Civil War, Grant began to realize his remarkable potential, soaring through the ranks of the Union army, prevailing at the Battle of Shiloh and in the Vicksburg campaign and ultimately defeating the legendary Confederate general Robert E. Lee after a series of unbelievably bloody battles in Virginia. Along the way Grant endeared himself to President Lincoln and became his most trusted general and the strategic genius of the war effort..."

"The definitive biography, Grant is a grand synthesis of painstaking research and literary brilliance that makes sense of all sides of Grant's life, explaining how this simple Midwesterner could at once be so ordinary and so extraordinary."    --from the publisher.

This is an amazing book.  If history texts were written in similar fashion, students would have a hard time putting them down. And what an amazing man! I recommend this book very highly.

Bayonet! Forward: My Civil War Reminiscences by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

Bayonet! Forward: My Civil War Reminiscences by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain-328 pages

General Chamberlain was Colonel of the 20th Maine at Little Round Top at the Battle of Gettysburg and successfully defended it with a bayonet charge. He was also at Fredericksburg, Petersburg, White Oak Road, Five Forks, and several other major Civil War battles in which the Union Army of the Potomac fought. Additionally, he (his division) was chosen to take the official surrender of arms of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia after Lee's surrender at Appamattox. I have previously read a biography about Chamberlain and one of his works and immediately wanted to read this book when I came across it on Goodreads. This was a good read and Chamberlain is clearly a good orator and writer, after all he was professor of rhetoric and oratory at Bowdoin College in Maine before his enlistment. His thoughts and remembrances of his experiences during the Civil War are compelling and thought-provoking, although glorifying of war and his experience a bit. One can tell that he was an intellectual, thoughtful man who was also humble and contrite. His thoughts on his peers and superiors are particularly compelling. Overall, this was a good read.

The Ideals Guide to American Civil War Places by Julie Shively

The Ideals Guide to American Civil War Places by Julie Shively-272 pages

This was an interesting read. I knew about many of the historic sites and places mentioned, but there were a few new to me, so that made it worth while. I worked for a summer at one of the places mentioned (Shiloh National Military Park in Tennessee) and have visited several others, but I have yet to visit any in the east and I really want to go to Gettysburg, Antietam, and to all the sites in Virginia. I wanted to read this not only because it meets the travel requirement for this month but also because I am somewhat of a Civil War expert/historian and I have visited and want to visit many of the sites detailed in this volume.
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A Chain of Thunder by Jeff Shaara

A Chain of Thunder by Jeff Shaara (audiobook)-562 pages in print

I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook, though the reader's presentation of some of the characters is a bit disappointing and it is 22 hours long. This is a novelization of the Siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi by the Union Army in 1863, culminating with the surrender of the Confederate Army on July 4, 1863. I really like Shaara's portrayal of Fritz "Dutchie" Bauer, a Private on the front lines and his portrayal of Lucy Spence, a young, single civilian woman in Vicksburg, as well as his portrayals of Generals Sherman and Pemberton. I really like Shaara's humanization of these historical events and his portrayal of the key figures involved in them. This might actually be my favorite Jeff Shaara novel so far, although I do like them all, to a degree.

The Fateful Lightning by Jeff Shaara

The Fateful Lightning by Jeff Shaara-615 pages

I enjoyed reading this novelization of Sherman's March to the Sea. The characterization and humanization of Generals Sherman and Hardee, and Captain Seeley are intriguing. Additionally, Shaara's presentation of a freed slave named Franklin is most intriguing, though a bit stereotypical. I like the way Shaara chooses a few people to follow throughout the events and attempts to humanize these historical events. In many ways, he succeeds, which is why I so enjoy reading his novels. One thing I found disappointing about this particular novel, though, is that he leaves Franklin's story hanging. He spends a lot of time developing Franklin's character and then leaves the reader hanging a bit (although he does include an ending in his Afterword). One other small complaint I have is that he includes one chapter on General William B. Hazen when it is necessary, but does not develop his character at all and includes nothing about him in the Afterword. Overall, though, I liked this novel just as well as every Shaara novel I have read so far.

A Blaze of Glory by Jeff Shaara

A Blaze of Glory: A Novel of the Battle of Shiloh by Jeff Shaara-435 pages

This is Shaara's novelization of the bloody Battle of Shiloh. I wanted to read this because I have seen the films Gettysburg and Gods and Generals several times, which are based on novels written by him (and/or his father). Additionally, I was a Visitor Use Assistant/Park Ranger at Shiloh National Military Park for 11 weeks during the summer of 2010 and actually worked under and with some of the people mentioned as sources for the novel. It's cool to read a novelization on a battle I know quite a bit about and it is a pretty accurate novelization. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and really want to read the rest of Shaara's Civil War novels.