The Glorious Cause
£2.90
Igniting the Flame of Freedom - Jeff Shaara provides readers with another realistic sounding novel which brings to life the American Revolutionary war and many of its heros. Told from the viewpoints of George Washington, Nathaniel Greene, Benjamin Franklin and Charles Cornwallis, the book is vivid and engaging in its portrayal of life during those most challenging of times. Most outstanding is how simple life was and how many of the colonists were divided in their loyalties ... but the time had come when they must take a stand, for one side or the other. Michael Shaara shows how the Founding Fathers gradually developed the principles upon which the United States would base its Constitution. He shows the birthing pains which led to a nation that is so unique among the nations of the world. As always, the author s meticulous research for accuracy, along with his fluid and insightful writing, keeps the reader hanging on his every word. The reader gets a sense of how the Crown had no clue of what the Boston Tea Party truly represented. The Colonies were supposed to show gratitude to England, for the privilege of being taxed, it seemed. Once it was clear the goal was to become independent of England, the battle lines were clearly drawn. Amazing how with so little funding and with a volunteer army of men from many different states, a leader arose. George Washington stood firm and tall but most importantly, he won the hearts, minds and *loyalty* of the soldiers. He gave them courage during the most difficult times, when they were hungry and worn out. His strategies during key battles provided successful outcomes ... demonstrating his patience and perseverance against all odds. Washington withstood the hardships along with his men, and fought hard for the cause for which he and his men were willing to lose their lives ... Michael Shaara excels at revealing the political process behind the war. He describes an aged Ben Franklin who becomes a diplomat for the soon-to-be-born nation. Franklin s visit to France with his grandson as his trusted secretary is particularly well written and enjoyable. The strengths and weaknesses of the leadership of the British Army is woven tightly into the fabric of the novel. The treachery of some Colonists is revealed ... The maps are especially helpful in picturing the battles and the challenges as the armies battle each other and the natural elements. Shaara pulls together many diverse influences which helped tip the scales on the side of the Colonists ...The roles played by General Von Steuben and the Marquis de Lafayette are especially informative and enlightening. Overall, Michael Shaara has written an outstanding novel which will delight many readers who otherwise might find reading about battles and war rather tedious. His book is a fascinating story which awakens the reader to a much greater appreciation for freedom and the men who fought for this most noble ideal. Other highly recommended books by Jeff Shaara are Rise to Rebellion: A Novel of the American Revolution and books about the Civil War, The Killer Angels. The Last Full Measure, plus Gods and Generals. Erika Borsos [pepper flower
A better sense of history than psychology this time around - I wonder if I would have liked The Glorious Cause more if I had never read The Killer Angels. Of course, the great irony is that Jeff Shaara has been writing his historical novels because of the critical success of his father s Pulitzer Prize winning novel. However, having read Jeff Shaara s prequel and sequel on the Civil War, his volume about the Mexican War, and these two novels about the American Revolution, I keep coming back to the conclusion that the wrong lesson has been learned from The Killer Angels. What the books all share in common is the shifting of narrative perspective amongst key participants in the events under consideration. For the Battle of Gettysburg in the original that meant Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, and Lewis Armistead on the Confederate side, and John Buford and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain on the Union side. Jeff Shaara has followed Michael Shaara s example in using the same technique, albiet by including many more characters who are often reduced to a single chapter to tell their story from their perspective. But an important consideration in the success of The Killer Angels was that it focused on a four day period. Consequently, we followed Longstreet and Chamberlain throughout the entire battle. There were not gaps of weeks and months like you will often find in The Glorious Cause.This becomes a concern for me because The Killer Angels was more about psychology than history, per se, detailing what these men were thinking during the pivotal battle of the Civil War. Most people who read the book knew the basic particulars of what the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac did from June 30 to July 3, 1863. At the very least they know about Pickett s Charge. When it comes to the American Revolution my historical knowledge is probably average, which means that The Glorious Cause really did teach me more about that war than I knew previously. But it lacks the impact of The Killer Angels because the story is full of giantic gaps. It would not have bothered me if Shaara had done more volumes in this series than just the two. Single books devoted to the Second Continental Congress writing the Declaration of Independence, the embassy of Benjamin Franklin and others to the French court, the failed defense of New York City, the winter of Valley Forge, or the siege of Yorktown all could have worked in a similar manner. This would be why Gone For Soliders is probably my favorite of Jeff Shaara s books, for the simple reason that it offers up the smallest time frame. I would think that most readers will get a better understanding of how the American Revolution was fought and the changing strategies on both sides. But there will be a few chapters, such as Chapter 49 Morgan, which makes the battle at Hannah s Cowpens a memorable experience, clearly reminds us of what this approach to historical fiction can do at its best. We get glimpses of similar insights to George Washington and Nathaniel Greene, but the gaps in the chronological narrative get in the way of providing a complete portrait. Ironically, by the end of the book, I think we have a better idea of the mind of British General Charles Cornwallis more than any other figure. Certainly The Glorious Cause is worth a read, even if you have not read Rise to Rebellion first, but the expanded breadth of the scope of this novel necessarily sacrifices depth. However, I am optimstic because whether Shaara continues to go back in history, to the French & Indian Wars or goes back to following up the Civil War by looking at either the Plains Indian War or the Spanish-American War, there is the opportunity to deal with a much more limited historical frame of reference than he has done to date. Furthermore, I think this could only be a good thing.