The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara
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Book Reviews of The Last Full Measure
Book Review: Jeff Shaara Measures Up
Summary: 5 Stars
The book The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara vividly depicts the last two years of the Civil War. Describing the traits and decisions made by the three main characters Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Shaara presents a wonderful piece of writing telling all about the last battles of the Civil War. Shaara's writing is clear and delivered spiritedly with a professional command for detail and emotion. He accurately shows Lee's faith in God slowly crumble around him as he stubbornly believes God is with him. He shows Grant's dogged pursuit of the Confederates and his faith in his unfaltering provision lines rather than in an "All Powerful Being." Also Shaara depicts how a teacher, Chamberlain, could overcome his fears of battle and become the hero of the war. Feelings and beliefs make us into who we really are and Shaara portrays to us a vivid word image of just what makes up leading characters. Shaara has made a huge accomplishment in writing that separates this book from the other Civil War books that I have read, such as the Red Badge of Courage because he tells you what the characters are thinking and feeling, not just what they are doing. He has written a masterpiece that equalizes it with the best novels of the year.
Book Review: Great finish in an outstanding trilogy
Summary: 5 Stars
I think this book, and the two preceding it should be required reading in school. I had no idea how horrific this war was, particularly more so as the brutalities committed on both sides were against our own. There were so many moments when I wanted to stop and cry for the loss of life, and especially at the end when the one man who was capable of healing the country and bringing us all back together as one nation, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated.
The research was impeccable and telling the story from the viewpoints of the various generals absolutely fascinating. The honorable Robert E. Lee, Chamberlain (loved his gracious salute to the surrendering army), and the ever fascinating U.S. Grant.
One quote from so many in the book that just brought tears to my eyes: "Yes, it was horrible, horrible indeed. But he had to tell himself that, remind himself to see it that way. There was no sickening revulsion, no outrage, no indignation at the barbarism. It was just one more scene from this war, one more horror, one more mass of death, blending together with all the rest."
Highly highly recommended, and will definitely open your eyes to the horror of war.
Book Review: A Chip Off The Old Block.
Summary: 5 Stars
The general consensus seems to be that Jeff Shaara is a good writer, but not up to his father's standards. I have to disagree. This book was thoroughly enjoyable and quite moving. Not only that, Jeff manages to write the book in the same style as his father, likely in a successful attempt to tie the trilogy together in similar prose. This is a lot harder to do than one might suspect.Also, to Jeff's credit, the scope of The Last Full Measure is greater than The Killer Angels, which focused exclusively on Gettysburg. Jeff takes up the war after Lee's defeat at Gettysburg, and follows it to its conclusion at Appomattox. His rendering of the horrific conditions of Lee's army as it tries to escape the inevitable, and the poignant moments of the final battles and the climax at the courthouse are as good as historical writing gets. I believe Jeff surpasses Michael's ability to tap into and reveal the minds and emotions of the key players, Lee, Grant, Chamberlain, and others.
Don't discount or skip this book based on the comparative naysayers' comments. I place The Last Full Measure on the top shelf of Civil War literature. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.
Book Review: Poignant Finale to the Civil War Trilogy
Summary: 5 Stars
The Last Full Measure ends the Civil War trilogy of Gods and Generals and The Killer Angels. Jeff Shaara continues his father's work with a novel that is as heartwrenching as it is historically accurate. It was interesting, but when I first read the novel, I happened to be visiting the areas described like Spotsylvania, the Wilderness and Petersburg, and Shaara brings those fight vividly to life. This time he focusses on 3 main characters, Joshua Chamberlain, Robert E. Lee & US Grant, picking up right after Gettysburg. As the war rages on to its 3rd year, Shaara accurately plays out the desperation of the Confederacy and the despair of Lee as he struggles to equip an army without food or equipment available. He also shows Grant in the light that many had never seen before, showing him as both the military genius and capable of making mistakes. Yet it is his characterization of Chamberlain that is masterful, showing the schoolteachers final evolution from good officer to excellent general, and from battlefield commander to dreadfully wounded casualty. The Last Full Measure is a masterful work by an author who is taking the field of historical fiction by storm.Book Review: A Truly Grand Finale
Summary: 5 Stars
I had read both "The Killer Angels" and "Gods and Generals" when I started reading this. As such, I was expecting an excellent book and a grand finale to the Civil War. Jeff Shaara doesn't fail to deliver and "To the Last Fell Measure" is an excellent book. It primarily follows Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and Joshua Chamberlain. Naturally, Shaara would go through the months after Gettysburg rather quickly because Grant's Overland Campaign is going to be the primary sourece of action. I'm glad he did and he gives excellent views of the overland campaign. I could actually feel the frustration that Grant felt at lost oppurtunities that he felt were constant and Lee's desperation to turn back the overwhelming Union tide. I love how you can experiance it all and I enjoyed the time span from the fall of Petersburg to the surrender of Lee's army. Both sides are desperate with Lee trying to get supplies and Grant trying to trap Lee's army. I was sad when the book ended, but I compensated for this by getting other books by Jeff Shaara. To sum it all up, if you loved the first two books, then you will have to buy this book to complete the trilogy.