Jeff Shaara, A Blaze of Glory

In this latest book, Shaara returns to his roots, in a sense, with a new novel (the first in a promised triology) on the Civil War. He cut his teeth (and gained his reputation) with Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, a prequil and then a follow up to his father's Pulitzer Prize–winning The Killer Angels (the novel on which the film Gettysburg was based). In this new Civil War trilogy, Shaara is looking to the battles in the West, starting with this account of the battle of Shiloh. These battles are important for numerous reasons, from their importance in determining the war to their sheer size and scope to the people they shaped. Numerous characters well known for their roles later in the War emerge here, such as Sherman and Grant in the North and Forrest and Beauregard in the South. But, especially with Shiloh, the battle itself makes quite a tale.

In the early days of the war, after a few skirmishes in the eastern theater of the war, and after some initial Union success at Forts Henry and Donelson, the horrific potential of the war was only a faint shadow. Both armies seemed to regard their opponents as unworthy foes, questioning their resolve and character and expecting the other side to simply fold if pressed hard enough. But a major conflict like Shiloh would certainly begin to change that. An increasing number of Confederate troops were amassing in Corinth, just across the Tennessee border in Mississippi, whole Union troops were congregating near Savannah, Tennessee, occupying the land recently vacated by the retreating confederates. Clearly, a showdown was inevitable, but its precise location and character were not quite clear. Shaara recounts the somewhat audacious plan by Confederate General Johnston to attack the waiting Union camps, a plan that seems to have been doomed to failure as it unfolds. But a great battle ensues.

As with his other works, Shaara does a masterful job of tracking the movements and decisions of generals, orienting readers to the big picture and the important decisions being made on both sides, and also giving a widow into the lives of some of the key players in the Civil War. But he couples this with the on-the-ground experience of soldiers on both sides, recounting experiences of men living in the camps, fighting on the lines, and experiencing the horror, the fear, the rage, and the aftermath of the fighting itself. This two-pronged approach gives life to the book. He likewise captures the confusion of battle, the terror it engenders, and courage of soldiers, both infantrymen and generals alike, to carry on in such terrible conditions.

I greatly enjoyed this book, and the story of this important early battle. The ebb and flow of momentum, the command decisions on both sides, and the experiences of the men who lived it come together to make this a great story as well as a fascinating way to understand better the shape of this decisive American conflict. There is no doubt it also gives material for reflection, on the nature of war and its horrors, on the way we think about (and often assume the worst about) our enemies, and how God relates to battle. Though it starts a little slow, this book is a great story, and takes readers along on an entertaining and informative look at the Battle of Shiloh.

Thanks to the publisher and the Amazon Vine program for the review copy.