The Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Last Full Measure
Book Review: An excellent novel, enjoyable, well researched and exciting
Summary: 5 Stars
`The Last Full Measure' is the third and final episode in the Civil War trilogy written by father and son authors Michael and Jeff Shaara. For those of you who are unaware of the chronology, father Michael Shaara wrote `The Killer Angels' an excellent account of the battle of Gettysburg. On the death of Michael Shaara his son Jeff was approach to write a prequel to `Killer Angels'. Consequently `Gods and Generals' is an account of the war from its beginnings up to the battle of Gettysburg. `The Last Full Measure' concludes the story of the war, taking us from Gettysburg to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House and beyond.With `The Last Full Measure', Jeff Shaara has, I feel, written a book that will enable him to step out from the shadow of his father's book. `Killer Angels' is often described as the best piece of civil war fiction written, thus Jeff Shaara had a great deal to live up to. Shaara has matured as a writer, his characterisation is more believable and his writing style improved. As I really enjoyed his first book `Gods and Generals', these improvements place `The Last Full Measure' alongside not only his father's book but also a great deal of civil war fiction.
Still using interior dialogue and the description of the thoughts of the characters he writes about, Shaara has created an excellent account of the motivations of, among others, Lee, Grant, Longstreet and Chamberlain. The book takes us through Grants Wilderness campaign, the siege of Petersburg to the final surrender at Appomattox. A danger could have been attempting to condense these events too much, leaving the reader unsatisfied at the lack of description. However, although Shaara does skip some of the details he writes so convincingly that the reader will be swept along with both excitement and anticipation. Shaara's battle scenes are excellent, they are both vivid and horrific and give the reader a sense of what it must have felt like to exist in the throes of battle. Similarly he writes well of the emotions of war and how it changed those who experienced it. This is an excellent novel, it is extremely well written and will be enjoyed by both the civil war enthusiasts and the general reader alike. I recommend it to you
Book Review: Another great Shaara historical novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Before reading this, the third in the Shaara Civil War trilogy, I became fairly well versed in the events described. This novel roughly parallels "A Stillness at Appomattox," the third volume of Bruce Catton's famous "Army of the Potomac" trilogy, (this third valume is still in print. The events depicted are Grant's push through Virginia, past Richmond, to the City of Petersburg where a long siege finally led to the end of the war. Grant did not win many battles in the overland campaign and indeed suffered a horrific defeat at Cold Harbor. However, after each battle in that campaign, rather than retreat, he pushed forward, winning the war by attrition. Grant's larger, better supplied army was more able to withstand loss than was Lee's.Shaara is historically accurate in describing events from the viewpoint of Grant, Lee and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Through imagined dialogue and thought processes of these (and other) figures, we get a compelling view of the actual historic events. The end of the war is pathetic as Lee's badly depleted army tries to hang on, thus both absorbing, and causing unnecessssary losses. Lee abandons Petersburg and futilly extends the war as he retreats, finally ending up at Appomattox. I have always felt that the casualties of the last weeks of the war were the most tragic because the war had been won yet Lee allowed more death to occur by refusing to acknowledge the inevitable. Shaara descriptively captures these final days.
This is the third novel of Jeff Shaara's I have read and I also read his father's "The Killer Angels." I never have read a Shaara novel that was anything less than 5 stars and I look forward to reading more in the future (Jeff has a sequel to "Rise To Rebellion" due out eventually). These novels are a great way to either learn history or to reinforce the history you have already learned.
Book Review: Another super read
Summary: 5 Stars
As good as his father's book. Makes history fun and sad too. What a horrible waste of a war.
600,000 dead and all Americans. These books should be required reading in any American history class. Very highly recommended.
Book Review: Awesome Book
Summary: 5 Stars
Jeff Shaara is truly a literary master. On the same level as "The Killer Angels", "The Last Full Measure" is the story of the Civil War from the end of Gettysburg to Lee's surrender to Grant at the Appotomax Courthouse. This book is hands down a masterpiece that everyone should read. However, before reading this you should read "The Killer Angels".Book Review: Back to his best
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a great improvement on his "Gods & Generals" which suffered in comparison to his father's "Killer Angels". Now he is writing at the same level as his father and this book makes a fitting conclusion to the Civil War trilogy. The sketch maps throughout are most useful in following the action.