The Glorious Cause

Starred review from September 30, 2002
Shaara's hefty fifth novel, the second in a two-volume series about the American Revolution, is an epic saga of what Shaara calls our first civil war and the first truly world war, told with emotion, energy and historical precision. Using the formula of character-driven fiction employed by his father, Michael Shaara (The Killer Angels), Jeff Shaara presents the dramatic history of the revolution as seen through the eyes of the major players. In describing the battles, skirmishes, victories, defeats, blunders, intrigues, treason and bickering, Shaara illuminates the circumstances whereby a rebel collection of motley amateurs dared to confront a mighty empire and its vaunted army. The narrative establishes immediacy in its colorful profiles of the participants. Shaara depicts George Washington as a general whose force of will and strong character earn the loyalty of soldiers who are defeated by the British again and again. Washington's relationships with other principals are profound and surprising. Having regarded Gen. Charles Lee as a friend, he is stunned by the behavior of his second-in-command on the battlefield and behind his back. He thinks highly of Gen. Nathaniel Greene and the Marquis de Lafayette, and neither will disappoint him. Having enjoyed the "pleasantly sociable" company of Benedict Arnold, Washington discovers too late that there are two traitors at West Point. He also learns firsthand how "Mad Anthony" Wayne earned his nickname. Shaara takes equal pains to characterize the British, men like dawdling Gen. William Howe, arrogant Henry Clinton and the capable but hapless Charles Cornwallis. This is vivid and compelling historical fiction, but also a primer on leadership and the arts of war and diplomacy. Shaara reaches new heights here, with a narrative that's impossible to put down. (Nov.)Forecast:The timing of this novel, recalling our country's turbulent birth, is sure to have resonance in this period of national crisis. The simultaneous release of the Warner Bros. movie of
Gods and Generals should boost reader recognition and make the book a standout for Christmas gift giving. Eight-city author tour.

July 15, 2002
Shaara abandons the Civil War to bring us the American Revolution.

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2002
Shaara's " Rise to Rebellion" (2001) took readers back to the time just prior to the outbreak of actual hostilities that led to the independence of Britain's American colonies. Now, in a sequel to that best-selling novel, Shaara brings the rebellion itself onto center stage. His copiously researched narrative follows the course of the American Revolution from immediately after independence was declared to the point, some seven years later, when independence was secured by the defeat of the British army. Shaara focuses primarily on the lives of four vital (and historically real) figures involved in this world-altering event: George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lord Cornwallis (a leading British general), and Nathaniel Greene (an important American one). Into the story he also weaves numerous secondary characters, including Nathan Hale and the marquis de Lafayette. But this is not a story overly crowded with characters; the truth is, the accessible narrative moves with great fluidity. The battle scenes are graphically--even excitingly--written, but Shaara does not neglect the equally important diplomatic side of events as the new nation sought crucial European allies in its struggle for independence. (In fact, his representation of the personality and work of diplomat Ben Franklin is probably the most fascinating characterization of all his actual historical personages.) Shaara understands the history of the time, and he's clearly a good writer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

October 1, 2002
Shaara here concludes his epic series on the American Revolution that began with Rise to Rebellion. As with his previous historical novels (he's adamant that they are just that and not histories), this one is told from the perspectives of various historical players. George Washington is prominent, as are Benjamin Franklin, the under-appreciated Nathanial Greene, and, intriguingly, Britain's Lord Cornwallis. Some decry the author's creation of internal and external dialog, but the Founding Fathers were human beings who had doubts and who did not always give speeches or make pronouncements. The dialog rings true, and the history, aside from a glitch or two (grenadiers are infantry, not cavalry), is accurate. Rich, exciting, and compelling, The Glorious Cause will inform and entertain. Shaara has now written about the Mexican War, the Civil War, and the Revolution, and his many fans hope that he will continue to write about American history in the same skillful and exciting manner. For all collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/02; the film adaptation of Shaara's Gods and Generals will be released in December, possibly increasing interest in this book. Ed.] Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.