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AudibleInk - Gone For Soldiers
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List Price: $7.99
Our Price: $7.99
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
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FREE SHIPPING on Orders over $25!
Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780345427526
ISBN: 0345427521
Label: Ballantine Books
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 512
Publication Date: 2003-11-04
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Release Date: 2003-11-04
Studio: Ballantine Books
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Editorial Reviews:
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With his acclaimed New York Times bestsellers Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, Jeff Shaara expanded upon his father's Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War classic, The Killer Angels--ushering the reader through the poignant drama of this most bloody chapter in our history. Now, in Gone for Soldiers, Jeff Shaara carries us back fifteen years before that momentous conflict, when the Civil War's most familiar names are fighting for another cause, junior officers marching under the same flag in an unfamiliar land, experiencing combat for the first time in the Mexican-American War.
In March 1847, the U.S. Navy delivers eight thousand soldiers on the beaches of Vera Cruz. They are led by the army's commanding general, Winfield Scott, a heroic veteran of the War of 1812, short tempered, vain, and nostalgic for the glories of his youth. At his right hand is Robert E. Lee, a forty-year-old engineer, a dignified, serious man who has never seen combat.
Scott leads his troops against the imperious Mexican dictator, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana. Obsessed with glory and his place in history, Santa Ana arrogantly underestimates the will and the heart of Scott and his army. As the Americans fight their way inland, both sides understand that the inevitable final conflict will come at the gates and fortified walls of the ancient capital, Mexico City.
Cut off from communication and their only supply line, the Americans learn about their enemy and themselves, as young men witness for the first time the horror of war. While Scott must weigh his own place in history, fighting what many consider a bully's war, Lee the engineer becomes Lee the hero, the one man in Scott's command whose extraordinary destiny as a soldier is clear.
In vivid, brilliant prose that illuminates the dark psychology of soldiers and their commanders trapped behind enemy lines, Jeff Shaara brings to life the haunted personalities and magnificent backdrop, the familiar characters, the stunning triumphs and soul-crushing defeats of this fascinating, long-forgotten war. Gone for Soldiers is an extraordinary achievement that will remain with you long after the final page is turned.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Enlightening
Comment: After reading many of the works by Jeff Shaara, I found 'Gone For Soldiers' very enlightening. It was not my favorite of his books, but getting to look at the early career of Robert E. Lee and the end of a career for Winfield Scott was very interesting.
The story involves the Mexican-American war. Winfield Scott has taken over control of the US forces from Zachary Taylor. Taylor would later become president of the US. Gen. Scott realizes the skills of a young Capt Lee, who has been working as an engineer.
It is improtant to keep in mind that this book is a fictional version of the events. Not all of the dialog is accurate, but it is very interesting. We also get a glimpse at a number of soldiers who will make their marks in the up coming Civil War.
If you emjoyed the Civil Wat trilogy, you may enjoy a look at the early careers of these soldiers. It is amazing to see how much the politics of that age effected (for good and bad) the military events of the wars.
Customer Rating:
Summary: First Rate Historical Novel
Comment: This novel masterfully intertwines the history of the Mexican War with the careers of officers who continued into the American Civil War, helping the reader understand how and where some of the North's and South's better-known generals gained their initial combat experience.
The author provides thumbnail sketches of several of these noteworthy military leaders at the end of the book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Back to the Future
Comment: Very good historical fiction, as you might expect from Shaara. The fascinating aspect of the Mexican War for many people is the fact that the officers who fought together in Mexico ended up years later as bitter enemies in the Civil War. This carefully researched and easily read book delves into the personalities of many of these now and future warriors. With the hindsight of history, we look with sadness or anticipation at the interaction of these men with each other, knowing what lies ahead. In addition to a fascinating account of historic personalities, "Gone for Soldiers" clearly explains why the Mexican War occurred in the first place. I believe this important war has been given short shrift in the history books, but Shaara enlightens us on the whys, wherefores and especially the hows. Good, educational, enjoyable book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: I like the book and It should be made into a Movie
Comment: I enjoyed the book, Gone for Soldiers, because it helps to describe how the American and Mexican soldiers lived and faced during the Mexican War 1846-1848. In addition, it describes some of the battles of the Mexican War, under Winfield Scott, from Vera Cruz to the gates of Mexico City. I hope that this book will be made into a motion picture /made-for-television movie in the future, like Gods and Generals and Gettysburg.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Informative but too long
Comment: As a Civil War buff I enjoyed this historically accurate account of this little known war. Rightfully so, R.E. Lee and Gen. Scott occupy the central roles with minor roles being played by key characters that reappear during the Civil War. Santa Anna was a real buffoon and Shaara did a good job depicting him as such. The novel was a little too long and it did not quiet measure up to his Father's work with Killer Angels or with his own Civil War novels.
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