The Glorious Cause

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Summary: The Glorious Conclusion to the War of Independence
Review: What has started as a suggestion by director Ron Maxwell to continue the story of the "Killer Angels" has taken off in directions no one could predict. Jeff Shaara contines the writing that started with "Gods and Generals" and gives us "The Glorious Cause", the follow-up to his novel "The Rise to Rebellion".

"The Glorious Cause" is the story of the conclusion to the American Revolution. It begins with Washington's defeat at New York up to the British surrender at Yorktown and to Washington's return to Mount Vernon on Christmas Eve. Through Shaara's writings, we are given to the emotions of the four main characters, theirs joys and frustrations. And, as others have mentioned, Shaara wisely includes the diplomatic efforts of American emmisaries to Paris that made the French alliance possible.

American General George Washington is the first character we meet in the novel, continuing his appropriately limited role from "Rise to Rebellion". We are with Washington with every defeat and through every victory. Through Shaara's writing, we see Washington's frustration as his army goes through one disaterous defeat after another, begs for supplies from an ineffectual and, at times, unconcerned Congress, and must suffer through the political intrigue of his officers, most notably Horatio Gates and Charles Lee. We can see his affection for his most trusted officers, Hamilton, Lafeyette, Greene, Morgan, and Knox. With Shaara, we are given an insight into the mind of American's most reverred Founding Father.

Another character that returns from "Rebellion" is Ben Franklin, who has sailed for France in pursuit of an alliance with Britian's greatest foe. Franklin is depicted as a cunning diplomat who has the distinct task to convince a cautious Louis XVI to enter an alliance with the new United States. It's not an easy mission; along with cautious French ministers and a disagreable fellow delegate, Franklin's age has started to catch up with him. He is currently suffering from gout, the first in a series of afflictions that will ultimately take his life. But despite all his problems, Franklin still has one weapon at his disposal; his sharp mind.

One of the new characters in "The Glorious Cause" is American General Nathaniel Greene, one of Washington's most capable commanders. In comparison to the other characters, Greene seems underutilized here. We are shown only glimpses of Greene's personality, though they are well used. Greene appears not long after the retreat from New York, having been in a sickbed during the campaign. Greene displays a distinct distaste for Washington's two subordinates, Gates and Charles Lee. But it his campaign in the Carolinas against the British that sets up the ultimate defeat at Yorktown.

The final player in the story is British General Charles Cornwallis, considered by many historians as Britian's most capable commander at that time. While in American Cornwallis is known as the British officer who, by his surrender at Yorktown, ended the American Revolution, Shaara casts the character in a sympathetic light. As with Washington, Cornwallis is witness to the political intrigue within the British command that may have done more to hurt the British efforts in America than anything Washington did. We are with Cornwallis as he marches the troops he commands through New York, Philidelphia, Monmouth, and the Carolinas on his road to Yorktown. We can only share Cornwallis' frustration as his commanding officers, Howe and, later, Clinton, allow Washington to escape time and time again, and give the American general the one weapon that ultimately wins the war for the colonies; time. As we read, Shaara subtley suggests that the actions of the British command, along with arrogance and political backbiting, may be more to blame for Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown than the general himself. In certain parts of the novel, most notabley towards the end, the reader might come to the conclusion that Cornwallis may have been a victim of the political intrige the general himself refused to become a part of. We can see Cornwallis' grief as, trapped by American and French forces, he begs Clinton to send help to him at Yorktown, only for the British reinforcements to arrive, suspiciously, too late.

"The Glorious Cause" is an excellent follow-up of "The Rise to Rebellion" and gives us more of Jeff Shaara's excellent work first glimpsed in "Gods and Generals" and "The Last Full Measure". Through his writings we are reminded that the key players in the American Revolution were human, with human flaws and desires. The story displays that the author definately did his homework with the subject. One editorial reviewer mentions that the accent of the foriegn characters was well done; Shaara himself admits that he disregarded the broken English of the mainly German and French characters for the sake of the flow of the story, but you can still almost hear the accents in the voices. Perhaps the author's greatest triumph is his portrayal of Cornwallis as a tragic character, who, as Shaara mentions in the afterword, could have ended the Revolution in a British triumph had he not been held back by ineffectual commanders. My only complaint is that the author did not do afterwords for George III and Louis XVI, but that is a minor quibble.

"The Glorious Cause" is a must read for anyone interested in the American Revolution or has had an interest in Jeff Shaara's works. Add it to your collection today, along with his previous novels "Gods and Generals", "The Last Full Measure", "Gone for Soldiers", and "Rise to Rebellion" as well as Michael Shaara's "Killer Angels". And for those hoping that he will continue writing historical novels, never fear. According to his website, Shaara is working on a novel detailing the events during World War I.

Rating:
Summary: A Big Picture With A Narrow Focus
Review: In this, his second volume on the American Revolution, and his fifth novel to date, Jeff Shaara has once again shown his prowess at painting a large historical mural with small, delicately brush-stroked scenes. "The Glorious Cause" carries that brush like a baton, passed from its predecessor, "Rise to Rebellion." It continues the story of the Revolution forward from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the war's conclusion some seven years later.

Through his use of shifting viewpoints Shaara captures an almost three-dimensional portrait of the war. We learn first hand of the defeats of the American Forces in New York through the eyes of generals George Washington and Nathaniel Greene as well as the triumph of the British Army in those battles from the perspective of British general, Charles Cornwallis. In France, we are able to glimpse a view of Benjamin Franklin's negotiations for financing and an eventual American alliance. And yet we receive a counterpoint to France's initial lack of enthusiasm for an American alliance and a war with England through the viewpoint of the young Marquis de Lafayette.

Each chapter presents a single point of view, and many of the pivotal events in the novel are spread across a number of chapters and viewed from a number of different viewpoints. Included are chapters dedicated to Nathan Hale, Von Steuben, Benedict Arnold, and Daniel Morgan. Numerous supporting characters are spread throughout the book as well: Americans, Charles Lee and Horatio Gates and on the British side: Howe, Clinton, and Tarlton.

Though Shaara's narrative drags in places, his battle descriptions along with the numerous maps included throughout, make the battles of New York, Trenton, Brandywine, Monmouth, Cowpens, and Guilford Courthouse come vividly to life. Most notable is his treatment of the Battle of Hannah's Cowpens in which the American battle tactics are so wonderfully described one almost does not need to reference the map provided to understand the battle. Particularly moving were the descriptions of Valley Forge and the siege and surrender of the British forces at Yorktown.

The biggest disappointment is not what's in this book, but what is not. The stunning American victory at Saratoga, his biggest omission, only gets the very briefest of mention. Perhaps where Mr. Shaara has fallen a bit too short is in his focus. We learn almost nothing of the actions of the Continental Congress other than their main existence is to seemingly serve as a thorn in the side of George Washington, and many of the founding fathers who struggled so hard for independence from England are not even mentioned. I would have liked to have seen this single volume at least split into two and expanded (making the series a trilogy) the second book dealing with the war in the North and the third with the war in the South. Perhaps then he would have had room to paint a more complete picture of the American Revolution.

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Summary: Shaara provides a, powerful story of the Revolution A+A+A+
Review: The Glorious Cause is the continuation of Jeff Shaara's Revolutionary War douology. The Revolution had just begun at the end of his previous work Rise to Rebellion and now the fighting becomes fierce. Shaara again follows the perspectives of some of histories greatest people: Benjamin Franklin, working hard for the cause in France, Nathaniel Green, a Quaker turned general fighting the British, Lord Cornwallis, a brilliant British strategist who escapes the war only to turn back to it after tragedy strikes & George Washington the rock of the Revolution a man who must lead a rabble of bickering colonies through defeat to become one nation. It's a powerful story filled with great characterizations and just excellent story telling. Washington's struggles are heart-wrenching, while Franklin's battles in the diplomatic field are just as fierce as any fought with cannon. Also impressive is Shaara's take on Cornwallis. In America, there is a tendency to look on Cornwallis as a bit of a fool for losing to the combined American-French Armies, but he was the best British general in the war. His strenghth of character clearly comes through here. I also liked the fact that Shaara disproves the popular battle of Cowpens scene from Mel Gibson's movie The Patriot. Cornwallis never took part in Cowpens and he probably wouldn't have been beaten in the same way. Also interesting was his age which was under 45. Most portray him as at least 50+. I think the The Glorious Cause is Shaara's best novel to date. His writing skills have truly evolved and he is fast becoming a master of historical fiction.

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Summary: God Bless America
Review: If you love American History, this is a book you will love! Jeff Shaara has such a wonderful way of bringing history alive and he has done it once again with this story of the Revolutionary War. I would almost swear that he followed the characters, taking detailed notes as to what they thought and believed. While many may think he takes license by putting words into the mouths of people such as Washington, Greene, Cornwallis, Franklin and others, it's done in such a way as to bring the historical event to life. I believe his research is accurate and the events are set forth as they happened. By writing in such a style the characters become alive once more and we seem to be right there with them as they endure this difficult time of our history. Additionally, the author makes frequent use of maps throughout his story telling. This is especially helpful as it allows the reader the follow where these battles took place. As an avid reader of history I can think of no other author who brings history to life better than Mr. Shaara. He has a real gift and you'll not be disappointed in his latest work.

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Summary: A Spectacular History.
Review: This is perhaps the finest novel Jeff Shaara has written to date. I am a fan of all of Mr. Shaara's novels but this is the best one in my opinion. He does a great job making the mythical figures of the Revolution come to life. There has been alot written about the major players of the Revolution but Mr. Shaara puts a human character with these individuals that show the fears and concerns they must have felt during these trying times.
The novel looks at the Revolution through the eyes of Washington,Greene,Franklin, and Cornwallis and their reactions to the events that transpire. I particularly like the way the author focuses on Hathaniel Greene who is an often overlooked but integral part of this period. He also does an excellent job looking at the war from the British General Cornwallis' perspective. Often times books about the American Revolution focus completely on our point of view and its good to get some insight into a British soldiers life.
Shaara's characters jump off the page and make this a hard book to put down. You will not be disappointed with this book and it most likely will energize you to find more information on our Revolutionary period.

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Summary: the second is as good as the first
Review: The Glorious Cause is the second part of Jeff Shaara's novel of the American Revolution. This novel covers the period from the Declaration of Independence through the final victory at at Yorktown. Like all of his historical novels, Shaara give one strong insights into the leading figures of the Revolution, whether it be Washington, Lafayette, Clinton or Cornwallis. The writing brings muscle and bones to each person, bringing history to life. All history should be viewed this way.

I reccomend this book to any one, especially those that are history buffs and even those who want to rekindle their knowledge and love for history. Again, I would use this book to help teach history.It is well researched and full of insight to our rise as a nation.

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Summary: Too long of a time period
Review: The book was very well written however it covered to long of a time period that is why I am not giving it 5 stars. The story was very compelling though. This series (including Rise to Rebellion)could have easily been 3 books instead of 2. The story could have benefitted from having more of adams, frankilin etc... in it and less of the time gaps. However I highly reccomend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.

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Summary: Excellent Read
Review: Once again, Jeff Shaara has made history interesting while keeping the content historically accurate. I truly enjoyed this book, although, I felt it lacked the political insight he brought out so well in the first book of this series (Rise to Rebellion).

The Glorious Cause focuses primarily on the major battles and generals of the war. He touches on the key political influences and does a fabulous job of portraying Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Nathanial Green.

My biggest dissappointment was not hearing about the congress (from their perspective...ie: Adams, Jefferson, etc) and the struggles they were having politically and how they had to balance politics, war, unifying the states, and defining a new government.

As always, Shaara brings these historical characters to life and you feel like you get to know them. I enjoyed the first book much more, but I would recommend this book to anyone.

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Summary: Needs more than 5 stars!
Review: It borders on being a grave injustice to classify this monumental work as historical fiction. It is also a rarity for a sequel to surpass the original, but Shaara accomplishes just that in this sequel to his tremendous Rise To Rebellion. I have to place both of these wonderful books among the best I have read.

I call it an injustice to call it historical fiction because Shaara's work is well researched and historically accurate right down to the minute details of battlefield formations. The only 'fictional' part is where the author has brilliantly imparted conversation between the characters, which adds to the drama and gives the reader a true sense of the character of the individuals involved. And who is to say that many similar such conversations did not actually occur? By taking the reader into the very thoughts of Washington, Greene, Cornwallis and many others, the reader is cast into a spell of compelling concern and compassion for the characters.

If only such fine work were implemented into public schools, our students would find interest in American history where none currently exists. Shaara presents a solid foundation to the claim that history doesn't have to be boring. Given that, I would encourage all parents to have your children learn from these fine works. These would also be a tremendous asset for the home schooler.

As the first volume takes the reader in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, 1770 - 1775, this volume picks up and continues the journey through the surrender of Cornwallis and farewell of Washington to his devoted staff and eventual return to Mount Vernon.

Throughout the book, the reader is taken deep into the details of our war for independence. Such details as the conditions which were endured at places such as Valley Forge. You will feel the anger and anguish felt by General Washington as he witnessed a sentry standing on his hat to shield his bare feet from the frozen ground, while Congress and the Quartermaster Corps drug their feet on lending badly needed supplies and support. You will feel the excitement felt by Daniel Morgan as he meticulously lured Tarleton and the British into his trap at Cowpens.

I can go on and on about this fine book, but suffice it to say, if you only read two books this year, make them Rise to Rebellion and The Glorious Cause. You can thank me later.

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Summary: A gift to readers and American History teachers everywhere
Review: Jeff Shaara manages the improbable feat of making every major combat character in the American Revolution, plus the indispensable Benjamin Franklin, seem fresh. His forays into the thoughts of the involved commanders are convincing, his dialog is true to the period, and his grasp of army politics on both sides seems accurate. The book's only flaw is that the length of the war, and the 17th-century tradition of suspending military operations in wintertime, occasionally slows the narrative to the pace of a Rose Parade float.

On the other hand, Shaara puts his 600-some pages to good use, explaining aspects of the Revolution that many history teachers don't have time for. I'd heard about Hessian troops, for example, but not until reading this book did I understand exactly who they were and why they were allied with the British Empire against her rebellious subjects. Shaara's treatment of Benedict Arnold and his wife, Peggy, is equally fascinating. If Shaara were a chef, his specialty would be the all-day pasta sauce that emboldens flavors you don't even recognize until the second or third taste.

I read this book while looking for work, and was glad to be reminded that George Washington did not enjoy a distinguished military career. What made him great was his willingness to learn from his own mistakes. As a result, he won when it was necessary. If ever a good man failed his way toward success, Washington was that man. Much the same could be said of lesser-known commanders like Henry Knox, Dan Morgan, and Nathaniel Greene. It's a valuable lesson, and Shaara drives the point home without being ham-fisted. Like his Pulitzer Prize-winning dad, the man has few peers among those who write historical fiction. This book made me a fan of the whole Shaara family.