George Henry Thomas was once considered the most successful general in the Civil War. Now, however, he has been nearly forgotten by historians. Born and raised in Virginia, Thomas graduated from West Point and without hesitation fought for the North, only to be disowned by his Southern family and distrusted by the Northern generals above him. Yet in death, five years after the war, he was honored with a national cortege from California to New York; 10,000 mourners attended his funeral, including President Grant and his Cabinet. The dedication of General Thomas' statue in Washington, D.C., erected by his men in 1879, was the largest celebration in the Capitol's history. This cinematic novel brings Thomas to life in his relationships with his devoted soldiers, his friends, and his loyal, independent wife. The story's narrator, a young colonel who became his confidante, absorbs the General's wisdom, grief, and commitment to carrying out the devastating battles which, he believed, would both end the war he hated and hold his country together. The novel pictures George Henry Thomas as the kind of leader America needs now, one who fights for and respects all human beings, and is determined to see America whole.
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About the Author
David Stinebeck, whose great-grandfather fought under Thomas and recorded the experience in his diaries, has a BA from Stanford University and a PhD in American Studies from Yale, and is the author of Shifting World: Social Change in the American Novel and co-author of Puritans, Indians and Manifest Destiny. Scannell Gill graduated from Union College, has an MS in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Rhode Island, and is writing an original analysis of the multi-faceted roles of women in society. Together they are working on a trilogy of novels based on the racial and economic history of Nantucket Island.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-have for your military history library,
By Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Civil General (Paperback)
This novel is less about the Civil War and more about one man who made a difference to the people during that period. That man was Brigadier General George Henry Thomas. General Thomas was born and raised in Virginia, was a close friend to Robert E. Lee, but when the time came to choose sides, Thomas joined the Union army.
That choice severed all ties with his Southern family and brought him under constant suspicion by the Northern military leaders. At the start of the Rebellion, Thomas, who already had a long and impressive military career that had gained him respect and honors for his actions in the Florida and Mexican Wars, was an artillery instructor at West Point. Thomas served with the Army of the Cumberland and became known as the Rock of Chickamauga even though Chickamauga was his worst defeat. It was in this battle that the true nature of the man and his convictions became apparent to all those who served with him-from officers to the most lowly recruit. Throughout the war years, neither that nature nor those convictions were ever compromised. He continued to train his men at every opportunity, believing that the training would not only make them better fighting men but safer as well. According to the authors, one of the reasons Thomas joined the Union Army was his belief that in that position he could look out for the boys on both sides of the Conflict. Thomas never curried the favors of those in higher command than he, nor did he become political. He even turned down several offers of advancements and commands. This, of course, fueled the suspicions of some and the jealously of others as Thomas' brilliance as a military leader was proven again and again. There are many books about the Civil War and occasionally one rises to the top. A Civil General is certainly one of those. Based on the true life of Thomas, the battles and settings. The main people are real with some the characters and their interactions being fictional. Armchair Interviews says: Anyone who reads about the Civil War will like this one.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Way too brief, leaves reader wanting to know more,
By
This review is from: A Civil General (Paperback)
George Henry Thomas was once considered the most successful general of the Civil War. However, as years have passed, the names of Sherman, Grant, Lee and Jackson among others that those better known and remembered. Though a Virginian, Thomas chose to fight on the Union side because of his beliefs of human equality and the belief that a divided country would be disaster Hampered by his own values and questioned by higher command about his choices, Thomas was determined to prepare his troops to give their best and to retain his own humanity. After the war he was moved out of any visible arena and subjected to veiled attacks on his war record. Though brief, this book is a look into the cost of war and the politics of fighting.
A Civil General is a fictional account that draws heavily on the remembrances of Steinbeck's ancestor. It is writen in the first person through the words his trusted friend. Davis Stinebeck and Scannel Gill have made good use of family records (Stinebeck's great-grandfather fought under Thomas and kept a diary) and other historic to compose a compelling portrait of a Union commander who was revered by those who served under him.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Virginia Unionist,
By
This review is from: A Civil General (Paperback)
Called "The Rock of Chickamauga" for holding the center of the Union line in that Civil War battle, and prevention a defeat from dissolving into a disastrous rout, George Henry Thomas was famous in his lifetime, worshipped and respected in equal parts by the officers and men that he commanded. Yet General Thomas is also nearly unknown today, especially in comparison to his contemporaries - on both sides of the Civil War. He never wrote a memoir of his service, destroyed his private papers and refused to become involved in politics.
Perhaps this slight novel, told through the eyes of a young officer serving with him, is as good an introduction to the personality and contradictions of this able professional 19th century soldier, who was as personally reserved as he was accomplished - and somewhat of an anomaly among his fellow Union generals. He was born in Virginia, to a slave-owning family, and married a woman from the North. His closest friend from West Point and during his military career thereafter was Robert. E. Lee... but Thomas chose to remain loyal to the Union. For that he was all but disowned by his remaining family, and initially distrusted by those for whom he fought. This book is barely a hundred and fifty pages, detailing only the last two years of the Civil War and concluding with an account of General Thomas' funeral. It is beautifully written, very much in period style. If it can be faulted, it would be on the grounds of being limited by that style and structure; it is an account of a man seen from the outside, and at the very peak of his military career. The narrator is sympathetic but exterior, leaving the reader much to wonder about. What kind of events, what personal experiences and relationships formed the man who is presented in this account? How did he come to make the wrenching choices that he did, who really were his close friends and bitter enemies, and why? All these questions are left unanswered; it might be that an imaginative novelist might someday have a go at writing an account that would explore General Thomas' life in more depth. Until then, "A Civil General" will do very well as an introduction to this contradictory and almost unknown hero.
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