Gone for Soldiers: A Novel of the Mexican War [Paperback]

Jeff Shaara (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 3, 2001

In this stunning, unforgettable novel, Jeff Shaara carries us back thirteen years before the Civil War, when that momentous conflict'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.

"BRILLIANT DOES NOT EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE THE SHAARA GIFT."
--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

SHAARA RELIES "ON THE HISTORY BEHIND THE MEN AND THEIR CAMPAIGNS TO TELL THE TALE. . . . Most poignant of all is the appearance of so many characters who will fight under opposing flags 13 years later. Stonewall Jackson shows up as a humorless young lieutenant with a spiritual reverence for his artillery, and Ulysses S. Grant awkwardly meets [Robert E.] Lee. . . . The salvaging of such episodes from history is ultimately a patriotic task, deserving of gratitude."
--The Washington Post Book World

"COMPELLING . . . THRILLING . . . Shaara briskly drives the U.S. forces to Mexico City, building suspense at each battle, all towards the climactic storming of the gates of the capital. . . . [He] has humanized the mythos of Lee as no one ever has and, in doing, makes an enduring contribution to literature."
--Civil War Book Review

"SHAARA, AS USUAL, IS AT HIS BEST IN ACTION AND CONFRONTATION AND IN EVOKING HOW IT FELT TO BE THERE."
--The Philadelphia Inquirer

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Having chronicled the Civil War in Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, Jeff Shaara casts his eye on the earlier proving ground of the Mexican War in his third novel, Gone for Soldiers. Although it secured the Southwest for a nation emboldened by Manifest Destiny, this two-year conflict has nearly faded into oblivion, eclipsed by the subsequent domestic dispute a dozen years later. Shaara's hallmarks--the deliberations of leaders and the brutal facts of battle--illuminate his engaging diversion into an oft-overlooked struggle in which men who would come to oppose one another fought under a single flag.

The veteran major-general Winfield Scott and an upstart Robert E. Lee anchor Gone for Soldiers. Headstrong, brilliant, and generally distrustful of his less able subordinates, Scott leads the U.S. troops slowly and inevitably toward Mexico City, imparting martial lessons along the way. "The worst consequence of fighting a war is not if you lose, Mr. Lee," he sighs. "The worst thing you can do is win badly." Lee distinguishes himself throughout the campaign, his meticulous scouting and shrewd inferences winning both Scott's admiration and the jealousy of officers whose ambition surpasses their experience. Lee, too, frequently assesses his place in the hierarchy, but he--like Scott--remains more bemused than seduced by the glitter of fame.

This sympathy between the two men grows as Lee observes Scott embroiled in the distracting politics of war: officers salivating for promotion, enemies more preoccupied with saving face than lives, distant legislators issuing directives. If Gone for Soldiers occasionally bogs down during its many lengthy battle scenes, unexpected and delightful small touches arise nearly as often--the "capture" of Mexican leader Santa Anna's wooden leg or the chance encounter between Lee and a young Ulysses S. Grant. Duty-bound and humble, Lee cultivates a perpetual stoicism. "Now we're out here in some place God may not want us to be. It's hard to believe He is happy watching us fight a war," he muses, a sobering coda to the grim calculations of victory. --Ben Guterson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Shaara's latest historical novel abandons the Civil War era of his two previous works, Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, which completed a trilogy begun by his father with the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Killer Angels. Striving this time to reimagine the Mexican-American War of 1847, Shaara paints a respectable if uneven group portrait of the men who fought south of the border. Gen. Winfield Scott--accompanied by future Confederacy leaders Robert E. Lee, George Pickett and Thomas (Stonewall) Jackson, and soon-to-be Union Army Gen. Ulysses S. Grant--lands at the port of Vera Cruz, intent on piercing straight through to the heart of Mexico and defeating General Santa Anna. Shaara is at his best when describing the all-too-real horrors of hand-to-hand combat, enveloping the reader in the sounds, smells and realities of battlefield carnage. "Now, when a man dies by your side, you don't expect the man who replaces him to survive either, you don't even want to learn his name. And now, when you march into the guns, you accept that this time it might be you, as if it's already decided." The author sometimes tries to hard to distinguish his characters by their traits, interjecting superfluous details verging on caricature, such as Scott's distaste for veal. "Try never to eat the stuff... Horrible, barbaric. Baby cows." However, a scene describing the delayed hanging of a group of American deserters so that they may watch and cheer the raising of the Stars and Stripes over the castle of Chapultepec is gripping and all too believable. Though the stilted, "in the mind of the soldier" narrative becomes a wearisome contrivance at times, the action scenes are fluid and compelling. 15-city author tour; Random House Large Print, BDD Audio. (May)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; First Edition edition (July 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345427513
• ISBN-13: 978-0345427519
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (112 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeff Shaara is the New York Times bestselling author of The Steel Wave, The Rising Tide, To the Last Man, The Glorious Cause, Rise to Rebellion, and Gone for Soldiers, as well as Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure-two novels that complete the Civil War trilogy that began with his father's Pulitzer Prize--winning classic The Killer Angels. Shaara was born into a family of Italian immigrants in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and graduated from Florida State University. He lives in Sarasota.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Effort!, May 10, 2000

By 

Draegen (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gone for Soldiers: A Novel of the Mexican War (Hardcover)

Having brought the Civil War to life through his continuation of his father's classic, "The Killer Angels," Jeff Shaara has now ressurected one of America's most forgotten wars, the Mexican War.

In his latest novel, Mr. Shaara introduces us to many of the Civil War's greatest leaders as they learn their craft under fire in Mexico. The book follows the exploits and deeds of one General Winfield Scott as he leads the campaign to defeat Santa Anna's army.

At his side is a young engineer, Capt. Robert E. Lee. Shaara's portrayal of Lee as a young officer, unsure of his untested abilities and his place in the command structure, is truly wonderful. It is a whole different Lee than the polished General of the Civil War. With each new mission Scott assigns him, we can see Lee grow and mature as an officer.

Many of the other men who would later become Generals are also with Lee in Mexico, Grant, Jackson, Meade, Johnston, Pickett, Longstreet, albeit as Lieutenants. They are not given the same in depth treatment as Lee, but already you can see their abilities developing for command.

General Scott and Santa Anna are also portrayed in manners rarely seen. Few modern Americans have heard of Scott, which is a shame since he was one of the best Generals in our early history. Santa Anna is usually mentioned only in conjunction with the Alamo, but here he is given a very fair treatment.

Overall I would say this book is every bit as good as the Shaaras' works on the Civil War. Once again Jeff Shaara has restored life to a long dead period of our nation's history.

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The pre-quel to the Shaara Civil War Series, May 17, 2000

By 

Dennis J. Buckley (Harrisburg, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gone for Soldiers: A Novel of the Mexican War (Hardcover)

Jeff Shaara is a fine craftsman, as is reflected in this account of the Mexican War as seen by men who figured prominently in the Civil War.

This work, while not strictly history, is valuable for the attention it brings to the Mexican-American War. That war is not often discussed and seems to be consistently misunderstood.

My criticism of the book is stylistic, and is admittedly that of one who "criticizes" rather than "does:" the internal monologues of many of the characters have a sameness of tone and orientation. I found that Robert E. Lee sounds a lot like Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in later Shaara novels. The lack of differentiation in "voice" is the novel's most obvious flaw.

On the plus side is any sort of insight into R.E. Lee before he became a mythic figure in American history. Shaara's view of Lee in his formative combat experience is well thought out, the problem of "voice" notwithstanding. Also appealing is the reminder and image of Lee fighting under the Stars and Stripes.

Well-illustrated with battle maps, this is an easy and enjoyable read.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Son Also Rises, May 5, 2000

By 

L. Martineau (Arlington Heights, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gone for Soldiers: A Novel of the Mexican War (Hardcover)

I first fell in love with The Civil War period when I was a girl reading The Killer Angels. Since then, I have read MANY historical novels of this period, and as a literature teacher, literally thousands of many historical periods and cultures. Jeff Shaara continues in his father's tradition but with more heart. I not only enjoy his books for myself, but have watched as my students have become hooked, as well. One of my students' favorite assignments is contrasting the Shaara view of war with Crane's. Shaara's language is accessible to all readers and his characters believable and sensitive. They are no longer vague names in some history text. They come alive. I see my students really CARING about history. No longer is the North always right and the South always evil. They understand the conflicts people like Lee and Hancock felt. History is not just a series of dates to memorize for a test. It is the story of a real people; OUR people; US. Shaara makes his readers want to delve into the non-fiction to compare and contrast. They want to examine the issues and virtues that define Man. THAT is good literature, and, I would argue, its purpose. Shaara's gracious reader notes make clear that this is fiction, not intended to be taken as gospel. However, his meticulous research, solely of primary sources, lends credence to his interpretations. How wonderful to have a writer so clearly paint these people that the reader is compelled to read the diaries and letters himself!

This latest, Gone for Soldiers,is a fast-paced page-turner examining a war so often overlooked in our history. We not only meet the younger Lees, Grants and Longstreets, but also are confronted with the disturbing similiarities to Viet Nam, as well. We see the idealism and fraternity between those who would become major players in our history. If not for the protests against Manifest Destiny in the Mexican War, would the South have seen it necessary to secede? What if Lee hadn't had the experiences he had in that war? Would the Civil War have gone on as long as it did? What if Scott hadn't been there? What if they hadn't been tested as younger men? Might the South have won? Just what IS the definition of honor? Glory? Patriotism? Manifest Destiny? At what price, freedom?

I cannot recommend this book highly enough, though beware! If you have read his others, you will find yourself wanting to reread them. If this is your first Shaara, you will be beginning a quartet that you will be compelled to complete.