In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War [Paperback]

Alice Rains Trulock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 2001

This remarkable biography traces the life and times of Joshua L. Chamberlain, the professor-turned-soldier who led the Twentieth Maine Regiment to glory at Gettysburg, earned a battlefield promotion to brigadier general from Ulysses S. Grant at Petersburg, and was wounded six times during the course of the Civil War. Chosen to accept the formal Confederate surrender at Appomattox, Chamberlain endeared himself to succeeding generations with his unforgettable salutation of Robert E. Lee's vanquished army. After the war, he went on to serve four terms as governor of his home state of Maine and later became president of Bowdoin College. He wrote prolifically about the war, including The Passing of the Armies, a classic account of the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1861 Joshua Chamberlain was an obscure college professor. In 1863 he led the 20th Maine regiment ?/I've lc since I'm not sure regiment is the official title, referred to only as 20th Maine.gs in the defense of Little Round Top at Gettysburg. In 1865 he commanded a division in the Army of the Potomac with such skill that he was chosen to conduct the surrender ceremonies for since it was surrenner OF southern army the Army of Northern Virginia. Freelance writer Trulock presents a definitive biography of this distinguished citizen and Union officer. Chamberlain emerges from Trulock's pages as an unusually brave man who could think quickly and rationally under extreme stress. He was not a "born soldier," but he eventually became a master of war. Neither his presidency of Bowdoin College nor his four terms as governor of Maine seem to have defined him as did a few minutes at Gettysburg and a few hours in Virginia. In this, Chamberlain was an archetype of the generation that dismembered, then reknit, a country. He died at age 86 in 1914.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Chamberlain's extensive, informative, and often moving letters provided a unifying thread for Ken Burns in his PBS documentary on the Civil War (Video Reviews, LJ 8/91) and for Geoffrey C. Ward in the companion book, The Civil War ( LJ 9/15/90). Typical of many soldiers in his mixture of patriotic resolve and stoic resignation, Chamberlain proved extraordinary in his observational skills and persistence at recording not just historical events but also his emotional reaction to them. The author fashions this rich material and supporting research into a solid biography that does not concern itself much with the broader context of the events in which Chamberlain was caught up. Although the book can stand on its own, it will be enjoyed more by those with some understanding of Civil War chronology. It does full justice to an astonishing life. Highly recommended.
- Charles K. Piehl, Mankato State Univ., Minn.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press (August 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807849804
• ISBN-13: 978-0807849804
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #336,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterful biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain., June 24, 2000

By 

Mike Powers "mkp51" (Woolwich, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War (Hardcover)

"In the Hands of Providence" is a masterful biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, one of the great Americans of the nineteenth century, and certainly one of the most heroic and hardest fighting U.S. Army officers of all time. The author, the late Alice Rains Trulock, presents a well researched, meticulously documented, and detailed portrait of this brilliant and courageous man. She traces Chamberlain's early life and career - first, as a student, and later as Professor of Rhetoric (and other subjects) at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Chamberlain's military career - his rise from command of the 20th Maine to general officer rank in the Union army, and his outstanding leadership and valor during some of the fiercest and bloodiest battles of the Civil War, including Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Petersburg, and Five Forks - is then chronicled with some of Trulock's liveliest and most exciting prose. (Chamberlain, of course, is best known for his actions as Colonel of the 20th Maine Volunteers at the Battle of Gettysburg. Here Trulock describes in detail the events of July 2, 1863, when he led his 380-man regiment in its successful defense of Little Round Top, thereby saving the Union army from a crushing defeat, and ensuring his own place in the pantheon of American military heroes.) Trulock also details Chamberlain's post-Civil War career as Governor of Maine (1867-1871); President of Bowdoin College (1871-1883); and unsuccessful businessman.

In addition to providing obviously well researched and superbly written descriptions of Chamberlain's military, political and business accomplishments, "In the Hands of Providence" also gives the reader a balanced and objective look at Chamberlain's personal life. Especially enjoyable and informative are the descriptions of his relationships with his wife Fannie; his daughter Grace and son Harold Wyllys; and his brother Tom. The author does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to get to know Chamberlain the warm hearted and loving family man, as well as Chamberlain the patriot, scholar, college professor and president, military hero, and Governor of Maine.

"In the Hands of Providence" is the best modern biography of one of the most extraordinary and gifted Americans of the nineteenth century. Highly recommended!

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "In great deeds something abides." Gen. J.L. Chamberlain, June 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War (Hardcover)

Those interested in the Civil War are familiar with Gen J. L. Chamberlain and the amazimg events at Little Round Top. Many might not know the particulars of one of this period's unassuming but greatest citizens. This biography shows us, in depth and in a very masterfulful way, the fascinations in Gen. Chamberlain's character. Trulock and Nolan have produced one of the better biographies written about any person, and arguably the most scholarly work ever published concerning Gen. Chamberlain. The title gives a hint of the magic within the work. The amazing life of this man, and the way he was the right man with the right background and temperment at the right place and at the right time to shape the history of the United States and the outcome of the war does indeed seem to come from providence. One can only imagine what this country would be today had not Chamberlain been present at Little Round Top, denying the CSA the high ground. A CSA victory may well have ended in an eventual negotiated peace or many more years of bloodshed. Also, it was only fitting that Chamberlain should have commanded the troops at the Confederate Army's surrender, and it is likely only he would have ordered the Union Army salute of the parading southern soldiers as he did, thus making the initial gesture toward respect and reconciliation. Beyound the battlefield, Joshua Chamberlain was a unique American and an amazing human being of his time. His story pours from the pages of this book in a fashion which leaves the reader wanting more and in the end feeling quite close to the man. No one interested in the Civil War should go without reading this book.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece!, November 6, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Hands of Providence: Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War (Hardcover)

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain - In The Hands of Providence is truly an inspirational work about a truly inspirational man. Alice Rains Trulock has accomplished what many Civil War authors strive towards ... the ability to make readers feel "deep down inside" for their subject. She allows one to feel as if one was right along side Chamberlain in his happiness and in his struggles, from boyhood to honorable manhood. And upon reading of Chamberlains death in 1914, one feels as if they've lost a friend. If Chamberlain were alive today, he would most certainly be proud that the story of his life was so beautifully written.