Customer Reviews

Valor's Measure

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Here's one for every library, school, personal, or otherwise. We ought to have a book we can pull off our shelf and shove in a friend's hand with a snappy.."you wanna talk leadership? This is leadership!" or instead of the word "leadership" you substitute "character" or "hero" or just plain "American". Today's leaders, military, political, factory supervisors, anyone entrusted with peoples' well being should enjoy this book with a highlighter at the ready. An easy read in 2 or 3 evenings will have you standing beside one of our truly genuine American heroes. Joshua Chamberlain is pretty much visualized for most of us by the Jeff Daniels acting job in the movies, "Gettysburg" and "Gods and Generals". I'd say it's okay to carry that picture in your head as you take up this book. The author puts us shoulder to shoulder with Chamberlain from the days just before he volunteered for service in the Civil War until his emotionally moving gesture of respect for Southern Soldiers in their surrender at Appomattox. The author tells this story in the best tradition of those books' authors, the Shaaras', whose classics like "Killer Angels", "Gods and Generals", and "Last Full Measure" bring our history to life in "novel" form. This story focuses on one man with the same engaging effect. Within the first ten pages, the story sucks you in, and only a harsh interruption will make you put the book down.. temporarily.
On rare occasion, the author seems to forget he's taken us back in time, and lets slip a historical footnote, that jerks you back to the present before you're ready. That's forgivable given the author's background as a genuine devotee of his subject, and not an academic. Even so, the story keeps you hooked. If period pieces again become trendy in Hollywood, I'd bet we see this one on celluloid in a few years. Chamberlain's story is that good.

If you love American history but like hearing it or reading about it from a story teller and not a stuffy old professor, this is for you. I've taken up to a month to finish your typical long-winded popular American Hero biographies before and when I finally closed those books, I could appreciate the main character's endeavors but I've never literally sat in a chair afterward with a lump in my throat. This book gathers momentum quickly and because it's only a few hundred pages, it's simply almost impossible to put down. I challenge you to read this book and not want to run out and shake every American war veteran's hand.

Valor's Measure is a quick read which should appeal to non serious students of history who are curious about our heritage and those who made their mark along the way. It's about a remarkable man who rose to enormous challenges and who set a high standard for courage, dedication to his duty, and compassion for others. His mannerisms and methods of leadership should be a standard for all leaders in and out of the military. The author has an ability to make the reader sense the horror of war, physical discomfort, fatigue, hunger, cold, the stress of danger and the unrelenting fear. I closed the book with a renewed awe of my forebears who demonstrated so many virtues of bygone days.

I had read much about the Civil War and much about Joshua Chamberlain. I though I knew the man and his life but Thomas Oliver taught me a lesson or two. Within his clear and precise prose he has brought a book which is a very pleasant experience. Oliver's style lends itself to "just turn another page" and before you know it you're far into it and unwilling to put it down. I read it in one evening. Chamberlain's life is a true American story: The sheltered professor who became a soldier and ultimately a hero at Gettysburg. A Medal of Honor winner, promoted to general and selected by Grant to accept the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. The book is full of wonderful details, both historical and personal, and is guaranteed to keep your interest. I learned, for instance, that Chamberlain's medal was awarded decades after the fact and was actually mailed to him. Thanks, Mr. Oliver, for a fine historical effort and bring us more!

Somebody passed this book along to me. I read it over the weekend. Just the right amount of detail and sense of history I'm looking for. Since I'm not a serious student of the civil war but find it intriguing, I'm always interested in finding books that will hold my attention but not cause me to fall asleep. This one does that. Enough description to give me a feel for the times, but not so much I wonder if the author is just practicing his English grammar skills. I'm familiar with most of the better known figures of that period of our history, but never heard much of Joshua Chamberlain. This book has whetted my appetite and I'll start reading more of him. I highly recommend it.

This is a great story for people who enjoy a look into our past, but are often put to sleep by normal history books. By focusing on the virtues of Joshua Chamberlain, the Author took me on a ride through the civil war like never before. Not only do I have a better understanding of the war and the time period in general, but Oliver did a wonderful job of reminding me what a hero really is. This book is a quick read and admittedly the first history book of its type that I couldn't put down. The author did a great job of mixing history with the personal struggles of one of our nations finest men. Oliver puts a human face on the war many of us have forgotten. A must read for anyone!

I enjoyed the book very much. It was easy reading and kept my interest. I found it hard to put the book down. If you like reading about the civil war you will find this book a must.

I was given this book as a gift, and although civil war history wasn't a topic I had a serious interest in, the story captured my attention right away. The author made the character very appealing and really brought him to life, including stories of his personal life and relationships with his wife, parents and children. It was a memorable book, and a good depiction of the hardships of the Civil War. The book brought tears to my eyes several times - he was really able to bring out the heart of the character. I'd recommend this to those with an avid interest in the war, as well as to those who love history as a novel instead of a textbook! I bought extra copies to pass along as gifts this season.