The Glorious Cause (Mass Market Paperback)

by Jeff Shaara (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Shaara's hefty fifth novel, the second in a two-volume series about the American Revolution, is an epic saga of what Shaara calls our first civil war and the first truly world war, told with emotion, energy and historical precision. Using the formula of character-driven fiction employed by his father, Michael Shaara (The Killer Angels), Jeff Shaara presents the dramatic history of the revolution as seen through the eyes of the major players. In describing the battles, skirmishes, victories, defeats, blunders, intrigues, treason and bickering, Shaara illuminates the circumstances whereby a rebel collection of motley amateurs dared to confront a mighty empire and its vaunted army. The narrative establishes immediacy in its colorful profiles of the participants. Shaara depicts George Washington as a general whose force of will and strong character earn the loyalty of soldiers who are defeated by the British again and again. Washington's relationships with other principals are profound and surprising. Having regarded Gen. Charles Lee as a friend, he is stunned by the behavior of his second-in-command on the battlefield and behind his back. He thinks highly of Gen. Nathaniel Greene and the Marquis de Lafayette, and neither will disappoint him. Having enjoyed the "pleasantly sociable" company of Benedict Arnold, Washington discovers too late that there are two traitors at West Point. He also learns firsthand how "Mad Anthony" Wayne earned his nickname. Shaara takes equal pains to characterize the British, men like dawdling Gen. William Howe, arrogant Henry Clinton and the capable but hapless Charles Cornwallis. This is vivid and compelling historical fiction, but also a primer on leadership and the arts of war and diplomacy. Shaara reaches new heights here, with a narrative that's impossible to put down.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal
Shaara here concludes his epic series on the American Revolution that began with Rise to Rebellion. As with his previous historical novels (he's adamant that they are just that and not histories), this one is told from the perspectives of various historical players. George Washington is prominent, as are Benjamin Franklin, the under-appreciated Nathanial Greene, and, intriguingly, Britain's Lord Cornwallis. Some decry the author's creation of internal and external dialog, but the Founding Fathers were human beings who had doubts and who did not always give speeches or make pronouncements. The dialog rings true, and the history, aside from a glitch or two (grenadiers are infantry, not cavalry), is accurate. Rich, exciting, and compelling, The Glorious Cause will inform and entertain. Shaara has now written about the Mexican War, the Civil War, and the Revolution, and his many fans hope that he will continue to write about American history in the same skillful and exciting manner. For all collections. Robert Conroy, Warren, MI
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (June 3, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345427580
• ISBN-13: 978-0345427588
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,418 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spectacular History., November 29, 2002

By	MG "Awesive" (KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Glorious Cause (Hardcover)

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.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Novel Worth Reading, November 12, 2002

By	Chris D. Keeton (Ashland, KY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Glorious Cause (Hardcover)

The fifth novel by Jeff Shaara is perhaps his best work to date. Many people, including yours truly, waited what seemed like many years for the release of 'The Glorious Cause.' It was well worth the wait.

The American Revolution poses an interesting challenge to an author, since the action sequences and attitudes of the day are so different from later times. However, this challenge was masterfully met by Mr. Shaara, who truly surpassed my expectations. Shaara truly explored the personalities of the key players in the Revolution (Washington, Franklin, Cornwallis, et al). A few scenes in this novel actually moved me to tears.

The American Revolution has all but disappeared from today's historical landscape. Besides names we were all taught in school who were important to America, like George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, most people are still (and woefully) unaware of the struggles these men and others faced to bring into existence the United States of America. Mr. Shaara's unique abilities as a storyteller have served to make this and future generations understand the conflict and those involved in it. While this is still a novel, historical fiction, Shaara transports the reader back in time over 200 years, and helps us grasp the vast complexities and heart-wrending hardships that faced our gallant ancestors as they forged the American Experiment.

I would highly recommend 'The Glorious Cause,' along with volume one 'Rise to Rebellion.' Both novels can easily be read time and again, each time opening up more of our hallowed past. I'm sure each reader will gain a greater appreciation for the events that changed the world forever, and brought us to our current place in history.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Novel of an unknown war , October 4, 2004

By	Smallchief - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I never realized how little I knew about the Revolutionary War until I read this novel. The battles, the strategy, the leaders were all a blur to me. The story in this volume begins after the first clashes of the war near Boston and continues on until the end with the surrender of General Corwallis at Yorktown.

Shaara makes George Washington into a real person -- and the results are impressive. Washington's patience and perseverance, his management of his army, his steadfast ability to avoid disastrous military defeats and take advantage of small opportunities for victories reconfirm him in my heart as the greatest of Americans. Other characters are the aged Benjamin Franklin practicing diplomacy in France, Generals Greene, Wayne, Lee, Cornwallis, and foreign volunteers such as Lafayette and Baron von Steuben. I particularly enjoyed a brief scene in which von Steuben, a Prussian, confronts the job of turning an unruly mob of American soldiers into an army. This is a miitary history. Short shrift and unkind words are given to the political efforts of the Continental Congress and its members.

Shaara writes fiction about as close to fact as it can be. The book includes all-essential maps of major battles and the descriptions of battles can be taken as authentic -- although Shaara gets inside the head of major characters to sketch motivation and character. This is one of few books I have read on the American Revolution -- and certainly is the best I have read.

Smallchief