Gods and Generals Study Guide & Plot Synopsis

Gods and Generals Plot Summary

Preview of Gods and Generals Summary:

Gods and Generals stands as one of the most enjoyable examples of historical fiction in recent history. The book follows four of the most influential military commanders of the American Civil War. They are Robert E. Lee and Thomas Jonathan Jackson, fighting for the South and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Winfield Scott Hancock, fighting for the North. We are introduced to these men in the years just prior to the war and goes until the days just before the decisive Battle of Gettysburg.

As the book begins when we find all of them a bit uncomfortable with life during peace time. However, the peaceful life does not last for long. State's rights, slavery, and the vast cultural gulf between north and south all contribute to the national turmoil, which eventually breaks out in full fledged civil war.

At the start of the war, Lee takes a rather thankless post as...
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