Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for On Great Fields:
More than just a sweet mustache.
Quick synopsis:
A look at the life of Civil War officer and hero of Gettysburg, Joshua Chamberlain.
Fact for Non-History People:
Chamberlain was named after the American ship captain who is famous for the saying, “Don’t give up the ship.”
Fact for History Nerds:
The first class at Bowdoin College of 1802 had only 8 students taught by 1 professor.
My Take on On Great Fields:
He was more than just an amazing mustache. Ronald White takes a look at the full life of Joshua Chamberlain in his book, On Great Fields. You may remember Chamberlain from various books or movies where his exploits at Gettysburg are highlighted. However, Chamberlain had a very full life both before and after the Civil War.
White looks to give a fuller picture of Chamberlain’s life by giving attention to every episode. It is a stated goal of White to not skip over the earlier parts where Chamberlain grew up, chose a college, and tried to figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up. Little did he know how it would all turn out.
Chamberlain is one of the few people whose life is pretty interesting throughout. Admittedly, there are a few points which lag a bit more than others. Chamberlain’s attempts at entrepreneurship, for instance, are important in telling his full story but add little to who he is as a person by that point. However, White wanted to give a full accounting and he does so without ever losing the reader’s interest fully.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Random House Publishing.)
Verdict:
A good read especially for Civil War nerds. Buy it here!
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