10 Best Novels About the Civil War

[Gene C]

The book, Killer Angels, was great. The movie, Gettysburg, left me a bit dissapointed. Somehow I couldn't picture Martin Sheen as Robert E Lee, after all of Sheen's political activsm. His southern accent was a bit off too.
http://martinsheen.net/actors/gettysburg.html

I do like one of Sheen's quotes when he was incouraged to run for political office by members of the Ohio Demeocratic party. He said "I'm just not qualified. Your mistaking celebrity for credibility"

[LincolnToddFan]

I like and admire Martin Sheen. Not only is he mega-talented he is classy, honest and has the courage of his convictions.

It is mystifying to me how such a man could have produced offspring like Charlie Sheen.

Anyway, I wish ALL actors who are encouraged to enter politics had Sheen's integrity, and understanding about celebrity vs. credibility.

[LincolnMan]

I never liked the movie Gettysburg- and I'm not sure why. It tends to get "preachy" at times. I didn't think the acting was convincing. I've watched it once or twice only. Maybe it's just me- but it is not a favorite of mine. I didn't read the book so I don't know how the two compare.

[BettyO]

I love the movie. Yes, it can get a bit preachy - and I also kept looking for a full moon throughout the movie because most of the fake beards were so atrocious I couldn't figure out if I was watching a werewolf horror flick or not....however the battle scenes and overall capture of the Gettysburg campaign was very good, I thought. I love the film score!

[LincolnToddFan]

LOL!! Werewolves....too funny BettyO!

[LincolnMan]

You're right- the beards looked fake- another thing that bothered me.

[RJNorton]

(06-15-2014 03:59 PM)BettyO Wrote:  I love the film score!

Betty, I agree. This may be why I liked the movie so much. IMO the film music was so good it probably helped me overlook the film's weaknesses mentioned in the above posts.

[LincolnMan]

Funny, I don't recall the musical score at all. I love the music to Dances With Wolves.

[BettyO]

Bill - I love that music score as well and have it on CD....

[Gene C]

(06-16-2014 04:26 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(06-15-2014 03:59 PM)BettyO Wrote:  I love the film score!

Betty, I agree. This may be why I liked the movie so much. IMO the film music was so good it probably helped me overlook the film's weaknesses mentioned in the above posts.

Here's the main title soundtrack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X1yPoAaKL0

[PaigeBooth]

I really loved the movie. So good! When my family and I visited Gettysburg last year, our tour guide recommended we see the movie, and told me the historical accuracy in it was almost perfect. The only thing I may have liked to see done differently was for some of the characters to call each other by name more often, since not all the actors looked exactly like the generals they were playing, and I would have found it easier to determine who was who more quickly than I did.

All in all, I have enjoyed watching it! It really brought the battle to life.

[Wild Bill]

I loved Gettysburg and Glory, too. I instinctively recognized the characters portrayed, but then, I am a Civil War nut from an early age, as was my next door neighbor pal, and I can still tell you what regiments fought in what brigades and in what division and in what corps. Heck, I used to go to the Official Records between classes in college and hand-write my own booklets of the orders of battle for fun. Nothing would anger me more than when a thoughtless reader would cut those sections out of books with a razor, so I did an end run with my booklets. Often I can tell you off the top of my head where the spoken word came from, be it reports or diaries or memoirs, in the movie or Shaara's book, Killer Angels. I am my own footnote!

But what I saw and fascinated me most was the great visual portrayal of how the soldiers maneuvered on the field, what we now call close order drill, and the portrayal of the devastating fire of the cannons, which acted as giant shotguns taking down men by the dozens. It took real courage or foolhardiness, depending on one's point of view, to walk and run at the enemy with nothing to protect you but a woolen shirt or uniform jacket. Your only salvation was that most weapons were single shot and the reloading time saved many a soul.

The Civil War was but one step removed from the real slaughter of WW I with the machine gun. Indeed WW I was the first time there were more combat casualties in a war instead of disease being the great killer, as it was in our Civil War.

And yet, I know relatively little compared to those who do battlefield reenactments or guide the tourists.