Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9503310044
SECTION: BOOK PAGE: G-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: REVIEWED BY NELSON HARRIS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The biographies of two of the most interesting personalities to emerge from the Civil War have been interwoven into a single volume.
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, known best for his stand at Gettysburg's Little Round Top, and Edward Alexander, whose artillery support launched the ill-fated charge of General George C. Pickett, are Michael Golay's subjects.
As he follows the military careers of these two men, his work provides a knowledgeable comparison of command at the middle-rank level. Chamberlain led an infantry regiment from his home state of Maine and rose through the Union ranks as he continued to distinguish himself in battle. Alexander served as an aide to Gens. Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet in the capacity of artillerist and engineer. The paths criss-crossed at such pivotal engagements as Gettysburg, Mannassas, Fredericksburg and Appomatox.
What sets this research apart from some other Civil War biographies is the attention the author gives to the personal and non-military details of Chamberlain's and Alexander's lives. The book does not, for instance, become mired in battle trivia, which can easily lose readers, not to mention the main characters. While Golay provides much narrative about the major engagements, the focus is always upon the actions and contributions of Chamberlain and Alexander. Furthermore, the author examines the continuing effect the war had on these two men well after its conclusion.
Chamberlain, an obscure theology professor prior to the war, craftily used his post-war fame to catapult himself into the governorship of Maine for four terms, and later as president of Bowdoin College. Alexander struggled through Southern Reconstuction to emerge successful in business and also to serve in overseas appointments as an engineer.
Golay manages to capture the personal and professional transitions of his subjects and weaves them together into a well-crafted and exhaustively researched dual biography.
Nelson Harris is pastor of Ridgewood Baptist Church.
by CNB