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Reviewed by Philip Van Heusen for Readers' Favorite
I was wrong about my first thoughts of The Appomattox Generals: The Parallel Lives of Joshua L. Chamberlain, USA, and John B. Gordon, CSA, Commanders at the Surrender Ceremony of April 12, 1865, by John W. Primomo. I thought this book would compare and contrast the Union and Confederate Generals, but I was wrong! This book is so much more than just a work on Gordon and Chamberlain. As a holder of an MA in American History, I can honestly say this is one of the most enjoyable books I have read on the American Civil War. John shares the characteristics of Gordon and Chamberlain, but he also vividly describes some of the most critical battles of the Civil War as if he had personally witnessed them. He brings history alive! Outside of the Bible, few books are worthy of a second read. I would gladly re-read this one because it is such a delight.
While many today think the only issue that caused the American Civil War was slavery, John W. Primomo digs deeper in The Appomattox Generals. For example, Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was primarily made to restore unity to the Union. Gordon fought for the South because he was first and foremost a Southerner. He saw the threat to slavery as a threat to Southern liberty and felt the United States of America was a union of consent. On the other hand, Chamberlain found slavery repugnant. He did not believe it would be fitting to free the current enslaved people through outright abolition, as that would be “an infringement on the property rights of Southern slaveholders.” Lincoln also stated, “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it….” This book covers the entire period of the Civil War and then follows the two generals until their deaths.
