• In the Hands of Providence

  • Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War
  • By: Alice Rains Trulock
  • Narrated by: Tom Parker
  • Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (471 ratings)

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In the Hands of Providence  By  cover art

In the Hands of Providence

By: Alice Rains Trulock
Narrated by: Tom Parker
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Publisher's summary

Joshua Chamberlain of Maine forged a remarkable career during the Civil War. An academic and theologian by training, this modest young professor left Bowdoin College to accept a commission as lieutenant colonel of the 20th Maine. He fought at Antietam and Fredericksburg, then led his regiment to glory at Gettysburg, where he ordered the brilliant charge that saved Little Round Top. Promoted to brigade command, Chamberlain won a battlefield promotion to brigadier general from Ulysses S. Grant for his distinguished conduct in the assaults against Petersburg. He was held in such high esteem by his superior officers that Grant accorded him the honor of receiving the formal Confederate surrender at Appomattox. There, Chamberlain endeared himself to succeeding generations with his unforgettable salute to Robert E. Lee's defeated army.
©1992 The University of North Carolina Press (P)1996 Blackstone Audio Inc.

What listeners say about In the Hands of Providence

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Details of war

This book is full of which companies and troops went where in what battle and in between. A real travelogue of the armies but I wanted more of the character of this Civil war hero and less of the details of mud and hardtack. You listen to a lot of detail maneuvers to get down to the man.

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

This is one of the best biographies I have ever listened to! This man is without a doubt one of the most amazing American hero's of the Civil War and yet probably few are familar with him and all the battles he participated in while suffering a number of injuries. This book makes you feel like you have met and spent time with Joshua Chamberlain. I only wish I had learned of this man sooner when I lived in New England and could have visited his home in Maine. You will enjoy this book.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Good "read"

A good biography. A very interesting man who was at the center of the Civil War. The only complaint that I had was when the author moved from writing biography to giving her view on the constitution. I wonder if she views her contract with her publisher a a "changing/evolving document"? I bet not.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Choice For Civil War Buffs

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is one of the iconic figures of the American Civil War. Trulock brings to life the man that so many of us first learned about while watching the film Gettysburg. He truly had the "heart of a woman and the soul of a lion." This gentle General fought through many bloody battles, but always did so with the true courage and glory that was often sought for by others, but often never attained. If you are looking for a book about a humble hero, this is it. Excellent to read on the Kindle and listen to on Audible.com.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Required listening

Having spent many in Gettysburg and aware of the story I expected good things from this book. It exceeded all measure. Well done

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Lifesaver

By using the audio media first I was able to enjoy the book and have much greater appreciation for this true American Idol.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good read.

Very nicely done. I enjoyed it and appreciate the great production. Fuzzy relationship with the wife was a good sub-plot that made the family's history very human.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A Man Who Lived His Beliefs - In War and Peace.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. I have always been interested in the life of Joshua Chamberlain. He played such a critical role in the Battle of Gettysburg and its outcome. yet he was just an everyday person, not a military man.

I always wondered how such a man could stand up to the stresses of war like he did and be the great leader he was.I also wondered what life was like for him after the war ended.

This book helps answers those questions.

The book is well written, adds excellent detail, and fills in the life of Joshua Chamberlain nicely. The one area I would have loved to see more detail is the relationship between Chamberlain and his wife. The two seem so different and those differences do not appear to change much over time. The threatened divorce would seem to have warranted further investigation, but the author does not add to that. Nor for the reasons why they stayed together.

All in all, an outstanding book, well written, about the life of a complex, Christian man who lived his life as best he could consistent with his stated beliefs.

Such a man would be considered a dinosaur today. But a life well worth studying.

What about Tom Parker’s performance did you like?

Parker makes an excellent narrator. His balanced presentation was enjoyable, but not monotonous. He is able to provide the needed voice inflections and emphases need to keep a long, non-fiction book interesting.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Good read...listen

Would you listen to In the Hands of Providence again? Why?

Yes, find something I missed previously

Have you listened to any of Tom Parker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me think of what these soldiers felt during the battles

Any additional comments?

American hero, showed what being human meant.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A must-read for fans of Chamberlain!

Trulock captures the heart of Chamberlain from the beginning through the end. stopping short of deifying the man, she leaves plenty of room for us to be inspired.

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