Gone for Soldiers

A Novel of the Mexican War

By: Jeff Shaara

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Length: 19 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

With his acclaimed New York Times best sellers Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, Jeff Shaara expanded upon his father's Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War classic, The Killer Angels - ushering the reader through the poignant drama of this most bloody chapter in our history. Now, in Gone for Soldiers, Jeff Shaara carries us back 15 years before that momentous conflict, when the Civil War's most familiar names are fighting for another cause, junior officers marching under the same flag in an unfamiliar land, experiencing combat for the first time in the Mexican-American War.

In March 1847, the U.S. Navy delivers 8,000 soldiers on the beaches of Vera Cruz. They are led by the army's commanding general, Winfield Scott, a heroic veteran of the War of 1812, short tempered, vain, and nostalgic for the glories of his youth. At his right hand is Robert E. Lee, a 40-year-old engineer, a dignified, serious man who has never seen combat.

Scott leads his troops against the imperious Mexican dictator, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana. Obsessed with glory and his place in history, Santa Ana arrogantly underestimates the will and the heart of Scott and his army. As the Americans fight their way inland, both sides understand that the inevitable final conflict will come at the gates and fortified walls of the ancient capital, Mexico City.

Cut off from communication and their only supply line, the Americans learn about their enemy and themselves, as young men witness for the first time the horror of war. While Scott must weigh his own place in history, fighting what many consider a bully's war, Lee the engineer becomes Lee the hero, the one man in Scott's command whose extraordinary destiny as a soldier is clear.

In vivid, brilliant prose that illuminates the dark psychology of soldiers and their commanders trapped behind enemy lines, Jeff Shaara brings to life the haunted personalities and magnificent backdrop, the familiar characters, the stunning triumphs and soul-crushing defeats of this fascinating, long-forgotten war. Gone for Soldiers is an extraordinary achievement that will remain with you long after the final chapter is finished.

©2000 Jeffrey M. Shaara (P)2000 Bantam Doubleday Dell Audio Publishing, A Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Brilliant does not even begin to describe the Shaara gift. Thank Gods and Generals that it was passed from father to son." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Real history that reads like fiction

This is a must-read book. It is told through the eyes of the major players in this war: Winfield Scott, Robert E. Lee, and Santa Anna. The characters are portrayed as real people and not larger than life. The focus is on the events of the Mexican-American War and the men who accomplished them. The pre-Civil War personalities are only mentioned briefly except for Robert E. Lee and his rise to brilliance. Shaara writes a very interesting history but its accuracy is not sacrificed for entertainment. I find this lively telling of history to be more entertaining than today's best fiction writers. After reading this you will want to experience more of Shaara's work. If only Audible would release all his books in unabridged format...

American Heros

This book is a great read and eye opening. If you love reading about all the American Civil Generals, you will enjoy this book.

FlIlluminates the far reaching implications of the Mexican American War

Well done. This introduction to the formative period for so many of the famous generals of the American Civil War has left me wanting to learn more about the era of Manifest Destiny. Well written, well performed.

Evan Review

Sahara uses his literary style of taking historical events and adding first person conversation of the historical figures of the events. In the book he bring to life his characters and shows how Junior Officers rise in influence that become General Officer in the Civil War. The Mexican War becomes debatable then still is.

If you like historical fiction you will love this.

One doesn't hear about the life experiences that helped shape the historical figure. The story gave me a better idea of where people were relative to other historical figures alive at the time. Enjoyed it.

Good Novel, Middling Narration

The novel itself is a good one, and I strongly recommend it. The reading was the weak point. The reader seemed to periodically forget which voice/accent he had been using for a given character, and change it, or even just switch back to his standard narrator voice. This caused occasional confusion about who was speaking.

An historian’s kind of book

I appreciated the understandable timeline and sufficient details in this book. Shaara made a long and complicated series of events clear and memorable.

Excellent History<br />

Always enjoy Shaara's books only wished he had included more than just the war in Mexico itself.

Another great book by Jeff Shaara

Loved this book which uses details from the war with Mexico. For those interested in American military history, its a must read,

Loved It...

Loved it. The Narrator was excellent and kept you interested. I felt like I was there. Great story line.