The Glorious Cause

By: Jeff Shaara

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

History buffs will rejoice at Jeff Shaara's latest foray into the glorious days of America's founding. This dramatic sequel to his best selling Rise to Rebellion continues his chronicle of the key characters of the American Revolution and animates some of the most compelling scenes in America's history: Washington's harrowing winter at Valley Forge, Benedict Arnold's tragic downfall, and the fiercely-fought battles at Trenton, Brandywine Creek, and Yorktown. Shaara draws his readers into the ethical and strategic dilemmas of his characters. More than simple events, the dates and battles are fleshed out in our imaginations as momentary choices that could easily have turned out differently even with the same actors. Shaara's sequel shows how the philosophical ideas of the Founding Fathers outgrew the library in the theater of war.

©200 Jeff Shaara (P)2002 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"As in all good historical fiction, Shaara's novel gives historical figures flesh-and-blood viability." (Booklist)
"History master Jeff Shaara scores again...with historical accuracy and a you-are-there immediacy." (The New York Post)

engrossing...

First the one negative point: 2 chapters repeated themselves WITHING sections of the download. Very aggravating. Complaints done.

Audible.com has helped me really appreciate the history poor texts spoiled for us in school. Adams, Jefferson, Jefferson and Mason and the making of a nation, and others flesh out and make real a time that still resonates for the world and us, whether in fulfillments of our values or in the sometimes abandonment of our values.

The narrator is excellent.

My tears over the tragedy of the loss of life in any war and the deep passions and fears were brought out as I listened to this narrative. Each of the characters were vibrant and I trembled with excitement at some of the battles while mourning those who endured those times.

Washington comes out almost as mythical in this account as we read of him in our high school textbooks.

This books is a joy.

An Engaging Book on the American Revolution

Would you listen to The Glorious Cause again? Why?

I would love to start this audiobook over and catch all the little things I missed the first time around. I thought the story narrative intertwined with historical facts were an amazing way to tell the story of the war. I will definitely listen to it again at some point in my life.

What other book might you compare The Glorious Cause to and why?

I've also read 1776 and Rise to Rebellion. 1776 was very dry, and while it is probably the most factually written book about the American Revolution, it didn't keep my attention nearly as much as The Glorious Cause.

What about Grover Gardner’s performance did you like?

The emotion of the moments he read about hit me right in the heart. His cadence and voice brought the pain, exhaustion, sorrow and immense stress that all the men on both sides were feeling.

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

At the moments when something incredible would happen, or extreme emotion would come over one of the men in the book, I would most definitely get teary eyed along with them. The end of the book in particular, as it was very emotional for the men to all say goodbye to each other.

Any additional comments?

To anyone that would like to learn about the American Revolution (I was amazed at how little I knew) This is a perfect book to teach you. It's not a history book, but I have found I learn so much better through a little more story than straight dates and facts. It was a beautifully written and beautifully read story about the men of the war.

Performance

I enjoyed listening to this book. I would make one recommendation that the voices of the characters be more true to their origin. Many times George Washington sounded English but knowing he was Virginia he should have had some southern draw. Thanks

Engrossing

Would you listen to The Glorious Cause again? Why?

Strictly speaking, it may not be a "history book," but it serves to bring history to life.

What did you like best about this story?

Characters in this critical struggle become real flesh and blood human beings because of Jeff Shaara's gift for story telling.

Any additional comments?

It was a wonderful listening experience.

Glorious Cause

This was a very interesting and well told account of our American history. It fill in many of the more detailed accounts of our history. I learned quite a bit more than I already knew. Well done.
Thank you Jeff Sharra, must have taken a great deal of time to put this together, I greatly enjoyed all of it and will listen to it again in a year or so

Great Story, Lackluster Presentation

If you have any interest at all in the subject matter, it’s a great listen. Not as strong as the first, but still great. I would say the story itself lacks the same strong characters that the first had, though Washington and Franklin make a return.

My biggest gripe is with the presentation and quality control. On multiple occasions, the performer would repeat what he has just said, as if they just copied and pasted that section twice. It happened enough that it was jarring. The performance grew on me by the end, but I was finding him quite dull in the beginning.

awesome book

excellent book however this recording had a problem with numerous sentences being repeated if it wasn't for that the performance would have had at least four stars

History of Independence comes alive

This is a great book that brings alive the characters of George Washington, Gen. Cornwallis. This is not historical fiction. It is written from journals and personal letters. This was a pivotal time in our country's history and the author did a great job of getting behind the scenes and into the heads of the central players. We need more books like this that really reveal the history of our nation. Narration was good.

Outstanding!

If you want to have an in-depth knowledge of key characters in the American Revolutionary War then this is the novel for you!
The author has an excellent description of each character and the battles during the war. The Narrator has made the novel even more enjoyable to listen too! I give them both 5 stars.

You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this one!

Like his other books, Jeff Shaara does not fail to produce another well-written book of American history. A gripping account of the American Revolution. It is gripping tale, which draws you right into the action. I was a little disappointed in Grover Gardner’s reading of this one, and numerous lines were repeated. Overlooking that, I highly recommend this title!