Here is Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, a hopelessly by-the-book military instructor and devout Christian who becomes the greatest commander of the Civil War. We also find Winfield Scott Hancock, one of the finest leaders in the Union army, and Joshua Chamberlain, who gives up a promising academic career to become one of the most heroic soldiers in American history. And here too is the complex, aristocratic Robert E. Lee, faced with the agonizing decision of resigning from a distinguished, 30-year army career in order to defend his home, not believing until too late that a civil war would ever truly come to pass.

From the Battle of Fredericksburg, where, for the first time, all four men meet on the same field, to the Battle of Chancellorsville, when Jackson is mortally wounded by his own men, Gods and Generals paints a brilliant portrait of the lives of these great leaders during the tumultuous, bloody decade leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg.

Beautifully told, compelling in its vivid portrayal of the battlefield, and profound in its insights into the minds and hearts of those who fought, Gods and Generals is truly a worthy companion to the timeless The Killer Angels.