"Gods and Generals" Author Jeff Shaara on History & Hollywood

[@doughudgens9275]

I’m glad Jeff is branching out into other areas of storytelling. I’m too much of a history buff and didn’t like his Pearl Harbor or Midway books because I had read too much on the subject previously and really didn’t learn much. My deep thanks to him and his father for popularizing historical fiction, for telling entertaining stories of important events in our past. A normal non-fiction book can be very dry, and hard to read. They often focus exclusively on the big picture, and don’t tell the stories of the average participants. Both are needed to understand what happened, and Jeff does it extremely well. I really enjoyed the interview and commend you for asking good questions, then let your guest talk. It’s real hard to not make it a two way conversation. Well done!

[@joshuadesautels]

The Midway book was good; Yeah, the Pearl Harbor book had some kind of weird stuff in it, I thought.

[@joemammon6149]

maybe it'll be more interesting if Jeff wrote books on controversial wars like the Yugoslav Wars with a pro-Serbian view or the Ukrainian conflict with pro-Russian view.

[@sheldonf]

Love all of his books and also a huge John Wayne fan. I know. It may be a contradiction in terms.

[@jnagarya519]

Historical fiction has existed for at least centuries. Often it is properly characterized as propaganda.

[@RudieLowe-w4v]

I loved the interview, Jeff is my favorite author

[@Farlomous]

I would love to see the whole Shaara Civil War series as a Band of Brothers style series. They wouldn't be limited to a 3-4 hour film and a lot more details and stories could be told.

[@denroy3]

Uhh, the two movies were over 7 hours. Had they done another 3 hour movie for the third book the thing would of been nearly as long.

[@mk.5706]

@@denroy3 Remember the good times when the sopranos where produced with 13 episodes per season or sons of anarchy with up to 16 episodes.

[@charlietheanteater3918]

It’s a shame the last full measure was never made, would have loved to see the battle of the wilderness on film

[@ReelHistory]

The book had great potential as a film.

[@hislairdship8961]

Watch the film "Wicked Spring".

[@ReelHistory]

@@hislairdship8961, we will be doing that movie at some point!

[@illogicerr3769]

The way movies are today consider it a blessing.

[@josephhewes3923]

The last full measure was never made because Gods and Generals was so bad. In fact, whoever made Gods and Generals should be banned from ever making a motion picture ever again.

[@stephenpierce2242]

I was around 12 or 13 years old when I met BOTH of you at a book store at Gettysburg! Mr. Shaara was signing books and you were putting out a book about illustrated biographies of the Civil War! I became a history major in college and doing a bunch of stuff in the field now because of both of your influences. So it's awesome to see you two do this great interview!

[@ReelHistory]

This is great!

[@rogerd777]

Don't forget that when you tell the story of the WWII Pacific theatre, the US Army had 21 divisions there while the Marines had only 6 divisions. But the Marines had a great public relations department.

[@scottcarlson8951]

With all due respect (I hate that phrase but it applies here) my grandfather fought on Iwo and through the South Pacific with the Army. He was wounded in battle and he and I had many deep conversations regarding his ugly experiences. BUT, the Marines did the heavy lifting; it was far more than good public relations.

[@davidstepeck2644]

Jeff Sharaa is a great author and his style of writing with each chapter being a different character is unique. I met Jeff at the Lincoln Diner in Gettysburg. Very nice person and an even better author.

[@ReelHistory]

He is very kind, indeed.

[@evansmith5161]

I read "Gods and Generals" a few years ago and I have to say it is one of the best works of historical fiction I have read. Thank you for this interview!

[@ReelHistory]

Thanks for visiting! Be sure to read some of Jeff's many other books.

[@charleslennon1]

Thank you for this informative and engaging interview. As a child of a Korean War and Vietnam War veteran (career soldier in Infantry and artillery for twenty-three hard years), I'd love to see a movie about the 25th Infantry and their war record during both wars. My father entered the US Army as a 'colored' soldier and retired as a Master Sergeant [promotable]. He never EVER talked about his combat experiences, only the good times with his friends (of all colors) and the many people and countries he was posted in. After watching your episode regarding G&G and your guest's dismissal of "John Wayne" movies, I must confess Mr. Wayne played a significant role in my life that I'm sure he would have never known. When I was about four or five [circa 1976], I watched a Wayne WW2 movie with my father sitting near me, reading his paper and not paying attention to the TV. The word "J&^" was tossed around like sandbags in the movie. I turned to my father and asked him, "Dah [dad], how many J&^*" did you kill?" As far as I know, my father never watched 'war movies' or read any books about war, and what transpired after my question solidified my respect and admiration for him. While responding, he slowly put his paper down and leaned forward. He wasn't mad at me or angered, just a little disappointed. He told me (kindly at first), "They aren't J&*^, but people just like you and me". Then his tone changed and became very stern, "I don't want to ever hear you say that word again..." He then picked up his paper, took a sip of his "lifer juice," and continued to read. I was a little shaken, not so much by his words but by his eyes. I'd never seen his eyes look so intense. Years later, I would discover my father's service record and what he went through before I was born. That one conversation stayed with me for years and it was never brought up again. My father never hated the people he fought against and never hated the people who hated him for his service or his color. Some time passed, and O. Stone's "Platoon" came out. Before you say it, I know it was a semi-autobiographical story about Stone's combat service with two divisions, one being the 25th ID. Still, the Vietnam War was never discussed in school or at home, and my father never elaborated on the conflict, including the Korean War. But within that time, he would volunteer little tidbits that made me very sad and grateful he was still with me, alive if not well. He would succumb to his PTSD about six years after that movie came out. But from what little he told me and from what I had been told by other 'Nam vets, the movie "Hamburger Hill [1987]" was pretty accurate. That's when it finally hit me. My father killed people, and as an Artilerlymen, he was responsible for the deaths of a lot of people. Something I think, in his civilian life, he never came to grips with. I'd always known him as a rock, a decent man, and a gentleman through and through. Hardworking and gracious. Loving and compassionate. But never had I ever thought of him as 'deadly'. Add to this his 201 files, and I'd hate to have been within his sights. To be clear, I don't fault him for performing his duties, protecting his troops, and doing whatever it took to survive. I've been there. It was just a shock to my soul to know after all he went through, the Great Depression, Jim Crow, the KKK, segregation in the Armed Forces, 'fraggin', and the mistreatment of vets returning and him believing that hundreds if not thousands of vets were still alive as POWs in Korea and 'Nam, this man, never let it show, and he remained my idol and hero in ever since of the word. When I enlisted in the US Army as a Combat Medical Specialist, my father's character and that of his brothers and sisters-in-arms helped guide my career. Miss you, Dah... "Doc B" 1st ID HHC 1-16 Infantry Med Platoon, Evac Section, "Iron Rangers" DUTY FIRST!!!

[@paulwillard9687]

The late Prince Philip was in Royal Navy out at the pacific theatre and witnessed the Japanese surrender, just thought that was a good bit of history from the late Queen’s Husband who was such a war hero he was mentioned in Parliament

[@FlashPointHx]

I love this man's work - I would never have gotten into Civil War history until I read his books

[@anderss6818]

Thank you for interviewing Jeff Shaara. I read a lot of history, but virtually never read fiction of any kind, so I have never read any of his books. I loved the movie Gettysburg, but thought Gods and Generals was awful. I am glad to know that Jeff was not responsible for the screen play. All these years I had been thinking the movie was true to his book. I am glad to hear that was not the case and that it is not his fault that the movie turned out the way it did.

[@matthewgabbard6415]

Gods and Generals is a Confederate fantasy novel and movie. No matter what he says, the book isn’t that great either

[@shannonjohnston2440]

@@matthewgabbard6415 I disagree. As someone who has experienced plenty of the Lost Cause myth (live in Richmond and actually did work on parts of Gods and Generals while interning as a film student), his book is nuanced. Yes, he has "pro-Confederate" elements in it...because that's how the characters were. But he spends a lot of time on Hancock and Chamberlain both (actually more on Hancock than Chamberlain I think) which is the biggest sucker punch the movie had. Or maybe it was that godawful Song and Dance routine just to get certain politicians into the movie as cameos. But I really liked Gods and Generals. Though I was a RevWar reenactor so I prefer his two RevWar books (though it would be extremely difficult to do a film on them right...and Hollywood has proven over and over again that they can't do such things well either (i.e. The Patriot).

[@odonnell1218]

I loved the book as it was far more nuanced and balanced, but the film ended up being Neo-Confederate propaganda. They absolutely ruined Shaara’s work.

[@lalabrouhaha]

What a charming man! Such a good interview. I'd love to see more one on one interviews like this. Andrew, your editing has improved so much. Thanks for all the hard work you put into these. Cheers to you both!

[@ReelHistory]

Hey thanks! - Andy

[@Chris-lh7wj]

I read steel wave a number of years ago when I was in my dday obsession phase. Terrific book, and I didn’t even realize it was a trilogy, now I get to read the other 2! Will probably read several more of his as well. Thanks for the great interview.

[@SwisstedChef2018]

In the early 90ties I lived in Hong Kong and I bought Gettysburg on LASERS disc. It took three discs, I bought it on DVD and then downloaded it, I am a staunch fan of that beautiful movie. If one is a Civil War buff this is the BEST movie ever made about the Civil War, the acting, the scenery and photography and fantastic music. Still my number 3 most favorite movie of all times.

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

Dude, the acting was terrible, the beards were terrible, the accents were terrible. That said, it is probably one of the least bad movies on the war.

[@richardpierce7819]

Chesty Puller A Marines , Marine. The greatest Marine of all time. I love his quote " The enemy has us just where we want em".

[@frizzank]

One of my favorite authors. Listened to almost all of his books, starting Mexican War shortly. Thanks for this interview!

[@johnw6042]

Excellent interview and insight! Like you, I caught the Civil War bug in the early 90s. I was 10 years old when Ken Burns’ Civil War came out, and remember watching it with my dad. Then a few years later I remember sitting in the theater and watching Gettysburg for the first time, followed by many viewings on that classic double VHS set! I remember how excited I was when I learned Jeff would be following in his father’s footsteps. I loved every page of Gods and Generals and the Last Full Measure. Gone for Soldiers was also an amazing and underrated book. It was fascinating to read about so many of the Civil War’s personalities in their younger years! I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a reenactor to participate in filming Gods and Generals. It was an amazing experience that I will always cherish and enjoyed along with my dad and brother. Stephen Lang was an amazing actor, and an amazing person. I will never forget him sitting down in the catering tent to eat with the reenactors. He truly cared about getting the performance right, and I was glad to hear that Mr. Shaara agreed with that! I do wish the screenplay would have followed the book more closely, and still don’t understand why they went away from the wonderful story Jeff put on paper. I would love to see Jeff write about young George Washington in the French & Indian War…what a fascinating experience it would be to read his style of story telling recounting the events of Jumonville Glen, Fort Necessity, and the Battle of the Monongahela!

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

I live in West Virginia and would like to see a book on the Revolutionary War in what is now WV- it was very different from the war elsewhere, involving mostly Indian raids, alliances, spies, betrayals, etc.

[@brianmallon1810]

Great interview, Jeff! Continued success to you!

[@WickleinGroup]

Hi Brian...how's life?

[@brianmallon1810]

@@WickleinGroup Never better. All's fine here in Dublin, and spring is sprung.

[@williambrock3534]

I took that same walk because of your dad and his book. Getting in their heads makes it so surreal to walk their footsteps

[@Volfan1065]

Wow, so this was very interesting. So cool to hear the story of what made his father write "The Killer Angels" and what motivated Jeff to keep writing historical fiction. Back when I was in ROTC "The Killer Angels" was actually a mandatory read as a lesson on leadership.

[@WickleinGroup]

Glad to see this interview. Thanks Jared. I wish Hollywood would pay attention to Jeff's work. There's a lot of VERY good stories available.

[@shannonjohnston2440]

Honestly, as he pointed out, you really don't want Hollywood doing it though. Speaking with experience, the studios tend to focus on money and not quality and unless he had enough control over his stories, they'd all get butchered. Could wish for some good independent filmmakers with a good financier taking them on though, filmmakers who believe in the project.

[@billkallas1762]

It's getting all too common that when I watch Reel History, I end up ordering a book from Amazon. I now have a nice Hardbound copy of The Frozen Hours, on the way. You haven't steered me wrong, yet. I'm running out of room to keep books I've read.

[@ReelHistory]

It is a good problem to have.

[@SemperFiGuy]

YUT!

[@mr.sherlockholmes6130]

I got a autographed copy of the Killer Angels from Jeff in his father’s legacy❤He was a very nice man. His father wrote a great story in the killer Angels ❤. I will treasure this book forever. Thank you for this wonderful interview! I love the civil war and Jeff Shaara is Amazing!!!! Semper Fidelis Scott Dickens

[@nolan2070]

I remember when I first saw Gettysburg. It was on TV and started around 11 o'clock. I was hooked and stayed up all night watching it to the end. Looked forward to seeing Gods and Generals and while it was a bit slurpy, I thought the battle scenes were great. Hadn't been to a movie with an intermission since I was a kid watching Charlton Heston epics (and the Longest Day).

[@paulkeniston5699]

Good Interview. After listening I am going to re-read Gods and Generals. I have the movie with the deleted scenes included and love watching it at least once a year. Now I will read the book and try to imagine how that movie with all the great performances might have looked like had it followed Shaara's narrative

[@mkshffr4936]

I had a little trouble getting into "Gettysburg" but loved Gods and Generals. Now that I am older I should try watching Gettysburg again.

[@dbach1025]

That was a great interview. Can't wait for the TR novel. Thanks Jared and crew.

[@HistoryBoy]

Absolutely incredible that you had the opportunity to interview Mr. Shaara. Wonderfully produced. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[@motortail]

I loved Gods and Generals and certainly feel as he does that they could have done a much better job with the movie version and I certainly wish they would make The Last Full Measure. As for the the Frozen hours, that would be perfect. Having served on the USS CHOSIN, I had the opportunity to meet many of the veterans of that battle. His comments about how they never spoke about it rang very true. I recall an old man who ran a tobacco store in the mall in the town that I grew up in. I always remember that he had a very small shadow box with some ribbons and USMC emblem on it. It wasn't until after joining the Navy and serving on the CHOSIN and was home on leave that I stopped by that store and upon looking at those ribbons it suddenly hit me what they were. I looked at them and then at him and asked "you were at Chosin, weren't you?" The old guy became very serious and asked how did I know that. I pointed to his ribbons and he said that he was surprised because he's had Marines see them and not know what they meant. I got my pack of cigarettes free that day.

[@seanohare5488]

The problem of God's and general which includes my talented brother Tim 0 hare as col mulholland in the Irish brigade attack at the fredrickberg battle was that it was too long 4 hours may have been better if 3 or 2 half hours

[@RobertStCyr-pe7ic]

Over thirty years ago when I was in college I took a class on the US Civil War. When it came to Gettysburg we put the textbooks aside and the professor had us read Killer Angels instead. He said that the consensus among Historians at the time was that Killer Angels was the most accurate depiction of the battle of Gettysburg that had ever been written.

[@michaeldmcgee4499]

The Killer Angels is so riddled with factual errors that a small book was published correcting and explaining all of the errors. Your prof was either a fool or a liar!

[@jonathanhacker5025]

I loved the book Killer Angels and it got me interested in the Civil War. I read it before the movie. I like the character based concept that Jeff’s dad and now Jeff employs to tell a historical story. It gets a lot of young people interested in history. I would love it if Jeff wrote a book with characters from the right side of the Union line. General Greene was instrumental in the defense of Culp’s hill. You also have the story of General Sickles who went rogue and created a gap in the Union line. That made it where they had to take regiments from Culp’s hill to shore up the lines. General Warren was also played a big part in shoring up the line. The stories of Vincent, Hazlett and Colonel Patrick O'Rorke all need to be told. All these folks went where they were needed on their own initiative. The remnants of Reynolds and Howard’s corp were also up on the right side of the Union line. It would make for an interesting book. It’s amazing what you can find with the Internet. I started watching video from the Scottsdale Roundtable. They have great lectures; a lot of them are from the park rangers and other historians. That where General Greene came on my radar. I look forward to reading Jeff’s book on TR. The book River of Doubt would be a great movie. I would hope they would get Candice Millard to participate in the effort. I read Gods and Generals and the movie wasn’t the book. About three years ago, I moved from Alexandria,Va to Winchester,Va. Little did I know that Winchester changed hands approximately 70 times in the civil war. For a civil war buff, this is heaven! Keep up the great work!!

[@itinerantpatriot1196]

I'm glad to hear the author didn't think much of Gods and Generals. It confirms my thoughts on it. I figured they should have given the title, "The Song of St. Stonewall," or something along those lines. It was given to me as a gift and I watched it twice, just to make sure I didn't miss something the first time around. Sometimes that happens and I like the movie after seeing it a second time. Gods and Generals isn't the worst movie I've seen based on true events, for instance I think Dunkirk ranks higher on the suck scale, but I was hoping for a better product because I loved Gettysburg. I saw it at the theater, I own the DVD and it remains one of my favorite war movies. I even got used to Martin Sheen as Robert E. Lee over time. As someone who loves history I had to come to terms the reality that any time a movie gets made based on true events conveyed in a book, there are three moving parts: the movie, the book, and the truth. It used to bother me when movies got things wrong but then I decided to just enjoy it for what it is, provided, as Mr. Shaara points out, it tells a good story. Good interview. Thanks for posting it.

[@kendallwallin331]

The Killer Angels was required reading at the US Army Command and General Staff College

[@jin1919lee]

I had an opportunity to meet the author Jeff S at Miami Dade book fair...read most of the books and truly enjoy his storytelling

[@williamdemay9446]

I know a Green Beret from the Vietnam era who loves John Wayne. He met him at Ft. Bragg during the filming of the movie and has nothing but good things to say about him.

[@haroldhardrada7449]

John Ford & John Wayne made some of the greatest westerns of all time, and the main characters in such movies as Red River, the Searchers, and Fort Apache had plenty of morale ambiguity. I might even say the Wayne's own production of the Alamo is one of the few movies that doesn't portray Santa Anna as a monster. In addition, even though I might agree that the Green Berets gave an overly jingoistic portrayal of Vietnam, this was to some extend an attempt at counterbalancing other anti-war movies which portrayed the soldiers in a negative light.

[@a.bastianwiik5592]

@@haroldhardrada7449 Your wrong about "counterbalancing other anti-war movies". The Green Berets (68) was one of the first US Vietnam War major motion pictures. "A yank in Vietnam"(64) and "To the shores of Hell"(66) are also positive in their portrayal of US involvment. The 1972 movie "The Visitors" is considered the first US anti-war film(Starring James Woods(!)). Most of the Anti-Vietnam war movies came out AFTER the war had ended: "The Boys in Company C"(78), "The Deer Hunter"(78), "Apocalypse Now"(79), "Platoon"(86). In fact there had been made feature lenght pornographic movies with Vietnam War setting before the first critical movies hit theaters. Most anti-Vietnam war movies made during the war were German(both East and West) and often had an underlying Holocaust theme.

[@RichardDCook]

At 14:16 it's interesting that James Kennaway, author of Tunes of Glory, also wrote the screenplay. It too is pretty much word for word, however the book is fairly short and as I recall very little is omitted.

[@ChefMagic9789]

This is an amazing man. I do the Civil War reenacting for the union side and when I was at the reenactment last year for the 160th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg, he was there signing books and even though he did not write killer angels, he signed it as part of his father's legacy which was a touching tribute

[@civilwarwildwest]

Dude, this is great!! Kudos for getting Jeff on board for this one.

[@ReelHistory]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@markpekrul4393]

This is the first I've seen Shaara speak about the film Gods and Generals, and I am glad to hear his take (although it's clear he has deeper thoughts, more pointed thoughts about what they did to his book). At the time it was filmed, I was a Civil War reenactor and I spent a day in the fall of 2001 out near Boonsboro, MD filming a few scenes. So, I was very excited to see it the theater. For the first 5 minutes, it was so good, I had tears in my eyes (that was the opening credits). After that it was just disappointing. It gets history wrong, but beyond that it seems to get filmmaking wrong - the staging, direction, acting, editing, everything. Gettysburg was much better - it too suffered from some of the same filmmaking problems as the second film, but as a piece of historical fiction, it did what it set out to do, and did so very competently (once I get past the scene of Chamberlain talking to Hancock on Cemetery Ridge).

[@ReelHistory]

Thanks for the input!

[@DouglasLyons-yg3lv]

Watching a Civil War film through the eyes of a re-e actor is flawed in and of itself (I say that as a log since retired re-e actor). About the only film that comes close to likely captured the chaos and carnage on a Civil War battlefield is Wicked Spring. Both Gettysburg and Gods are little more than extensions of Lost Cause myths.

[@jamesorth6460]

I wonder if Jeff would take a look at two Korean war battles Twin Tunnels and Chipyong-ni the Gettysburg of the Korean War. BTW my father who will 93 later in December 2023. I'm friends with Ret. LTC Winget who is the son of my dad's platoon leader and he has a lot of information on Chipyong-ni.

[@KansasRF]

Good morning. What a great interview! It was good to see mention of his book about Korea. That was so well done. I spent most of the 1980s as CINC speech writer in Seoul, and would have liked to have had a copy in my reference file. Reading it after those years, doing so in retirement, it was just so accurate, and just such a proper read. Thank you, sir. One question. Have you ever considered doing a book about the Tet Offensive in-country, meaning not just Saigon but also Hue and Khe Sanh, and some of the other places. Keep up the fire. Regards, Rick Fulton

[@bakajon]

The Battle of Chosin Reservoir actually has been made into a two part movie in China. It is called The Battle at the Lake Changlin (2021) and part two in (2022). Naturally, it is from the Chinese point of view, but it does show the hardships that both sides endured. To my surprise, it accurately, portrays the American escape.

[@zacharyimerman5651]

@wanderingJon.. do you know if the first part is on Netflix or Hulu by chance?

[@bakajon]

@@zacharyimerman5651 Im not sure, I saw it in China..

[@JDoe-gf5oz]

Is that the one that makes McArthur look like a Metal Gear Solid character?

[@michaelreed4744]

Hello. I hope that Jeff Shaara's "Gone for Soldiers" (2000) will be made into a film someday.

[@ReelHistory]

Good choice! Definitely an underrepresented conflict!

[@juvandy]

Thanks for this. I loved Gettysburg, and read Killer Angels some time after the movie came out. I was extremely disappointed with Gods and Generals for all of the reasons you mentioned in your recent reviews. As someone who grew up in the Virginia educational system and shook off the history we were taught (which was just short of glowing of the confederacy), Gods and Generals felt like such a wrong step in the worst possible direction with its lost cause/happy slave mythos. Wrongly, I always assumed that it was sticking close to the source material after seeing how close Gettysburg was to Killer Angels, and as a result I've never read any of Jeff Shaara's books. I see now that I was wrong, and I will read Gods and Generals at the earliest opportunity. More broadly speaking, this is why I can't abide all of the 'lost cause' lunatics who now claim that we are being 'woke' or whatever when it is suggested that confederate statues and other such glorifications should be removed. Just as in Gods and Generals, those monuments are not history. They are emblems of a mythology that was used to brainwash millions of southern children simply so that they would believe that their ancestors had done nothing wrong, and that civil rights for African Americans were unnecessary or worse. When we now make much-needed corrections, they are exactly that- corrections! It's not wiping away history, it is revealing and clarifying it! Anyway, my apologies to Mr Shaara.

[@ReelHistory]

Thanks for visiting!

[@michaelwallitsch3185]

Hello there Mr. Fred. It brings me so much happiness to watch this video and see you sitting down with the great Jeff Shaara. The first book I ever read, way back when I was 8, was the classic best-seller, the Killer Angels, and it was one of the things that started my love of history. My father is a prolific reader of the Shaara's and I needed to take the time to thank both you and him as great men of history. Take care. Mike

[@ReelHistory]

Nice to hear from you! Thanks!

[@Delmarvafishing]

I would like to see someone write a story about the Irish Brigade through out the war. It could be a 10 part mini series Band of Brother style drama. Get Jeff right on that for me thank you!

[@davemac1197]

Great interview. Interesting insight into how the Hollywood filmmakers usually have their own agenda and want to make the film they want to make - happens to varying degrees ranging between 0 and 100%, but usually somewhere in the middle!

[@ReelHistory]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@davemac1197]

@@ReelHistory - I've just been reading some of the reviews of his WW2 books on Amazon and he doesn't seem to have as many fans in the UK. A typical comment was "I was bored of reading about how great America was by the end, and had heard often enough of how the British army slowed them down." And in one review there's a complaint that Jeff apparently has tea-total non-smoker Montgomery offering to share a cigar with Patton. That's novel!

[@Lonovavir]

I know a Revolutionary War reenactor who was on the set of The Patriot and he told me there were serious conflicts between the director and reenactors about historical accuracy with the director saying it's just a movie, who cares about facts.

[@davemac1197]

@@Lonovavir - history and Roland Emmerich have a tenuous relationship at best!

[@Nello353]

Mr Sahara’s, account of his fathers reaction to Armistad,s monument is almost typical of a visit to Gettysburg ,a good tour guide will make you feel the courage and resolve of the soldiers ,It,s almost impossible not to shed a few tears that befit the gallantry of all these soldiers. When you see what the reb soldiers of Picketts charge had to face ,charging about one mile uphill to the Union position. They first faced cannon volleys that exploded in their columns and as they got closer they were subjected to grape shot which consisted of large and small steel projectiles which tore bodies to shreds,it was unthinkable carnage. Gettysburg is one of the most moving places you can ever visit, if you get the opportunity, visit,you will never regret it.

[@matthewmayton1845]

I have read nearly all of Jeff Shaara's work. I'll say the ones I have enjoyed the most are The Frozen Hour and his civil war tetralogy. Much more focus on the ordinary people than just the high ranking officers. I am curious to read the Teddy Roosevelt novel. Has there been any thought of having a miniseries (similar to The Pacific, Chenobyl, Masters of the Air, Band of Brothers) for Jeff's other work? Finally, Killer Angels is one of my favorite books of all time (along with All Quiet on the Western Front and The Spy Who Came in from the Cold)

[@j7519]

Not only does "God's and Generals" fail to represent Mr. Shaara's book but it does a great disservice to the men who paid a very high price to preserve the union. I spent today researching my 4th great grandfather who was killed at the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864. My 4th great-grandmother couldn't afford to bring his body home, so they buried him in Arlington National Cemetary, section 27 grave 179. However that was not the end of the price to pay, I also found the probate forms where she had to sell the farm and her home. He deserves to have his story told adequately and so do the other men in both armies.

[@henryfurgason8626]

I wish he wrote a book about Sheridan's Valley Campaign.

[@grayharker6271]

Frozen Hours, I have an uncle that was one of the "Chosin Few" he never got a chance to read the book.

[@christopherquinn5899]

Having seen this I will have to read Gods and Generals. I quite enjoyed the film but that was probably due to the good visual representation of the period and especially the superb contribution made by the Civil War re-enactors.

[@ReelHistory]

The material culture is pretty good in the film. And segments of the battle scenes are definitely worth viewing. The problem is when people start talking!

[@shrapnel77]

I met Patrick Gorman. Was there in Gettysburg right after the movie. I have a picture with him while he was on horseback, dressed in his Confederate garb. I was shaking his hand and the horse was moving while my girlfriend took the picture (which came out excellent). Someone spoke to Gorman and he said, "Yes, I will do that as I drag this young man down the hill!" Which prompted everyone to bust out laughing. Still going strong today at 89!

[@bigsteve6200]

There was one film about the Chosin Reservoir. Retreat Hell. I hope you can put this on your list of movies to review.

[@SemperFiGuy]

...and either find a Marine who was there, or a Marine who is an expert on all things of our beloved Corps, to co-host🦅🌎⚓

[@bigsteve6200]

@@SemperFiGuy Outstanding idea !. I'm ready to go, any time, any place. The World's Finest US Marines. Semper Fi

[@rdrift1879]

I always look forward to Jeff's books, starting with the Civil War series for which he is so well known. But I especially enjoyed the two on the American Revolution and then To the Last Man --- a very well written WW1 book. I was surprised how much it moved me.

[@timferryA1]

I heard in conjunction, there was an online message board, discussing the movie Gods and Generals. Lots of interesting characters on there!

[@ReelHistory]

It was a forum of fantastic minds--a relic of a bygone era of the internet!

[@beachem1]

Fantastic thorough interview. Well done!!

[@ReelHistory]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@CodytheHun123]

Nice timing! Now I can write my 499 paper proposal while listening to Jared and Jeff!

[@ralphroshia9247]

Even though Jeff Sharra is getting away from war somewhat I'm Still hoping for story about the French and Indian War and aslo the war of 1812 either about the seige of fort McHenry or the Battle of New Orleans

[@bradcouch457]

A series about the early U.S. Navy would also be good. Book 1 being about the Quasi War with France, book 2 about the first Barbary Pirate War, book 3 about the War of 1812 and book 4 about the second Barbary Pirate War.

[@ricardolorrio8228]

@29:57 I study the battle of Miday.. I never get bored with it... it is amazing... that battle was all done and dusted with 45 mins...

[@patrickt6642]

Little big horn and battle of bulge for me.

[@joncavallo4391]

Glad I finally got to see who Jeff Shaara is and words from his mouth! I got into civil war reenactment because of the movie Gettysburg! Bought the book also, Killer Angels by his father! There were people in my unit, the 3rd Missouri Infantry, Crowley CO. who were in the movie also! I went to the 135th reenactment in 1998 at the Bushey Farm. Before registering at the barn, 3 of us toured the actual battlefield. I remember standing at the marker where Armistead fell while looking over the angle and across to the Round Tops! Then looking back across the field where the rebs came across to get there! I had my own camera but never used it as I was so overcome with emotion, I had to walk away from my buddies towards the copse of trees to not let them see the amount of tears that I couldn't control! Maybe they knew, but they never said anything to me! Always felt like I had been there in another time! We did the 3 day reenactment and of course culminated with Picketts Charge! Unofficially there were said to be around 50,000 reenactors there! Most momentous thing I'd ever done in my life before or since concerning US history and honoring those on both sides who fought and died there! I'm a Jeff Shaara fan also and have quite a few of his books! Looking forward to his book on Teddy Roosevelt also! 👍💯

[@billp.8489]

Gods and Generals, Killer Angels, A Blaze of Glory, A Chain of Thunder, The Smoke at Dawn, The Fateful Lightning and The Last Full Measure would make a great series. I think they could be run together well.

[@sinisterbohemian]

Yeah we see that interjection at 24:42....you know what you did 🙂

[@bentankersley2988]

A. The movie was more accurate historically than the book. B. The happy slave was to highlight the nuance of the war. You had some states who’s constitutions specifically outlined the importance of slavery, while many major figures like Lee and Jackson saw slavery as a necessary evil that should eventually die out. According to the “Slave Narratives” (a interview series conducted by Theodore Roosevelt’s administration) there were plenty of slaves who felt that they were a part of their masters families and treated as such. Many owners treated them with kindness, respect and tried to help better their lot in life. Now, there were quite a few owners who treated their slaves like dogs, and therein is the nuance. Most confederate soldiers weren’t fighting to preserve slavery, they were fighting because their country (states were more like countries back then) was at war. They were fighting to protect their home. Most soldiers didn’t even own slaves. And it is recorded that Jim Lewis the “happy slave” was able to freely visit Jackson on his deathbed, which seems to indicate that Jackson was kind towards him. C. The film is not “pro confederate”. It’s just accurate. The temperaments of the men, the causes for which they fought, the outcomes of the battles, the character depicted...it’s all fairly accurate. Overall the film is a great depiction of historical reality. It simply goes against the modern accepted narrative that is “gray bad blue goodL

[@ReelHistory]

🤦‍♂

[@jonnie106]

I got a chuckle out of bullet point C asserting that the film is not pro-confederate, as your entire post is completely and wholly pro-confederate from the beginning 'A' to the typo at the endL I would agree that the movie is more accurate historically than the book... from a lost cause perspective. Your 'happy slave = nuance' is nonsense. The book doesn't feature a 'happy slave', so Hollywood inserts one for nuance?? For historical accuracies sake, shouldn't the movie also have also featured an unhappy slave? Or an angry slave? No, it doesn't do that; I assume because it expects you to apologize for it after the fact, like you're doing here. "You had some states whose constitutions specifically outlined the importance of slavery". And then you had the confederate Constitution which outlined slavery as so important, that none of those states could pass any law "denying or impairing the right of property in negro slaves", which kind of amputates that concept of 'eventually dying out' wouldn't you say? Like it or not, your confederate casus belli was secession from the Union to establish a separate nation with the aforementioned constitution's article as its law of the land. To your assertion of slaves feeling a part of their master's family let me offer a parallel: According to equestrians, the term “breaking a horse” used to mean the horse no longer bucked, took off, reared, or bronced with a rider because the horse's spirit had been broken. The methods were about dominating the horse, fear and pain based. Replace the word 'horse' with 'human' and you'll have the opening immorality of that 'peculiar institution' most southerners weren't fighting to preserve. I'll add that in this context, after a human's spirit is broken you often encounter that Stockholm syndrome, 'feeling like part of the family', respect, kindness, even love between slave and master. Either that or suicide. All that's left are the humans with spirit (aka self-value, worth and esteem) still left in them. The ones who ran away and the ones who resisted. I'm going to guess that this last group of humans with spirit left must be who southern veterans hated with such passion as to intimidate and murder during Reconstruction and beyond. Overall, is 'modern accepted narrative' what we're calling 'truth' or 'fact' these days? I'll leave another word exchange exercise, because it does sound like narrative when using basic identifiers like 'blue' and 'gray'. Replace gray with 'white supremacy' and replace blue with 'equality to all' and it becomes as true as gravity, or that other modern accepted narrative which is "bells and flashing lights at railroad crossings mean stop".

[@rickmave7607]

I have read all three of the Sahara's books and have seen Gods and Generals and Gettysburg. Gettysburg many times as a matter of fact. Enjoyed the interview with Jeff, although after casting Lang as Pickett I'm not sure casting him as Jackson was a good move. I liked Sheen as Lee a lot more than Duvall too. Jeff's father's speech to the Second Maine is brilliant and should be promoted to all freedom loving patriots. With the influence the CCP has in Hollywood I wouldn't think there is much desire to revisit Korea much. I am also a reader of both Stephen Ambrose and Erik Larson. Both excellent storytellers too. A man of even more turbulent times, Marquis de Lafayette might be a good subject for a novel.

[@ReelHistory]

Interesting observations and good suggestions!

[@rickmave7607]

@@ReelHistory Thanks for your response Jared. I have a basic knowledge of Lafayette but can't help but to wonder about a man who survived working for Louis XVI serving both France and Revolutionary America. Then aiding the Revolution of France and later rejecting Napoleon and his policies for the most part. An interesting bio I must admit. I don't know if you're familiar with Larson's 'Garden of the Beasts' but it is an interesting prequel to the Second World War and quite revealing.

[@bryanthomas1798]

Battle of Shiloh was unbelievable! Just insanely good.

[@jorge6207]

I may be late for the party and fully aware of the lore, but who is that at 24:42? It scared me a bit ngl

[@ReelHistory]

An old Marine acquaintance of ours that was an insider joke.

[@jamesa.7604]

I read Gods & Generals and I also read Last Full Measure. I think both were very good books and told the story quite well. Yes, I saw errors in the movie Gods & Generals but I still would like to see Last Full Measure made into a movie. Though in this climate now in Hollywood, we may have to wait a few years for that to happen.

[@phonton56]

The last full measure movie already released

[@johanchastain]

I can not understand why nobody has ever made a movie about Sull Ross. There are some books that talk about him, but his entire life. He was a sheriff in Waco. Confederate officer. He had an incredible life. Someone make a movie about this man.

[@Wildwest89]

I agree it would have been better if they stuck to his book. That said, the extended cut is slightly better than what got released in theaters. The 20-30 minutes of Maryes heights at Fredericksburg is the best part of the movie.

[@footballnick2]

The flank attack at Chancellorsville had some downright epic music though.

[@nickwright819]

Interesting about Gods and Generals film vs book, I watched Gettysburg and that made me want to read Killer Angels which was great. I saw Gods and Generals which put me off reading anything by Jeff Sahara, maybe it’s time to reconsider after 20 years or so

[@bradcouch457]

The novel Gods and Generals is way better than the movie. Most of the chapters, characters, and battles featured in it were left out of the movie to make it "short enough" for a theatrical film. Some of the best parts in the book are John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, Hancock and Armistead's friendship before the war, Lee's meeting with Sam Houston in Texas, and Hancock going on a mission behind enemy lines with General Custer.

[@chrissmith3668]

Definitely read the books. The movie is trash and has very little resemblance to the book

[@Jbickley00]

The root word of history is not story, the root word of story is history. History is the origin of stories.

[@StephenLuke]

That's awesome!

[@renegadeleader1]

The months long campaign on Guadalcanal would be difficult to condense into into a single novel, but someone were to try it I would focus on the two day long Naval battle of Guadalcanal. Focus on the events leading up to it on why the Japanese were so desperate to land troops and supplies and how knocking out airfield was a priority. Couple that with the dynamic of how the naval balance of power in the changed between day and night thanks for the air cover Henderson field provided. Nearing the climax focus on on the the US Navy's disastrous first night as the cruiser force under Admiral Callaghan gets mauled, but manages to hold on long enough to prevent the bombardment of Henderson field. Then in the finale on the second night show how a completely ad hoc US Navy task force thrown together from two inexperienced relatively new battleships the Washington and South Dakota alongside four destroyers who had barely had any time to co-ordinate with each other get tossed together and told to hold the line against an overwhelming enemy force led by the Japanese Battleship Kirishima with the result being the destroyers all but wiped out, the South Dakota disable and severely damaged, and the Washington largely undetected by the Japanese sneaking up on the Kirishima and engaging her at point blank range sinking her causing the Japanese to turn back.

[@doughudgens9275]

PT Deutermann writes historical fiction of the US Navy much like Shaara. In depth following a few characters, not necessarily as accurate a history telling, but good stories non the less.

[@thoughtvoltage5169]

I'm honestly relieved to find out that Jeff wasn't pleased with the film version of Gods and Generals. I've had to go over a lot of media that influenced me as a 9 year old first getting into civil war history and I'm finding a lot of that stuff troubling I terms of Lost Cause Confederate apology. I was 13 and a reenactor when Gods and Generals hit theaters. I got to see the film for free by showing up to the theater in uniform and discussing civil war history with passersby. The film shaped my life and made me dive deeper into a history that I didn't know was sometimes being colored by troubling media...like that film. Thank you for sharing this!

[@historyandhorseplaying7374]

What’s lost cause confederate apology, exactly?

[@thoughtvoltage5169]

@@historyandhorseplaying7374 oh wow! Where to start. The Lost Cause was essentially a way in which the memory of the Civil War was rewritten to undermine the role of slavery, cast the Southern cause in a more noble light that was distanced from slavery, etc. This started not long after the war as the nation trued to figure out how to reunite. There's a WHOLE bunch that goes into it. I'm actually working on making videos on the topic for my own channel, but others have already done so. Lost Cause apology is basically any modern media about the war that subscribes to those same ideas, which are not historically accurate and can give heavily biased ideas about the war.

[@thomasfrezza6015]

Did I just see a flash of Recon Jack when talking about the Marines at Chosin?

[@ReelHistory]

I'm glad somebody noticed haha

[@thomasfrezza6015]

@@ReelHistory Thats very Tyler Durden of you!

[@SemperFiGuy]

24:42 is an easy time stamp to remember🖍

[@unbreakable7633]

When you only have 2 to 3 hours, stuffing fully accurate history into that and still making a good movie isn't easy. Best historicals are mini-series like Band of Brothers or The Pacific and even then, compromises have to be made.

[@angelonoal9022]

Just discovered this author's novel of pearl harbor... will be reading more of his work.

[@justinjessop9130]

I've read Jeff's civil war books they are brilliant great interview I will definitely read his other work

[@bradchristy5002]

Very nicely done! Exceptionally presented and very informative. Thank you for your excellent work. I actually bought The Frozen Hours on kindle because of this interview. Mr Sahara’s father taught at Florida State University - my alma mater. Great connections to my life. Thanks again for your efforts - well worth it believe me!

[@ReelHistory]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@chrishestand1032]

They took a great book and made it into Neo-confederate porn. And this is from me, who grew up in the south and has multiple Confederate ancestors.

[@richardpierce7819]

I would like to see someone write a true historical account of Billy the kid and the Lincoln County war. My biggest question is did Pat Garrett really kill Billy the kid or is the news article that came out the next day when someone reported that after the body was turned over Pat said " thats not the kid." Is there any truth to that.??

[@unbreakable7633]

George MacDonald Fraser wrote a whole book on how cracked Hollywood's version of history is.

[@stevenwiederholt7000]

32:05 They may be out of fashion With Some People (Coastal Elites?), but out here in Flyover land, an with history nuts, Very popular.

[@torrance409]

The costumes were too clean, perhaps immaculate. No one was dirty from dusty road marches, sweating in woolen uniforms, and sleeping on the ground. That's Hollywood..

[@1rwjwith]

THE LAST FULL MEASURE …is my favorite book of his. The Gods and Generals film adaptation gets an Aplus ONLY FOR THE BATTLE SCENES but the rest of the movie is an F ! A real shame , I would still love to see The Last Full Measure filmed.

[@garneroutlaw1]

The worst of it all was the Stonewall Jackson scenes. Absolutely terrible.

[@BELCAN57]

I'd love to see Jeff write a book based on the early days of the American auto industry.

[@jerrysanchez4984]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@stevenscoggins170]

As a nearly 60 year old son of the South, I grew up somewhat believing in the lost cause of the confederacy, which is not all that hard to fall prey to when every battlefield you visit within 500 miles in any direction was on "home soil" so to speak. A great many past relatives on my dad's side fought for North Carolina, and a several of my mom's past relatives fought for the Union, so we were taught to be proud of our ancestors bravery and sacrifice, both north and south, during and after the war. One of my grandfathers was actually born in 1865, so the war and aftermath was fresh in their minds. That being said, I do believe that the portrayal of the confederacy in the movie adaptation of Gods and Generals was a little too corn pone in its pro confederate sympathies. I do believe that it is possible to tell the story of the civil war without falling back on either pro confederate or pro union propaganda. At least I hope so. I'll pick up the book and see if it's better than the movie. It can't be much worse.

[@RICHARDJMCGUIRE-lf4hd]

I Am Listening To Jeff Shahara Talk , His Voice Sounds ALOT Like A FAMOUS ACTOR, At Present Time I Can Not Put The Voice To The Person I Hope It Comes To Me In The Near Future

[@jaywinters2483]

I hate it when critics get so focused they can't see the macro picture. Just enjoy the movie.

[@wenpluto4282]

How can you when the movie sucks? 🤷‍♂

[@paladin0654]

Loved Killer Angels; required reading at Command and General Staff College.

[@GrantHolmstrom]

I wish I could’ve seen the 6 hour version

[@gz7464]

I think there are pretty notable anti-war themes in The Horse Soldiers. Granted, it does have the cliched John Wayne love story. I would enjoy a review on that film!

[@denroy3]

I think he went the cliche route and just bashed Wayne. The Searchers, which covered some of the Native Indian disagreements, was certainly not how he described Wayne. I actually stopped the video because he kept up the bashing. Struck me as lazy.

[@BishopWalters12]

I watched Gods and Generals directors cut, it's a very flawed movie but I still liked it overall. It feels like a lot of hate comes from people that heard things about it but never really watched it. Speaking of hate trends, I'm not the biggest fan of John Wayne movies but I think he has some great movies and plenty of them don't hit me as pro-war.

[@jaredf2773]

Great video. Hope you will do a breakdown of the full movie. Would love to hear it.

[@ReelHistory]

Tune in on February 21 for a 20th anniversary surprise!

[@jaredf2773]

@@ReelHistory looking forward to it. Keep up the great work, sir!

[@waldoman321]

Are you going to do an episode on “Rough Riders?”

[@ReelHistory]

Yes!

[@adam4thnj]

My favorite author! Amazing writer in every way! His book The Frozen Hours is my personal favorite. I'm almost done with his war in the west quadrillogy.

[@Checkers23]

Why did Steven Lang say that Last Full Measure, was going to be made? He said it in 2021,during Matt Atkinson’s lecture of Picketts Charge. He said he going to being playing General Lee. Any info?

[@ReelHistory]

News to us. Perhaps he was joking because of the amount of time that has lapsed. Nobody is in the market for Civil War movies right now sadly.

[@Checkers23]

@@ReelHistory He said it on PCN . Said they were going to start production in September of 2021. Can’t find anything. He gave a talk during Matt’s lecture at the Virginia monument.

[@ReelHistory]

@@Checkers23, hmm. Interesting.