Shiloh. In Hebrew it means ‘place of peace’. An apt name for a tiny Methodist chapel close to the banks of the Tennessee river. It has borne witness to christenings, weddings, and funerals. Its parishioners are thankful for their peace.Peace, that is, until Grant’s Union army arrives to take up every available space in and around the church and on all of the community’s farm land. Within his … on all of the community’s farm land.
Within his camps are soldiers that are simple, scared, green, boastful, veteran, and foolish, all hoping that they do not shirk their sworn oaths. They are full of hope that soon they will sally forth and give battle to their enemy, thirty four miles away.
Or so they think.
Battle is less than a few miles away as another army of green and untried soldiers is marching, stealing up upon the Union army’s encampment with the Tennessee river at its back and no hope of immediate reinforcement. These Confederates are full of hope too, hope that they will not shrink from their oaths when the fire is the most intense and their friends are falling left and right.
Battles are planned by the generals, but they are fought by the soldiers; the simple, the scared, the green, the boastful, the veteran, and the foolish.
They Met at Shiloh is a civil war historical novel. In the tradition of Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels and All Quiet on the Western Front, you’ll smell the powder and suffer the anguish of loss and understand why soldiers above all else prefer peace to war.
Grab the first and penultimate start to a journey through the American Civil War in the western theater and experience the war from the ranks as a soldier.more
If you are into Civil War stories about battles, this book is for you. It was not what I thought it was going to be. I did not enjoy it.
learnt a little more about the civil war.
Intense civil war historical drama, enjoyed it. Very different.
Should be a must read for every high school or college student. The Civil War was a tragedy in most all aspects except that it preserved the Union and granted same rights to all people. There simply must be a better way to resolve differences than to go to war – especially war between your own families!
Again, this was a tragedy for the American people. There is a lot of historical information and this was presented realistically – war is horrible and no winners!
If you are a Civil War buff this is a must.
It was interesting how the different groups came together but no comparison to a book like Gettysburg. You just don’t feel the compassion for the characters.
It was kind of boring. I didn’t finish it.
Haunting and realistic.
Great author
Thought provoking, down to earth view from the men on the ground at this battle.
It bought home the waste of lives on both sides of the battle.
This book was very good. It could have been a true story easily. I enjoyed they look at the history behind it.
Very informative
I really hate when folks say “it’s chick lit” or some such rot. Good books cross gender lines. However, when I started Bryant’s book, I really struggled to get into it, and immediately thought it was a “guys” read. Thankfully, I kept reading.
They Met At Shiloh isn’t what I’d call a gripping read, but ever so slowly you begin to feel for the …
I loved reading about the same battles from the perspective of each opposing side. Also, at the end, the opposing sides meet and …. i really loved the ending!
I thought the character development of the Union and Confederate soldiers was very believable. True to the historical backdrop of the campaign at Shiloh.
Had a hard time pushing my self to finish this.
Great history line. Sometimes hard to remember what group is in the action.
Wonderful research of the period and battles.
I would have liked an easily accessed map and “who’s who” to help me keep track through the shifting of the scenes of action.
I did like the ‘up close and personal’ presentation of this important slice of American history and recommend it to anyone interested in this climatic period.
I found this book hard to read, lost interest, didn’t finish it.
Good writing with realistic battle scenes and men’s responses to the horror of war.
Appreciate stories from both sides, North & South. Both solderes experienced suffering and grief. Good take of conveying the feeling of being there as it happened.