To Gettysburg and Beyond: The Parallel Lives of Joshua Chamberlain and Edward Porter Alexander

Michael Golay wrote a very interesting book here. Joshua Chamberlain has become a one of the most popular subjects to study of the American Civil War because of his depictions in the book 'The Killer Angels', the movie 'Gettysburg', and Ken Burns' famous 'The Civil War'. E.P. Alexander is less known but is no less interesting. These two men really led full and very fascinating lives and Golay depicts this very well. I think that the book is a excellent complement to the many biographies of Joshua Chamberlain and his own writings. People that are fascinated by E.P. Alexander should definitely read more in his excellent work 'Fighting for the Confederacy.' I think Golay is a excellent place to start in your studies of these two men who really embody what is best in America.

Michael Golay is a master story-teller. Thus he instantly enthralls his audience by inter-weaving the lives of one of America's greatest heroes: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, and an American traitor: Edward Porter Alexander, into one, seamless story. Golay takes dry, dead history and makes it live, so that the seemingly formidable task of reading 345 pages passes quickly and enjoyably.This is a great book to read if you are looking for a little fun, or if you wish to share information with a friend or family member unfamiliar with the details of America's 19th century, intramural tragedy.However, a double biography is an artificial construct, at best. Golay's choice to tie together the lives of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Edward Porter Alexander emphasizes just how artificial that structure can be. Chamberlain was a genuine American hero: a civilian academic, past the age when he would have been expected to serve, he rushed to his country's defense at the beginning of the Civil War. Serving brilliantly, at great personal cost, Chamberlain is creditted by many with turning the Battle of Gettysburg, contributing significantly during the Battle of Five Forks, and beginning the process of national healing with his chivalrous gesture at the Surrender Triangle of Appomattox Court House.Alexander, on the other hand, was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a regular Army officer. Like all regular Army officers, he had sworn "to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic." In order to participate in the insurrection, he violated his sacred oath: he lied. The nation expected better of the man, and should have had its expectations fulfilled.In an age when values are, again, viewed as important, we must clearly state that, ultimately, despite the shared battles, hardships, and adventures, the lives of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Edward Porter Alexander were not parallel. Chamberlain's life is to be emulated, and Alexander's rejected.This book works. It is simply flawed by its structure.