From the author whose book first brought Chamberlain back from obscurity (Mainers: can you believe it?), this biography tells of the life of a now-popular Civil War general as well as the many myths that surround him. If you're at all interested in Civil War or Maine history, you certainly should read this book. ( )

This book gives us a look at the life of this gallant general after his service in the Civil War. While he never became nationally prominent in his other endeavors, he was always the man who would answer a call and do a creditable job no matter what the task, including being governor of Maine.

Unfortunately his name went into obscurity after he died, most likely due to the fact that World War I started shortly after. His legacy faded and was not even remembered when a book about Maine heros was written in the 1920s. It would be several decades before his name was back in the forefront when in 1982 a colonel at Leavenworth Kansas was asked to write a field manual and the person he chose to emulate over men like Jackson and Patton, was Joshua Chamberlain.

And more recently, due to films and new books, he is once again and, probably, forever, where he wanted to be - known as a great militaryman. ( )