UNC Press - In the Hands of Providence

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592 pp., 6.125 x 9.25, 46 illus., 11 maps , notes, bibl., index

Civil War America

Cloth

ISBN 978-0-8078-2020-9

Published: June 1992

Paper

ISBN 978-0-8078-4980-4

Published: September 2001

In the Hands of Providence

Joshua L. Chamberlain and the American Civil War

By Alice Rains Trulock

"Deserve[s] a place on every Civil War bookshelf."--New York Times Book Review

"[Trulock] brings her subject alive and escorts him through a brilliant career. One can easily say that the definitive work on Joshua Chamberlain has now been done."--James Robertson, Richmond Times-Dispatch

"An example of history as it should be written. The author combines exhaustive research with an engaging prose style to produce a compelling narrative which will interest scholars and Civil War buffs alike."--Journal of Military History

"A solid biography. . . . It does full justice to an astonishing life."--Library Journal

This remarkable biography traces the life and times of Joshua L. Chamberlain, the professor-turned-soldier who led the Twentieth Maine Regiment to glory at Gettysburg, earned a battlefield promotion to brigadier general from Ulysses S. Grant at Petersburg, and was wounded six times during the course of the Civil War. Chosen to accept the formal Confederate surrender at Appomattox, Chamberlain endeared himself to succeeding generations with his unforgettable salutation of Robert E. Lee's vanquished army. After the war, he went on to serve four terms as governor of his home state of Maine and later became president of Bowdoin College. He wrote prolifically about the war, including The Passing of the Armies, a classic account of the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac.

About the Author

The late Alice Rains Trulock was a retired personnel manager and politician in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Reviews

"Deserve[s] a place on every Civil War bookshelf."
--New York Times Book Review

"Trulock has done exhaustive research; her prose is relaxed and revealing. . . . She brings her subject alive and escorts him through a brilliant career. One can easily say that the definitive work on Joshua Chamberlain has now been done."
--James Robertson, Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Trulock's biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is an example of history as it should be written. The author combines exhaustive research with an engaging prose style to produce a compelling narrative which will interest scholars and Civil War buffs alike."
--Journal of Military History

"Trulock's strengths are derived from her meticulous attention to detail and her vivid description. Her account of the surrender of the Confederate Army is among the most moving this reviewer has read. . . . Readers in search of a solid military history will be amply rewarded."
--Journal of Southern History

"Trulock presents a definitive biography of this distinguished citizen and Union officer. Chamberlain emerges from Trulock's pages as an unusually brave man who could think quickly and rationally under extreme stress."
--Publishers Weekly

"A solid biography. . . . It does full justice to an astonishing life. Highly recommended."
--Library Journal