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REVIEWS OF
FATHERS SONS AND BROTHERS, BOOK ONE
Historically true
Mary T.
Florida, USA (2/2/2004) A literary recreation of a Civil War year that owes more to Bill Maldin than to Mike Shaara. Filegar's characters are 19th century Willie and Joes, deviled by mud, death, foolish orders and interminable boredom. Filegar researched his book and participated in re-enactments. His dedication shows.
A Civil War tale for everyone.
Douglas Boren, Author of Beyond the Horizons
West Virginia, USA (1/22/2004)
This book accurately and vividly details the life of the common soldier in the Union army during the Civil War. You follow along with Nathan Clark as he lives through the travails of Antietam, Fredricksburg, and Gettysburg. The story is rich with the description of armies on the march, great battles, and the longing for loved ones. Mr. Filegar, aside from being a promising new author, has also been deeply involved in Civil War re-enactments for years, and this is obvious from his writing. Nowhere, have I seen a better, more thorough description of camp life. He has captured the essence of the everyday life of the common foot soldier and set it before the reader to delve into. The humor, the tragedy, the frustration, the hardships, and even the victories overcome you with an emotional impact that leaves you wanting more. The subtitle of this work is “Book One”. Let us hope that the subsequent works are not long in coming.
"...."Gus" Filegar has written a blockbuster Civil War novel."
December, 2003 From Mary Lou Hagen,
Author
Review for 'Fathers, Sons, and Brothers'
James "Gus" Filegar has written a blockbuster Civil War novel. The characterizations, descriptions, and content bring the reader into the story from the opening scene to the last page. Mr. Filegar has done a masterful job of describing the battle scenes. The reader can hear the rifle and cannon fire, the cries of the wounded and dying and see the bloody aftermath of the battlefields. The human side of the Union troops as well as the Confederate soldiers is skillfully portrayed throughout the story. I look forward to reading the sequel to Fathers, Sons, and Brothers.
Mary Lou Hagen, author of Tarnished Honor and Texas Widow.
"...exciting material."
Ron and Pat H.; 20th Maine Store, Freeport, Maine (8/13/2003)
"Fathers, Sons, and Brothers" by James "Gus"" Filegar. A well-balanced combination of action - romance and historical accuracy make this novel about Company H of the 20th Maine exciting material. It is based on the Civil War diary and experiences of Nathan S. Clark.
". . .a definite keeper . . ."
From: Denise Clark at "Denise's Pieces Book Reviews"
USA (8/6/2003)
Fathers, Sons, and Brothers By James 'Gus' Filegar PublishAmerica Book Publishers - 2003 ISBN: 159129908X Reviewed by Denise M. Clark Fathers, Sons, and Brothers is essentially a novel revolving around the life of Nathan S. Clark and his experiences with the 20th Maine Regiment during the War Between the States. Based partly on diary and pension records on Clark, author James Filegar employs his writing expertise to fill out this life, employing his vast knowledge of the customs, feelings and cultural ancestry of his subject to breathe life into the historical Nathan. Told through the eyes and letters of newly married Nathan, the reader experiences and shares everything within the young man's daily existence and ventures on a journey with him into the horrors and privations of war. Beginning in 1862 and culminating in the Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863, author Filegar displays a thorough understanding of military campaigns and uses accurate research to evoke a no-holds-barred narrative describing battlefields and expressing the emotions of those involved. The pages of this book provide hours of reading enjoyment and what this reader terms 'painless history lessons' to one of the most riveting moments in American history. Filegar's ability to immerse the reader into the atmosphere - evoking every sense while he does so, is a sensory treat. Smelling the campfires, the stench of blood and gunpowder - literally sensing the ground rumble beneath the traps of thousands of marching feet - it all climaxes in an astounding battle scene from a place called Little Round Top, where Colonel Joshua Chamberlain attempts a gallant defense of his exposed flank, and elicits a rash of goose bumps and military pride. Action, romance and historical accuracy and a very well balanced blend of narrative and dialog make Father, Sons and Brothers a definite keeper. Keep an eye out for further works by Mr. Filegar, for he's a storyteller in the truest sense of the word, and hopefully has many other stories yet to tell.
"Gus Filegar puts the reader into the forefront of the battle."
From "The Historical Fiction Review" August 2003
Steve
USA (8/6/2003) Book Review: Fathers, Sons and Brothers, Book One Reviewed by Steven Harrell
James "Gus" Filegar’s new book, Fathers, Sons, and Brothers, Book One, relates the Civil War service of Nathan S. Clark, an Irish immigrant who joins the Twentieth Maine Infantry Regiment in 1862. Just after his marriage to Sarah, Nathan joins many other men from Maine as lumberjacks, fishermen, and farmers journey to Bangor, Maine to answer President Lincoln’s call for volunteers. Nathan and his comrades later form the Twentieth Maine Regiment, and they are ferried to Virginia by a steamer from Portland. Their commanders, Colonel Adelbert Ames and Lt. Colonel Joshua Chamberlain soon shape Nathan’s regiment into a cohesive fighting unit. Nathan is soon appointed as a corporal, and the regiment manages to get into a small skirmish after the Battle of Antietam. Nathan’s regiment is ordered into action and bloodied at Fredericksburg, and the Twentieth Maine later draws guard duty at Chancellorsville. However, their true test of fire comes when they are marched north to just below Gettysburg, where they are ordered to anchor the left side of the Union line at Little Round Top. Nathan becomes the de facto commander of Company H, and his Twentieth Maine Regiment is then attacked by Colonel William Oates’ Fifteenth Alabama Regiment. After hard fighting and a gallant bayonet charge, Nathan Clark and the Twentieth Maine win the battle for Little Round Top, but Nathan’s friend George Buck is killed at his side in the fight. Gus Filegar puts the reader into the forefront of the battle. Just like Uriah the Hittite, the reader is thrust forward into the fray of combat. You are able to hear the thud of minie balls colliding into human flesh. You can smell the acrid smoke of the battle, and hear the Rebel yell and the popping of musket fire. Filegar places the reader into the shoes of Nathan Clark, a brave citizen soldier. We see the hardships that Nathan and his men face in the volunteer service as they struggle to preserve the Union. Filegar shows us compassion in Nate, as he makes an effort to contact his cousin, Sam Witherspoon, who is taken prisoner at Gettysburg from the Fifteenth Alabama Regiment. I strongly recommend this book to Civil War buffs, and eagerly await the next installment in the series. This book has been recently released by Publish America of Frederick, Maryland.
Reviewed by: Steven Harrell, Attorney and author of The Unionist, A Novel of the Civil War
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