In the novel
Shiloh, historian and Civil War expert Shelby Foote delivers a spare, unflinching account of the
battle of Shiloh, which was fought over the course of two days in April 1862. By mirroring the troops' movements through the woods of
Tennessee with the activity of each soldier's mind, Foote offers the reader a broad perspective of the battle and a detailed view of the issues behind it. The battle becomes tangible as Foote interweaves the observations of Union and Confederate officers, simple foot soldiers, brave men, and cowards and describes the roar of the muskets and the haze of the gun smoke. The author's vivid storytelling creates a rich chronicle of a pivotal battle in American history.
Background Information
The Battle of Shiloh, fought in Tennessee in 1862, was the bloodiest engagement in American history to that time. Tennessee represented the western frontier at the time of the Revolution and was a border state in the Confederacy during the Civil War.
