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The Better Angels of Our Nature: A Novel
On the eve of Shiloh, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, a mysterious visitor appears at General William Tecumseh Sherman’s camp. Without family or home, with only a uniform and the name of Jesse, this prepossessing stranger is an intriguing mix of naiveté and wisdom, ignorant of the most basic conventions of warfare yet uncannily familiar with even the most intimate details of Sherman’s personal life and career. Jesse, in turn, has only one to remain by Sherman’s side–for reasons only Jesse knows and isn’t revealing. Initially unwilling to become a father figure to this beguiling visitor, Sherman is finally unable to resist such devotion and tenacity. He takes Jesse under his wing, determined to train this enigmatic creature in the art of war–and provide the strength and wisdom needed to survive its horrors.
Resourceful and courageous, Jesse soon earns the respect of Sherman’s men, especially the compassionate but plain-talking surgeon, Seth Cartwright, and Thomas Ransom, a noble and handsome young infantry officer. No matter their destiny neither man can divert Jesse’s mission.
But what is the truth? What is Jesse’s purpose and why has this fascinating youth appeared at this most crucial time in Sherman’s life and in the life of the bitterly divided nation? In the end we are forced to Who is under whose wing?
The Better Angels of Our Nature brilliantly re-creates the drama and brutality of America’s Civil War. Set in the momentous fourteen-month period spanning Shiloh and Vicksburg–a time that turned the tide of war and determined the nation’s fate–this harrowing, lyrically written novel is filled with unforgettable characters and wondrous twists that will give readers pause to reconsider events familiar to us all. Meticulously researched and movingly written, this masterwork will remain with readers long after the last page is savored.
Resourceful and courageous, Jesse soon earns the respect of Sherman’s men, especially the compassionate but plain-talking surgeon, Seth Cartwright, and Thomas Ransom, a noble and handsome young infantry officer. No matter their destiny neither man can divert Jesse’s mission.
But what is the truth? What is Jesse’s purpose and why has this fascinating youth appeared at this most crucial time in Sherman’s life and in the life of the bitterly divided nation? In the end we are forced to Who is under whose wing?
The Better Angels of Our Nature brilliantly re-creates the drama and brutality of America’s Civil War. Set in the momentous fourteen-month period spanning Shiloh and Vicksburg–a time that turned the tide of war and determined the nation’s fate–this harrowing, lyrically written novel is filled with unforgettable characters and wondrous twists that will give readers pause to reconsider events familiar to us all. Meticulously researched and movingly written, this masterwork will remain with readers long after the last page is savored.
- GenresCivil War
448 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
6 people are currently reading
94 people want to read
About the author
S.C. Gylanders
1 book2 followersS. C. Gylanders spent seven years researching and writing The Better Angels of Our Nature; she traveled around the United States, visiting battlefields and sites where these historical events took place. She lives in London with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 23, 2014
I reviewed this one for the WASHINGTON POST. This was my review:
It is spring of 1862, just days before the battle of Shiloh. Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, out for his nightly stroll, comes across a mysterious youth, unarmed and alone but wearing an oversize Union infantryman's uniform, hiding out in the woods near his camp. Sherman befriends this youth, who identifies himself as Jesse Davis and steadfastly, against Sherman's vehement opposition, announces his intention to serve the general, personally, any way he can. It soon becomes clear that Jesse is not what he seems. Persistent, fearless and strangely wise, though innocent of the ways of the world, the youth leaves his mark on everyone he meets.
Such is the premise of "The Better Angels of Our Nature," an ambitious novel by S.C. Gylanders, whose passion for the Civil War era is apparent from the first page. The intricate details of military life flow as thick and fast as the blood that cakes the battleground, and her descriptions of 19th-century field surgery sound authentic and harrowing.
But Gylanders is no Stephen Crane. The very title of the novel -- taken from Lincoln's 1861 inaugural address -- suggests that the world depicted here is one of angels and demons. The author's acknowledgments, which refer to her "humble portrait of this great American patriot [Sherman] and the story of his war," should warn us not to expect ethical challenges or significant moral ambivalence. Despite the author's loving (and somewhat long-winded) attention to weaponry and medical matters, she glosses over such discomforting subjects as slavery, desertion, corruption, conscription and disease. And the dialogue and interaction between these rough soldiers is strangely -- and implausibly -- sanitized.
But the novel's essential weakness lies in the characters, who tend to stand out like monuments, especially the gruff, cigar-chewing Sherman and the swashbuckling brigade commander Thomas Ransom. They are beyond criticism, remaining largely unchallenged and unknown, alienated from the reader by their own legendary status. It is as if the author's personal enthusiasm for these historical figures has blinded her to the emotional needs of the reader.
There is one exception: Seth Cartwright, the flawed, whiskey-chugging surgeon who issues diatribes against the stupidity of would-be heroes and the pointlessness of war. In his pessimism, he is convincing and likable. But Davis, the "better angel" of the title, who by rights should engage us to the hilt, remains infuriatingly nebulous despite a number of plot twists that promise much but deliver little. For all the grimness and brutality around him, Jesse's exploits are mostly in the Tom Sawyer/Pollyanna league: riding and taming an "untamable" horse, crossing a war zone to pick peaches for the hospital's scurvy-ridden patients, delivering pert and cutesy home truths to crusty old warriors.
Such sentimentality sits uneasily against the backdrop of the story, as it shifts from realism into a world of appalling cliche: Urchins are invariably freckle-faced and saucy; gruff old codgers are won over with goodness; Rebel corpses are disposed of with respect; love conquers all; and good men always do their duty. The style reflects this with such overburdened phrases as "Jesse's laughter made the large honey-coloured freckles dance across his puckish nose" or "youthful laughter, fresh and clear as a newly struck bell."
The result is a novel ill at ease with its own material, moving awkwardly from gritty war to outright whimsy at the turn of a page. And though, thankfully, the author does not go so far as to attribute an overtly supernatural cause to Jesse's presence at Sherman's side, there is quite enough in the text to hint at such an explanation. Less cynical readers may find this an uplifting and challenging new version of a well-known and oft-repeated story. Intriguing at times, but ultimately hollow.
It is spring of 1862, just days before the battle of Shiloh. Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, out for his nightly stroll, comes across a mysterious youth, unarmed and alone but wearing an oversize Union infantryman's uniform, hiding out in the woods near his camp. Sherman befriends this youth, who identifies himself as Jesse Davis and steadfastly, against Sherman's vehement opposition, announces his intention to serve the general, personally, any way he can. It soon becomes clear that Jesse is not what he seems. Persistent, fearless and strangely wise, though innocent of the ways of the world, the youth leaves his mark on everyone he meets.
Such is the premise of "The Better Angels of Our Nature," an ambitious novel by S.C. Gylanders, whose passion for the Civil War era is apparent from the first page. The intricate details of military life flow as thick and fast as the blood that cakes the battleground, and her descriptions of 19th-century field surgery sound authentic and harrowing.
But Gylanders is no Stephen Crane. The very title of the novel -- taken from Lincoln's 1861 inaugural address -- suggests that the world depicted here is one of angels and demons. The author's acknowledgments, which refer to her "humble portrait of this great American patriot [Sherman] and the story of his war," should warn us not to expect ethical challenges or significant moral ambivalence. Despite the author's loving (and somewhat long-winded) attention to weaponry and medical matters, she glosses over such discomforting subjects as slavery, desertion, corruption, conscription and disease. And the dialogue and interaction between these rough soldiers is strangely -- and implausibly -- sanitized.
But the novel's essential weakness lies in the characters, who tend to stand out like monuments, especially the gruff, cigar-chewing Sherman and the swashbuckling brigade commander Thomas Ransom. They are beyond criticism, remaining largely unchallenged and unknown, alienated from the reader by their own legendary status. It is as if the author's personal enthusiasm for these historical figures has blinded her to the emotional needs of the reader.
There is one exception: Seth Cartwright, the flawed, whiskey-chugging surgeon who issues diatribes against the stupidity of would-be heroes and the pointlessness of war. In his pessimism, he is convincing and likable. But Davis, the "better angel" of the title, who by rights should engage us to the hilt, remains infuriatingly nebulous despite a number of plot twists that promise much but deliver little. For all the grimness and brutality around him, Jesse's exploits are mostly in the Tom Sawyer/Pollyanna league: riding and taming an "untamable" horse, crossing a war zone to pick peaches for the hospital's scurvy-ridden patients, delivering pert and cutesy home truths to crusty old warriors.
Such sentimentality sits uneasily against the backdrop of the story, as it shifts from realism into a world of appalling cliche: Urchins are invariably freckle-faced and saucy; gruff old codgers are won over with goodness; Rebel corpses are disposed of with respect; love conquers all; and good men always do their duty. The style reflects this with such overburdened phrases as "Jesse's laughter made the large honey-coloured freckles dance across his puckish nose" or "youthful laughter, fresh and clear as a newly struck bell."
The result is a novel ill at ease with its own material, moving awkwardly from gritty war to outright whimsy at the turn of a page. And though, thankfully, the author does not go so far as to attribute an overtly supernatural cause to Jesse's presence at Sherman's side, there is quite enough in the text to hint at such an explanation. Less cynical readers may find this an uplifting and challenging new version of a well-known and oft-repeated story. Intriguing at times, but ultimately hollow.
March 13, 2012
Oh man. This is a book. (It's true.) My star rating is not what it appears. While I do "really like" this book I also really hate it. There are sentences which I can't believe have been published in a book, and the author's obsessive habit of replacing names with state demographics is brain wrenching. Not to mention how characters come and go with no notice and a lot of the action happens 'off screen'which is super confusing. But here's the catch.
This book is all I've got.
Following a research project I picked up a book called "Sherman's March in Myth and Memory" looking for fictional portrayals of the Civil War. That text correctly selects Better Angels as the best novel about Gen. S. (Don't be fooled, that Doctorow novel, The March, is bullshit.) Depending on your sensibilities and capacity for enjoyment this book has so much potential and so much good. It's just hidden under a handful of bad choices on the surface level.
This book is all I've got.
Following a research project I picked up a book called "Sherman's March in Myth and Memory" looking for fictional portrayals of the Civil War. That text correctly selects Better Angels as the best novel about Gen. S. (Don't be fooled, that Doctorow novel, The March, is bullshit.) Depending on your sensibilities and capacity for enjoyment this book has so much potential and so much good. It's just hidden under a handful of bad choices on the surface level.
January 7, 2008
This book had an intriguing premise (even if I did figure it out way early) and interesting descriptions of Civil War field hospitals and medical techniques. I liked the greater detail in the first half of the book better than the overview, skipping ahead-like style of the second half. I also felt like the author didn't know how to end it or wanted to stick to a certain page-count because it just kind of ended. Not really abrupt. It just kind of faded out. Maybe the resolution Jesse makes was supposed to be an ending point, but Sherman definitely went on to fight in other battles.
May 24, 2014
This was a good Civil war novel. It had interesting characters and a good plot. It covered a lot of ground and read quickly. I was a little disappointed with the ending. It left so much open for most of the characters.
December 5, 2017
OOPS. I had intended to listen to the book by the same title by Stephen Pinker, which Hannah recommended, but in my rush clicked on this.
And I'm glad I did. Having just read the new biography of Grant, I had learned a great deal about the western campaigns of the civil war, and this great novel puts you right in the center of this campaign through the eyes of a very young boy (no spoilers here) who sees all the battles first-hand and becomes a great friend of General Sherman.
Fascinating!
And I'm glad I did. Having just read the new biography of Grant, I had learned a great deal about the western campaigns of the civil war, and this great novel puts you right in the center of this campaign through the eyes of a very young boy (no spoilers here) who sees all the battles first-hand and becomes a great friend of General Sherman.
Fascinating!
July 10, 2023
The book makes the heroine sometimes too powerful - seems to be everywhere and anywhere and able to wrought miracles. It has some gripping and interesting tidbits; I started to read it because I thought it was Steven Pinker's book.
It has some great historical tidbits and interesting pieces; but it could have been shorter too. Lots of flowery and extremely wordy sections.
It has some great historical tidbits and interesting pieces; but it could have been shorter too. Lots of flowery and extremely wordy sections.
May 20, 2018
Terrific novel!
This is one of the finest Civil War novels I've ever read. The author masterfully weaves the mysterious Jesse Davis with very believable battle and camp scenes. Highly recommended!
This is one of the finest Civil War novels I've ever read. The author masterfully weaves the mysterious Jesse Davis with very believable battle and camp scenes. Highly recommended!
March 24, 2022
Excellent novel and “the magical powers” in everyone.
July 25, 2025
Enjoyed the book, but the ending was lacking. Too rushed, in my opinion. There was no definitive conclusion. Although it did pique my interest back to civil war history.
February 22, 2013
S.C. Gylanders's "The Better Angels of Our Nature" is a fictional novel set between the battles of Shiloh & Vicksburg with the focus on a stranger who comes wandering into the encampment of General William Tecumseh Sherman & asks simply to be trained by him since that's what "he" wants. The story itself starts out pretty interesting & quick moving as our individual Jesse Davis is a quick learner who becomes attached to Sherman & the medical corps without fail in the days leading up to & through Shiloh. However, Gylanders's tale runs astray when it deviates a bit from the normal horrors & honors of war & the true identity of Corporal Davis. It does so by having a love story develop between her & eventual General Thomas Ransom which hurts the story quite a bit & even some of Sherman's insinuations that Davis is an angel who can do anything are almost a bit farfetched. Historically accurate though across the jump in time from Shiloh through the siege at Vicksburg & beyond into 1864 where again the story seems to lose its way, "The Better Angels of Our Nature" is still a very good piece of historical period fiction for the Civil War despite the missteps & will remind you of the humanity in us all.
March 25, 2016
Listen to CD's in my car; borrowed from the library. Well written. Interesting to me due to subject: Civil War fiction and action within the "Blue Army".
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews