Book Review - In the Hands of Providence

• Author: Major Timothy C. Macdonnell
• Pages: 08

1999] BOOK REVIEWS 237

IN THE HANDS OF PROVIDENCE1

REVIEWED BY MAJOR TIMOTHY C. MACDONNELL2

Reading In the Hands of Providence by Alice Rains Trulock is like eating a plain bagel. It is filling, it does not upset your stomach, and, although you are glad you read it, you are not quite satisfied. In support of this comment, this review first discusses the book's strengths and why it is worth reading. Next, this review explains where the author falters and why In the Hands of Providence is not fully satisfying.

In the Hands of Providence is worth reading, if for no other reason than its subject matter: Joshua Chamberlain. Chamberlain's life is more compelling than any novelist could create. His life is full of success, failure, and triumph of the human spirit. For readers with little or no knowledge of Chamberlain's life, In the Hands of Providence will leave them wondering how they had not heard more about Chamberlain before.

Most non-Civil War enthusiasts might know something about Chamberlain. This knowledge, however, will probably be limited to Chamber-lain's conduct at the battle of Gettysburg. In the Hands of Providence will reveal to readers a man of stunning physical courage and integrity. Readers will gain a deeper respect and admiration for Chamberlain and for all those who fought in the Civil War. Readers will learn that Chamberlain went from lieutenant colonel to major general in three years with virtually no prior military training. They will learn that during the war Chamberlain suffered from heat stroke and malaria, had five horses shot out from under him, and was wounded at least six times. Finally, readers will learn about the challenges Chamberlain faced off the battlefield from stuttering as a child to the death of his own children. The value of gaining this knowledge is the greatest strength of the book.

Another strength of In the Hands of Providence is its balance. Too often history sees an individual for a brief moment, and that moment defines the individual's entire existence. Chamberlain was a hero. Bene-

dict Arnold was a traitor. Richard Nixon was a criminal. The author gives us a fuller look at Joshua Chamberlain's life. Trulock devotes over one third of her book to Chamberlain's life before and after the war. Of the 380 pages of text in In the Hands of Providence, the author devotes approximately 140 pages to Chamberlain's pre-war and post-war life.

Through reading Trulock's pre-war discussion of Chamberlain, readers gain an insight into Chamberlain's private life. They learn of his physically vigorous childhood growing up...