GENERALS IN BRONZE Interviewing the Commanders of the Civil War

Civil War artist James Kelly sketched and interviewed 40 Union Army generals in the years following the war. While making his drawings, Kelly probed the soldiers with intimate questions about their military dress, the high points of their lives, and the minute details of their notable battles. Narrator Patrick Cullen uses the generals' conversations with the artist to sculpt personalities for each, making the famous men lifelike, distinctive, and memorable. His General Sherman is a cranky, abrupt, and rude character while a few words from General Lee at the signing of the surrender at Appomattox reveal a tired-sounding officer with a soft Southern drawl. While some narrators might overdo such a performance, Cullen summons prudent restraint to avoid comedy in his pursuit of realism. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2008]