THE LAST FULL MEASURE

The vision of Michael Shaara's trilogy about the Civil War is completed here by his son. After the Battle of Gettysburg, detailed in The Killer Angels, the generals on both sides still had many bloody battles to fight before the surrender at Appomattox. Following the style of the earlier volumes, the scenes alternate between the Northern and Southern camps, often recounting overlapping time periods. The abridgment has no ordering elements, such as chapter breaks, and it is occasionally unclear which side he's discussing. Stephen Lang presents a very grand view of the action and the characters. The intensity in his portrayal best suits the narrative when he's describing a battle. The subtle reflections of the characters are overshadowed as they are all swept up in the grandeur and pathos. R.F.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 98]