The Twentieth Maine

By: John J. Pullen

Narrated by: Barrett Whitener

From rockbound coast, from farm and logging camp came the men of the Twentieth Maine, a volunteer regiment in the Civil War. It was at Little Round Top that the Twentieth Maine, with Joshua Chamberlain in command, performed one of the miracles of the Civil War and saved the left flank of the Union battle line. Outnumbered two to one, their front doubled back to the shape of a horseshoe. And with ammunition gone, the men fixed bayonets, charged, and not only broke up the Confederate attack, but also took 400 prisoners.

At Appomattox, the Twentieth Maine was one of the regiments chosen to receive the surrender of General Lee's infantry, and Joshua Chamberlain, the Bowdoin professor who had become a general, was appointed to command the Union troops at the ceremony.

©1957 John J. Pullen (P)2001 Blackstone Audiobooks

Riveting!

If you liked Band of Brothers for it's "too good to be a true story" quality, you'll like The Twentieth Maine. A truly inspiring story of ordinary men in extraordinary times.

Beautifully written

This is one of my favorites of the more than 60 books I’ve read in the last couple of years about the Civil War. Some are so bone dry, just going on and on about what regiment stood where, and so on and so forth. Mr. Pullen not only went into enough details to satisfy the most nit picky reader, but he also wrote prose that was so evocative and moving that it literally put you in the mud next to these men and brought their stories to life. I remain astounded by the courage and selflessness of so many of them, and wish that that kind of attitude, and that kind of heart, existed today. I’m sad that I finished listening to this last night - it was one of those books I wish could go on forever.

Worth Temembering

The Civil War isn’t really over because we haven’t fully settled our issues. So it is worth remembering the absolute devotion of a generation who held things together so we could continue groping our way to a more perfect union. This book was an emotional experience for me, a Southerner, heir to all this agony.

One of the finest Civil War books I've read

I was expecting this to be a possibly dry or mediocre book, but on the contrary, it excells nearly all other Civil War books I've read. Pullen had a true literary gift, and he deftly weaves primary sources into his own measured yet poetic prose.

On a personal note, one of my ancestors fought in the 20th Maine, in company F, and I was amazed by some of the terrible situations company F got into. Everyone knows about Little Round Top, but I had no idea company F was nearly annihilated in the Wilderness. Makes my skin crawl a little, reflecting on how I exist at all despite what my ancestor faced.

Simply Magnificent

Perhaps one of the most moving stories of the Civil War I’ve ever heard. I found myself reliving various events of the three conflicts I fought as the last chapter was read. In the other chapters I could almost smell the smoke of battle and feel the mud sucking at my feet. I am astonished that I was unfamiliar with this author until now.