Savannah

Or a Gift for Mr. Lincoln

By: John Jakes

Narrated by: Dylan Baker

December 1864. The 60,000-strong army of General William Tecumseh Sherman has swept it's way through the south, burning Atlanta on its march to the sea. Next in line, the city of Savannah, which Sherman intends to capture as a Christmas present for Abraham Lincoln. When old "Uncle Billy", as Sherman is affectionately called by his troops, rolls into town, he meets his match in the form of 12-year-old Miss Hattie-Harriet Lester, a "damned little rebel" who tells it like she sees it. When Sherman's bummers come to loot the family rice plantation, she lets Sherman know it with a pointed kick to his shins.

Peopled with earnest lovers, a corrupt Southern judge, a pretty young widow, her plump spinster friend, a fast-talking New York reporter, a valiant young ex-slave, and other rascals, scalawags, fools, and real historical figures, Savannah: Or a Gift for Mr. Lincoln is a tale of Southern Civil War home life as the end draws near. It is both a morality tale and a comedy of manners, with the right mix of danger, romance and humor set against the backdrop of American history. This is John Jakes at his merry best.

©2004 John Jakes (P)2004 Simon and Schuster Inc.

Great story performed horribly

Story: good, though I am biased as a huge John Jakes fan. Performance: terrible! the reader is very flat, and half the characters sound like Squiward from Spongebob Squarepants.

Insightful

I have been a fan of John Jakes since the 1980s. He does not disappoint. Having visited Savannah last year, I could see how beautiful it would been then. I was disappointed in the fact that this was the abridged version, it was not listed as such. Only at the end were you told it was abridged. I always follow along with the written version and at times had difficulty finding where he was. Great story.

Great story!

What an uplifting book depicting the hardships and sacrifices of people who lived through the Civil War in Savannah. All the characters were delightfully human with real fears and beliefs about the other side. Their impressions and beliefs were challenged when a character had personal encounters with normal folks who were just caught up in the war like they were, but on the oposite side. Mr. Jakes interjected a subtle humor throughout that frequently made me chuckle. Delightful!!

Meh...

I've truly enjoyed all the John Jakes' books I've listened to but this one is a dud. Perhaps the problem is that this is an abridged book which I did not realize until I cued it up to play. I don't even understand the purpose of abridged books and would certainly not knowlngly purchase any. The book unfolds over a short period of time and there's not much character development. the main character is a spunky pre-teen. Do not recommend.