Civil War author Jeff Shaara to speak at Naper Settlement

New York Times best-selling author Jeff Shaara is coming to Naperville to talk about and sign copies of his newest book, "The Fateful Lightning," at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at Naper Settlement's Century Memorial Chapel, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville.

The program is free. Those who wish to meet the author and get their book signed must purchase "The Fateful Lightning" from Anderson's Bookshop, 123 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville. For details, call Anderson's at (630) 355-2665 or visit www.andersonsbookshop.com.

"We can't think of a better setting than Naper Settlement to host Jeff Shaara, one of the nation's most knowledgeable authors about the Civil War," said Becky Anderson, owner of Anderson's Bookshop.

"Anderson's Bookshop is so fortunate to have a partner like the settlement, and we are beyond delighted to welcome Jeff Shaara. His new novel, 'The Fateful Lighting,' completes his riveting series that puts you in the thick of the war's conclusion."

Debbie Grinnell, vice president of museum services at Naper Settlement, said, "We are thrilled to partner with Anderson's Bookshop to bring this renowned author to Naper Settlement. Jeff Shaara's novels bring the Civil War to life and that reflects our museum's mission of 'Live History, Inspire Our Future.'"

In the concluding novel of his Civil War series that includes "A Blaze of Glory," "A Chain of Thunder" and "The Smoke at Dawn," Shaara tells the dramatic story of the final eight months of the Civil War from multiple perspectives: the commanders in their tents making plans for total victory, as well as the ordinary foot soldiers and cavalrymen who carried out their orders until the last alarm sounded.

Readers gain insight into the mind of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, who vowed to "make Georgia howl" until it surrendered. In Gen. Joseph Johnston, readers see a man agonizing over the limits of his army's power and accepting the burden of leading the last desperate effort to ensure the survival of the Confederacy.

Shaara is also the author of "The Final Storm," "No Less Than Victory," "The Steel Wave," "The Rising Tide," "To the Last Man," "The Glorious Cause," "Rise to Rebellion" and "Gone for Soldiers," as well as "Gods and Generals" and "The Last Full Measure" - two novels that complete the Civil War trilogy that began with his father's Pulitzer Prize-winning classic "The Killer Angels."

Shaara was born into a family of Italian immigrants in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, and graduated from Florida State University. He lives in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.