Jeff Shaara Reveals How He Mixes History with Fiction
With over three decades of experience in asset management and finance, Thomas (Tom) Finke is currently leading Barings LLC, an asset management firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Outside of work, Thomas Finke enjoys reading the books of his favorite author, Jeff Shaara.
The Civil War, a four-book series, was recently concluded with the last installation titled "The Fateful Lightning." Author Jeff Shaara explained how he mixes history and fiction in his books and the challenges that go with accurately representing the characters of the past in today’s vernacular.
According to Shaara, people show “strong feelings” about the characters in his novels. While doing his research, he focuses on determining the voice of these characters and while writing tries to stay true to their personalities. Furthermore, he finds the truth when creating dialogues for the characters to make the story work for him and his readers.
Shaara’s research materials include a collection of memoirs, diaries, and letters of the people he depicts in his stories. Moreover, since Shaara uses known characters in his books, such as Robert E. Lee, he ensures his readers are comfortable with the dialogue he writes for them as well due to thorough research in both primary and secondary sources.
The Civil War, a four-book series, was recently concluded with the last installation titled "The Fateful Lightning." Author Jeff Shaara explained how he mixes history and fiction in his books and the challenges that go with accurately representing the characters of the past in today’s vernacular.
According to Shaara, people show “strong feelings” about the characters in his novels. While doing his research, he focuses on determining the voice of these characters and while writing tries to stay true to their personalities. Furthermore, he finds the truth when creating dialogues for the characters to make the story work for him and his readers.
Shaara’s research materials include a collection of memoirs, diaries, and letters of the people he depicts in his stories. Moreover, since Shaara uses known characters in his books, such as Robert E. Lee, he ensures his readers are comfortable with the dialogue he writes for them as well due to thorough research in both primary and secondary sources.
