The Complete List of Jeff Shaara Books in Order

Jeff Shaara is the best-selling American author behind multiple critically acclaimed historical fiction novels.

His father was the world-renowned Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael Shaara. Jeff has followed in his footsteps to bring us fascinating portrayals of the most important wars of America’s past.

Jeff Shaara’s work has earned him numerous accolades, including the recent 2022 W.Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction from the American Library Association.

Jeff specializes in transforming historical facts into vivid, richly intricate stories that keep readers glued to the page. So, if you love meticulously researched historical fiction novels that bring the past to life, you’ll adore Jeff Shaara’s books.

Jeff Shaara’s Books in Order

Jeff Shaara has written numerous popular novels, including three bestselling series and multiple standalone titles. But with so many fascinating books to explore, you will find it hard to figure out where to begin.

So, in this post, I’ll give you a full rundown of this celebrated author’s work so that you can start your reading journey immediately.

The Civil War Books (1861-1865)

In 1974, Jeff Shaara’s father, Michael Shaara, penned the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Killer Angels. This fascinating fictional re-enactment of the Battle of Gettysburg inspired the hit motion picture ‘Gettysburg,’ The book has become one of the most celebrated historical fiction novels ever.

Two decades later, Jeff Shaara continued his father’s incredible legacy by penning two follow-up titles that evoke the same masterful storytelling as the original book.

The 1996 novel, Gods and Generals, is the prequel to The Killer Angels and a retelling of the events that took place between 1858 to 1863 during the American Civil War. The book inspired the 2003 blockbuster motion picture of the same name, directed by Ronald F. Maxwell.

The third book in this series, The Last Full Measure, was published in 1998 and picked up where the events of The Killer Angels left off.

The Civil War Books (1861-1865) in Order

You have two choices when reading Jeff and Michael Shaara’s Civil War books. You can either read along in the order they were published or follow the chronological timeline of events listed below.

The Original Publication Order

1. The Killer Angels (by Michael Shaara) (1974)
2. Gods and Generals (1996) (prequel novel)
3. The Last Full Measure (1998)

The Chronological Reading Order

1. Gods and Generals (1996) (prequel novel)
2. The Killer Angels (by Michael Shaara) (1974)
3. The Last Full Measure (1998)

The American Revolutionary War (1770-1783) Books

In 2001, Jeff Shaara began this bestselling two-part series, which brings to life the historical events of the American Revolution. Both books document the fascinating story of how the original thirteen colonies united under one nation.

In Rise to Rebellion, Shaara takes us back to the year 1770 as the horrifying events of the Boston Massacre unfold. This senseless bloodshed sparked a chaotic trial led by Founding Father and lawyer John Adams, who was forced to defend the indefensible acts of the British soldiers responsible for the deaths of five colonists.

The trial marked the entry point into the American Revolutionary War as some of America’s most influential characters joined together to stand up to the corruption of King George III’s government and fight for the liberty of a brand new nation.

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) Books in Reading and Publication Order

Jeff Shaara’s American Revolutionary War books follow the timeline of factual events in the United States between 1775 and 1783. So, to get the most out of this series, read them in the order they were published as listed below.

1. Rise to Rebellion (2001)
2. The Glorious Cause (2002)

Jeff Shaara’s World War II (1939-1945) Books

After his masterful retellings of the American Civil War and the Revolutionary War, Jeff Shaara began a brand-new series that documents the most significant military conflict of the twentieth century.

Shaara revisits World War II in meticulous historical detail, bringing factual events to life in a way that no other author has.

Book one, The Rising Tide, begins as Hitler sweeps across Western Europe, conquering Poland, Norway, and France. England is hanging on by a thread. America is finally drawn into the conflict when Japan triggers its momentous attack on Pearl Harbor.

Jeff Shaara’s World War II (1939-1945) Books in Reading and Publication Order

Jeff Shaara’s World War II books follow the timeline of factual events across Europe and beyond from 1939 to 1945. So, to get the most out of this series, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.

1. The Rising Tide (2006)
2. The Steel Wave (2008)
3. No Less Than Victory (2009)
4. The Final Storm (2011)

The Civil War (1861-1865) Western Theater Books

In 2012, Jeff Shaara turned his attention back to the American Civil War and began this fascinating four-part series known as the Western Theater books.

Calling upon years of painstaking research, he examines the conflict from both sides, starting with A Blaze of Glory, which brings to life the events of the iconic Battle of Shiloh.

The story begins in the spring of 1862, following the Confederate Army’s dramatic loss at Fort Donelson. With his stronghold on the brink of collapse, General Albert Sidney Johnston desperately attempts to defend the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.

But formidable Union generals Ulysses Grant and Don Carlos Buell are determined to overpower Johnston’s army with an attack that could spell victory for the Union and bring the war to a close.

Yet Johnston is one step ahead of them, or so he thinks. And so, he orders his men to bring down Grant’s southwest Tennessee encampment, a small settlement in southwestern Tennessee between a small, unassuming church named Shiloh and the Tennessee River’s Pittsburg Landing.

The Civil War (1861-1865) Western Theater Books in Reading and Publication Order

Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Western Theater books follow the timeline of factual events across America from 1861 to 1865. So, to get the most out of this series, it’s best to read them in the order they were published, listed below.

1. A Blaze of Glory (2012)
2. A Chain of Thunder (2013)
3. The Smoke at Dawn (2014)
4. The Fateful Lightning (2015)

Jeff Shaara’s Standalone Novels

Jeff Shaara has also penned several breathtaking historical fiction standalone novels alongside his critically acclaimed series above. These stories revisit more epic conflicts from history, including the 2004 novel, To the Last Man, which takes the reader on a journey through time back to World War I.

Later this year, Shaara has a brand new title due to hit the shelves. The Old Lion is a fascinating exploration into the life and times of one of the most influential presidents in American history: Theodore Roosevelt. The book brings Roosevelt to life in a way that no author has ever managed to do before, using extensive research to get his life story to the forefront, as seen through the eyes of the man himself.

Most of the titles below are works of fiction based on fact. Still, in 2006, Shaara expanded on his monumental body of research on the American Civil War to bring Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Battlefields, a detailed non-fiction deep dive into ten battlefields that played host to the most crucial and brutal battles in America’s history.

Below, you’ll find a complete list of all of Jeff Shaara’s books in the order they were originally published:

1. Gone for Soldiers (2000)
2. To the Last Man (2004)
3. Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Battlefields (2006)
4. The Frozen Hours (2017)
5. The Shadow of War (2019)
6. To Wake the Giant (2020)
7. The Eagle’s Claw: A Novel of the Battle of Midway (2021)
8. The Old Lion: A Novel of Theodore Roosevelt (expected to be published in May 2023)

Conclusion

Jeff Shaara took inspiration from his Pulitzer Prize-winning father to pen some of the most iconic historical fiction novels ever.

His meticulously researched deep dives into the past blend history and fiction together, offering a brand new perspective on some of the most iconic and significant events in America’s past.

So, whether you’re a history buff looking to brush up on your knowledge or love a good story packed with compelling characters and breathtaking plot twists, you’re bound to enjoy Jeff Shaara’s work.

Are you already a fan of this critically acclaimed author’s books? If so, I’d love to hear your reviews and recommendations. Please drop me a comment in the box below!