When Philosophers Were Kings
This U.S. Civil War novel is based on true stories of the author’s ancestors. Socrates Best, the black sheep of the family who was exiled to Texas from their Wisconsin home, is forced to join the Confederate Army or be hanged. He manages to desert and make his way to the Northern lines, where he enlists in the Union Army. His brother Ed is wounded several times, eventually captured, and endures the horrors of Andersonville Prison. Cousin Swift, wounded at Bull Run and sent home as an invalid, tries to return to normal life by studying for the law.
The title probably won’t attract the Civil War fans who will enjoy it most. It is derived from the Best paterfamilias’ interpretation of Socrates via Plato: “You can’t have two kings with opposite philosophies in one country,” referring to Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. The main characters are fond of quoting ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and the Bible. They struggle to reconcile their favorite philosophers’ ideas with Christian ethics, as well as whether they should be fighting the war at all.
A few quibbles: There were several laughable typos, such as “bridal” referring to the means of steering a horse, and “glass vile” instead of “vial.” And when will authors ever get tired of the degrading stereotype of eye-rolling slaves? But, those small problems aside, I enjoyed the book very much. The author creates believable, memorable characters and vivid battle scenes that don’t shy away from the realities of war.
