A novel of the war in the pacific: "The Final Storm" by Jeff Shaara
Jeff Glor interviews Jeff Shaara about his latest book, "The Final Storm."
Jeff Glor: What inspired you to write the book?
Jeff Shaara: After completing the European trilogy, I knew there was so much more to the story of the Pacific that I hadn't touched on. I knew I couldn't tackle that story in another trilogy, since I had gotten some resistance from my publisher about writing too many books dealing with WW2. So logically, I knew I should follow the third European book ("No Less Than Victory") in somewhat chronological order, thus bringing the war to an end in the Pacific in the summer of 1945. But the primary inspiration came when I began the research, and discovered who the voices would be- the characters who tell the story. I never expected to be so drawn into what they accomplished. I just didn't know the story. The more deeply I dug, the more excited I became.
JG: What surprised you the most during the writing process?
JS: I thought I knew the history better than I did. Most people learn all about the Second World War in school, or else, they see so many films put out by Hollywood, that it's easy to think we know exactly what happened. But I realized I didn't know nearly as much as I thought. I knew who dropped the first atomic bomb, but I knew nothing about him, what kind of man Col. Paul Tibbets was. I knew who Admiral Nimitz was, but had no idea what kind of pressures he was under, and how difficult it was for him to share command with Douglas MacArthur. I had heard of Okinawa, but had no idea just how awful that experience was for the Marines and soldiers who waged that fight- and as well, I had no idea what the Japanese commander on Okinawa was like. He amazed me, and I was happy to include him as a fully fleshed out 3-dimensional character in this story.
JG: What would you be doing if you weren't a writer?
JS: I've thought about that a great deal. When I began writing (in about 1994), I was at a point in my life when I was considering many changes- going back to school, getting an MBA (I was actually enrolled at the University of South Florida), or even going to law school, since my undergraduate degree was in Criminology. In some ways, my own uncertainty is what made it easier to make the decision to try to tackle the writing of "Gods and Generals". Had that book failed, or had I never begun the project at all, very likely I would be doing something completely different from what I'm doing now- but what? It's anybody's guess.
JG: What else are you reading right now?
JS: The biography of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, written by his son in the late 19th century. It's part of my research for my next project, the first of a trilogy dealing with the western theater of the Civil War. That first volume will cover the battle of Shiloh, in Tennessee, April, 1862.
JG: What's next for you?
JS: Shiloh, to be followed by Vicksburg and Sherman's March. Each book (I hope) will be published to coincide roughly with the 150th anniversary of each event.
For more on "The Final Storm," visit the Random House website.
