Everybody's had to read an old book at some point, be it for a school project or to understand something about the past.

What is your favorite classic novel? Was it something short that you could burn through for the assignment but ended up loving? Was it a bigger challenge that you wanted to conquer?

Shakespeare, Twain, Lovecraft, Herman Melville, maybe even something from the 50s or 70s?

For me, I'm a big fan of Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

One of my favorite books of all time is While the Clock Ticked. It's one of the very first Hardy Boys books from 1932. I read it on my own and loved it like 20 years ago and it was what got me into the series in the first place.

I don't really care too much for the books that are too old because it's likely that I've already seen some sort of movie adaptation so I wouldn't have bothered with the book.

When I was in 8th grade I had to read Gods and Generals by Michael Shaarra. The book is about high ranking officers in the civil war. We had to read it for history class in 8th grade.

I really enjoyed the book. After reading the book you really get to see how tragic the US Civil War was for both sides. Brother against brother, son against father, and how even non combat residents get pulled into the war.

It starts off with a lot of the high ranking officers in both armies working together. Some fought together in the Mexican US Civil War. Then several officers work together to put down Brown's Rebellion.

Then the states start to Succeed causing a crisis. Eventually the Confederacy forms. The novel talks about former comrades and friends now having to fight and fire each other. In one chapter a Major tells his soldiers and family how he dreads the day he will have to engage his best friend, who is a Confederate major in battle.

The confederates are also having to deal with the emotions of fighting their friends and in some cases cousins, fathers, and brothers on the other side.

THe novel also talks about how raiding parties of both sides burn towns down. They also steal non combats cattle, horses, and anything else they can find. It shows how non soldiers got pulled into the war.

Toward the middle to late chapters the book also talks about how both armies are battered with no end in sight. How both armies want the war to end.

The last chapters deal with the South surrendering. The Union wins the war. In my opinion the novel explains that even though the Union won it was a very costly victory. Hundereds thousands of soldiers are dead on both sides. Thousands of civilians on both sides are dead. How the Union and former Confederacy states are in ruin.

Then it also explains the mental fallout of the soldiers asking themselves why did each side fight and why did they have to kill their friends and family members.

Very good book for those that like history and war