1. What is the author's purpose in writing this book? The author wanted to write a book about the actual men in the civil war instead of the war itself. He wanted to write a story that had no bad side, because there wasn't one, there were only men who had dreams, and the will to fight for what they believed in. Shaara wanted to instill some understanding about the men in the civil war in readers, by writing their points of view. 2. ...