It takes the average reader 6 hours and 14 minutes to read When Philosophers Were Kings by S. M. Best
Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more
As the Confederacy celebrates its victory over Fort Sumter, Socrates Best and his wife, Ellen, are living in Northeast Texas where Socrates has been teaching school for five years. Educated in the philosophy of Plato and the religion of Knox, Socrates hopes to ignore the war and continue developing ruler guardians who will help make Texas great. But two former students, Buck Malneck and Billy Morse, seize this chance to put their former teacher to the test. Join the conflict or hang--those are their demands. Meanwhile, a thousand miles to the north stands Socrates' cousin Swift. Raised with Plato's Republican philosophies, but steeped in the passionate abolitionism of the Northern Methodists, Swift leaves law school to be part of the Second Wisconsin Infantry Regiment. Portage City explodes with joy as they send Swift's company off to war, but all the well wishing in the world could never prepare Swift for what awaits him at Bull Run. Amidst the revelry, Socrates' youngest brother, Ed, watches with bated breath. This crowd will one day cheer him, he decides, and everyone will know that he is finally a man. Fighting with the Army of the Cumberland across the Southeast, he will learn there is a far greater challenge in life then being a man--staying alive. This novel is based on the true story of a Wisconsin family caught up in the American Civil War, but it is also the story of the multidimensional human soul--spiritual, philosophical, and physical--and how it is affected by war. It is the story of man's ability to love, endure, survive, and find a meaningful purpose for life in a world turned upside down with hate.STEVEN M. BEST is a former military intelligence analyst, and retired chiropractor. After being given an extensive letter written by his great grandmother detailing the family's experiences during the war, Best spent seven and a half years researching and writing his family story. He has visited every village and battlefield presented in this novel from Big Spring and Portage, Wisconsin, in the North, to Dangerfield, Texas, in the South; and from Perryville, Indian Territory (present day Oklahoma) and Devil's Backbone in the West; to Perryville, Kentucky and Chickamauga at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, in the East.
When Philosophers Were Kings by S. M. Best is 366 pages long, and a total of 93,696 words.
This makes it 124% the length of the average book. It also has 115% more words than the average book.
The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 8 hours and 32 minutes to read When Philosophers Were Kings aloud.
When Philosophers Were Kings is suitable for students ages 12 and up.
Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.
When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.
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