AceShowbiz - Actor Stephen Lang will write about a true encounter between soldiers of opposing sides during the Battle of Gettysburg in his new book.

The 68-year-old "Avatar" star's first book, "The Wheatfield", tells the true story of James Jackson Purman, a Union Lieutenant, whose life was saved by a Confederate soldier during battle.

Stephen said in a statement, “What was so compelling to me about the story was the fact that, after he was severely wounded in bloody fighting in The Wheatfield, Purman was saved by a Confederate soldier, Tom Oliver, while the battle still raged. Was this an enemy? A friend? Or can one be both?"

"It struck me that in a personal and intimate way this was the story of the entire war," he continued. "I felt that it would be challenging and useful to tell the story in a way that young people could understand because the themes or lessons of the story are both simple and beautiful: that no matter what our differences may be, no matter what divides us, there is a far deeper and more profound spirit of compassion and solidarity that binds us together as human beings, a lesson that we are never too young or old to learn."

"The fact is that a man reached out to ease another man's suffering despite wearing a different colored uniform. It is the living embodiment of Abraham Lincoln's words: 'We are not enemies. We must not be enemies.' The relevance to current events is obvious."

The book features illustrations from the Brothers Smith and it will be sold exclusively through the Gettysburg Foundation from 23 November (20).