I'm not exactly sure why every book on Gettysburg "has" to plow new ground in order to be accepted. Perhaps its because the grognards feel they have to read everything written about the battle and are disappointed if they don't learn something new. Not everyone wants, or needs, to delve into new research. New research, after all, can be flawed. Unless you follow Civil War scholarship through the peer review process, you may take as gospel something that doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Sears' _Gettysburg_ doesn't have much in it that's new, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! Those of us who have studied the Civil War for some time tend to forget that every few years we _need_ an easy to read, single volume history of important battles that utilizes current research. _Gettysburg_ by Stephen Sears is such a book.

The first book I read about Gettysburg was _They Met at Gettysburg_ by Gen. Stackpole. It was a bit out of date even when I read it, and it was terribly slanted against certain historical figures, but at the same time it was engaging and very easy to read. That book started me on a 15 year discovery of the American Civil War. Reading _Gettysburg_, I was reminded of how I felt when I read Stackpole's book. I really wish that this book had been my first introduction to the battle. It may not be a must read for every Civil War enthusiast, and it is certainly _not_ as detailed as Pfanz or Hess' books (nor is it meant to be) but it's definitely an important contribution to the field. Someone coming at Gettysburg for the first time could do _much_ worse than this volume.

The book begins where _Chancellorsville_ leaves off, with Sears showing the opening moves of Lee and Hooker. Sears' view of Hooker is rather more positive than that of most writers, an off shoot of his argument in _Chancellorsville_ that Hooker has long been the victim of character assassination. (I see that at least one reviewer finds Sears' arguments in _Chancellorsville_ about Hooker hard to take. In a recent article in Military History Quarterly, Noah Andre Trudeau acknowledges the validity of Sears arguments. Apparently the peer review process is slowly coming around to the idea that the view of Hooker coming unglued at Chancellorsville needs to be reassessed.)

In just over 500 pages (not including the index, notes, or orders of battle) Sears discusses the campaign leading up to the battle, the battle itself, and a little about the battle's aftermath (which I felt could have been done in more detail). His writing style is perhaps the books best attribute. You won't get bogged down in the minutae of the battle, or fall asleep due to lifeless prose. Even having known most of what Sears had to say, I found the book engaging.

The maps by Greg Skoch are plentiful and clean. I was surprised, and pleased, to see a good overview map of the battle of Winchester, June 13 - 15, 1863. I've read other accounts of Gettysburg that mention this engagement, but usually they don't bother including a map. This was a pleasant surprise.

The illustrations and photographs are all from the period. The included sketches were all done by someone present at the battle. This is a very nice touch.

For anyone starting to look at the Civil War (and for many that begins with Gettysburg), I have no hesitation in pointing them to _Gettysburg_ by Stephen Sears. If they get into it in a serious manner, then I'll point them to Pfanz and Hess, but if they go no further than Sears they are still well served.

Written in the author's consistently clear and accessible style, and supported by years of research, Stephen W. Sears's Gettysburg is both an authoritative work of impressive scholarship that will appeal to academics and a dramatic story that will fascinate Civil War buffs.

The author of six award-winning books on the Civil War--including George B. McClellan: The Young Napoleon; Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam; To the Gates of Richmond: The Peninsula Campaign; and Chancellorsville, Stephen W. Sears is one of the best Civil War historian writing today.

Fought in and around a sleepy Pennsylvania town, the three-day Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) was the "granddaddy" of Civil War battles--the largest battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere.

On those three hellish days, two contending armies--the (Confederate) Army of Northern Virginia, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the (Union) Army of the Potomac, led by Gen. George Gordon Meade--suffered 45,438 casualties. During the six-week Pennsylvania campaign their joint losses came to more than 57,000, including some 9,600 dead.

Prior to the Battle of Gettysburg, "Johnny Reb" had twice defeated "Billy Yank"--at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Nevertheless, the outlook for the Confederacy was grim. In a war of attrition, the advantage of the Union in superior manpower and materiel meant that the South would slowly be squeezed to death by superior forces.

Sears points out that Lee faced a Hobson's choice (an apparently free choice when there is no real alternative). He could remain on the defensive and face slow strangulation or he could seize the initiative ("We should assume the aggressive," Lee had written to Confederate President Jefferson Davis) and roll the die in a desperate gamble--the invasion of the North.

The two armies blundered into each other at Gettysburg, a battlefield on which neither general had wanted to fight. The desperate charge made by Pickett, Pettigrew, and Trimble on Day Three of Gettysburg marked "the high-water mark of the Confederacy." "In command and capability," writes Sears, "indeed in offensive power, the Army of Northern Virginia would never recover."

In this outstanding battle study, Sears chronicles, in minute details, the events leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg, an almost blow-by-blow description of battlefield maneuvers during the three days of action, and the aftermath of battle, as Lee's army took "the long road back," retreating into Virginia.

It's all here: the battle for McPherson's Ridge, Seminary Ridge, and the clash in the streets of Gettysburg (Day One); the struggle for Culp's Hill (on the right flank of the Union Army) and the horrific encounters on the left flank of the Union Army, at the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield, the Devil's Den, the Slaughter Pen, Rose Woods, the Valley of Death, Spangler's House, the Trostle House, and Little Round Top (Day Two); and the renewed attack on Culp's Hill and the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge, a massive assault on the center of the Union line (Day Three).

"Pickett's Charge," as it is popularly known, was the greatest military blunder of Lee's otherwise brilliant career (except, perhaps, for his choosing to fight for the Confederacy after being offered command of the Union army). Lee's "Old Warhorse," Gen. James Longstreet, strongly disagreed with Lee and advocated instead an attempt to flank the Union's left flank. With the 20/20 vision of hindsight, we can see clearly that Longstreet was right and Lee was wrong.

After his masterful documentation of this titanic struggle, Sears concludes, "The fact of the matter is that George G. Meade, unexpectedly and against the odds, thoroughly outgeneraled Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg."

Readers who approach the subject for the first time can, and perhaps should, resort to other more general accounts, but Civil War buffs looking for an authoritative, detailed account of troop movements, leadership, tactics, and strategy, should snap up this book with alacrity. It surely is the best one-volume account available on the Battle of Gettysburg.

The Civil War, particularly the Battle of Gettysburg, retains its hold on the imagination of Americans. We seek to understand our country by studying the events of these terrible but formative years. The Civil War did indeed lead to a "new birth of freedom" in the United States. We still struggle to understand and to develop the implications of this "new birth".

Stephen Sears is a distinguished military historian of the Civil War who has written in this book an outstanding account of the pivotal battle of Gettysburg (July 1 -- July 3, 1863). This battle ended the Confederacy's second invasion of the Union (the first invasion ended with the Battle of Antietam in September, 1862). Coupled with the Confederacy's surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi on July 4, 1863, Gettysburg ended the South's ability to wage an offensive war and probaby ended as well its chance of winning the war.

Sears gives a full account of the battle and of the events leading to Lee's second invasion of the North, beginning with Lee's victory over the Union Army at Chancellorsville in May, 1863. Sears explains well how the invasion was linked to the impending Confederate loss at Vicksburg. General Lee put forward the invasion to Jefferson Davis as a calculated gamble and a means to counteract this loss.

The book offers detailed pictures of the march into Pennsylvania of the preludes to the Battle of Gettysburg, of the battle itself, and of Lee's subsequent retreat into Virginia. There are excellent pictures of each of the three days of the battle, beginning with the two great armies stumbling on each other on day one, continuing with the ferocity of the Southern charge on the Union left (Little Round Top) on day two, and concluding climactically with General George Pickett's doomed charge at the center of the Union line on day three. I found the story of Pickett's charge dramiatically and poignantly told. The book describes Lee's retreat and Meade's pursuit into Virginia following the battle. Sears, in general, exonerates Meade from the charge that he failed to pursue Lee adequately following the battle, to destroy Lee's army, and to bring the War to an end.

At least as important as the factual development of the events of the campaign, Sears gives the reader an analysis of why events developed as they did. In particular, Sears views the battle as a result of Southern overconfidence and arrogance -- hubris -- resulting from the many victories attained by the Army of Northern Virginia in the early years of the War. General Lee felt contempt for the fighting spirit of the Union Army and for its leaders which led him to underestimate the spirit of the Federals, especially when they were called upon to defend their own land.

Sears also points out many failures in the Confederate High Command during the invasion. The primary failure, I believe, involved Lee and his cavalry commander Jeb Stuart. Stuart left the invading army at a critical time and as a result Lee was deprived of knowledge of the whereabouts of the Union Army, its size, and of the terrain at Gettysburg. The Union enjoyed an overwhelming field position during the second and third days of Gettysburg.

There is a great deal made in Sears's' book of Lee's relationships with his other generals, particularly General James Longstreet. Longstreet objected vigorously to Lee's plans of battle on the second and third days, even while carrying out faithfully and aggressively his duties as a subordinate officer when the decisions had been made.

Sears contrasts the Southern command with that of the Union commander, George Meade, who had assumed command only four days before the battle. Meade was cautious and thorough. He assumed personal command of the Union operations at Gettysburg (unlike Lee who delegated heavily), consulted with and listened to his subordinates, and performed both brilliantly and stolidly at the time of the Union's great need.

The writing style of this book is outstanding. It flows inexorably from one chapter to the next and from event to event. The reader can follow the story, from the complexities of the troop movements, to Sears's discussions and reflections on his story. It is a style suited to a prose epic, and it kept me riveted throughout.

This is an excellent treatment of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Many who read about Gettysburg, probably impressed with the length of this work or the author's time on the job at the park, consider Pfanz as the "dean" of Gettysburg scholars. His knowledge of the battle's details is considerable. However, his wealth of selected details can be found in other works. With so many books out on Gettysburg, one should look to the author's analysis to determine how deep that writer's understanding is of the subject matter. When this reviewer looked carefully at Pfanz's lengthy contribution, precious little VALID analysis was found. Why? Pfanz is at a considerable disadvantage when it comes to understanding the Army of Northern Virginia and Robert E. Lee. For example, the author completely fails to address Lee's crucial decision as to why the Confederates were committed to battle in an echelon attack. Also, Pfanz virtually ignores any formation that did not get into the fighting, and does not address the reasons why they failed to get into action. The entire book left an impression of an author who spent a lot of time putting together many facts about the fighting on the south side of Gettysburg on July 2, but, for some reason, chose not to provide much in the way of trying to understand why things happened the way they did. Almost every one of Pfanz's conclusions---many of those concerning Lee are extraordinary claims which come out of his total failure to understand the concepts that comprise an attack en echelon---completely lack supporting evidence. Pfanz's failure to grasp Lee's attack plans, and the required flexibility that an echelon attack had to entrust to corps and divisional commanders, results in a false portrayal of Lee and the style of command that was necessary for the attack that was ordered. As a result, many of Pfanz's conclusions certainly do not stand up to the historical facts.

To understand this work, you must realize that Pfanz was the chief historian at Gettysburg NMP and the Park Service for many years. So he REALLY knows his history regarding Gettysburg! The book primarily covers Longstreet's attack on Day 2. This was intentional, as Pfanz wrote a separate book covering Cemetry Hill and Culp's Hill. The details in the book are amazing, especially if you go on-site to find the places he describes in such vivid detail. Pfanz also challenges some near-sacred beliefs about certain individuals (e.g., he presents evidence that Chamberlain did not order his charge and, in fact, at first tried to stop it). Pfanz presents the evidence, pro and con - then leaves it up to the reader to decide. So, to those with preconceived ideas, this book may "ruffle some feathers". One shortcoming was the lack of more maps. As one who likes to use a book while actually on-site, I found his maps excellent, but too few in number. If you have not read this book, you have much to learn about Gettysburg. Buy it...it's superb!

Harry Pfanz, former historian at the Gettysburg National Military Park and former Chief Historian of the National Park Service has written what will be the classic account of the pivotal day of the Battle of Gettysburg. Relying heavily on primary sources, many never before used, Pfanz takes the reader through the planning of the day's combat, the climax of the Confederate assault on July 2,1863, and the day's aftermath. While Pfanz's history is flawless, what makes this book so good is his attention to detail and the inclusion of human interest stories which are both relevant and fascinating. While this book will be most appreciated by Civil War buffs, it is sure to interest all looking for a great historical yarn!

Gettysburg by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen is so addictive it should have a warning label. It sucks you in to its world so completly I was up until 2AM reading and could not believe what time it was when I finally got around to looking. Gettysburg portrays an alternate history where the South wins a major victory. I can't wait for the second book of this 3 part series to come out. Lee marching on Washington with U.S. Grant there to meet him. The geography described in the book is exact. I live about 2 or 3 miles from Union Mills and the pond and mill described in the book are still there. The Baltimore pike from Littlestown to Westminster winds up the steep hill the Confederates were entrenched on. Littlestown is about 1 mile from the MD line. Also just so everyone knows Tawneytown is pronouced corectly in the opening dialogue of the movie Gettysburg, everyone around here knows if you are a local or not by how you say that towns name and they actually get it right in the movie.
Littlestown actually was involved in the real battle of Gettysburg in a small way: On The Morning Of June 26th A Band Of Confederates Entered Littlestown The Advance Of Early's Division, Ewll's Corps, The Army Of Northern Virgina, Which Were Crossing The Maryland Line Into Pennsyvania. On The Morning Of June 29th General Kilpatricks Division Of The Union Calvary Bivouacked For The Night Around Littlestown. Kilpatrick And General George Custer Both Lodged At The Barker House. The Next Morning In Union Mills Maryland, General Jeb Stuart Received Word From His Scouts That A Large Force Of Union Calvary Had Been Spotted In The Vicinity Of Littlestown , A Local Teenager A 16-Year-Old Herbert Shriver Volunteered To Guide The Confederates On A Detour Around Littlestown By Way
Of Hanover. Stuart Did Not Know That Kilpatricks Forces Were Already On The Move To Hanover, General Kilpatrick Was Also Unaware Of Stuarts Detour To Hanover And Both Were Quite Suprised When They Clashed In What Was Known As The Battle Of Hanover....

After Learning That Stuarts Troops Were Defeated At Hanover General Slocum's Corps Of 13,000 Infantry Entered Littlestown That Evening And Was Dispatched To Gettysburg The Next Day. General Sedgewick's Sixth Army Corp Of 15,000 Also Passed Through Littlestown On Thier Way To The Battle Of Gettysburg.

After The Battle, Hundreds Of Wounded Soldiers Were Brought In Ambulances From Gettysburg And Placed On Railroad Cars At Littlestown. General Daniel E. Sickles Who Had Lost A Leg At Little Round Top During The Battle Of Gettysburg Was Among The Wounded Treated In Littlestown. Hanover by the way actually has a street named after JEB Stuart where a battle really did occur that Stuart lost. The authors must have visited the area personally to get everything so accurate. Anyhow buy this book.

I am a lifelong Marylander and raised in the midst of tons of Civil War history. Gettysburg, especially, has always fascinated me. In addition, I am a huge fan of author William Forstchen. Even with both of those points, I was unprepared for just how fantastic this book truly is.

The book begins with detail worthy of a true history book, but done in such a well-written way that you are soon with both armies as they prepare for their epic conflict.

You can see the fields filled with soldiers in both blue and gray, hear the roar of the cannons and almost smell the smoke. The people and places are described so well that they almost jump off the page.

The battle begins just as it really did. For those of us who love history (and alternate history), it draws us in beautifully. But then events begin to change. There comes a moment when history, as we know it, is altered.

Now it is up to the soldiers themselves -- officers and enlisted men as drawn believably by the authors -- to act as they would have done. What will Lee, the master tactician do now? How will Meade react, so new to command?

I can't tell you and I'd love to, but I won't spoil one page of this book. Just know this: Buy the book. You won't regret it. (As an aside, I almost never bother with these online reviews. I like the book so much, I just had to.)

I have to admit, I was surprised and pleased when I read Gettysburg by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen. Their previous effort at alternate history, 1945, did not do very well, primarily in my opinion because that book was slapped together in haste to try to sell books based on Speaker Gingrich's name and fame.

Not so this offering. The premise is simple. On the second day of the battle, Lee does not assault the Little Round Top. Instead, taking Longstreet's advice, he sends a goodly portion of his army round to the far right flank of the Union Army, seizing its supplies and cutting it off from Washington. What follows is a hellish bloodbath which is all the more searing to the Civil War buff as one sees what happens to familiar charecters such as Chamberlain, Hood, Armestead, and others. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is nothing less than a counterfactural Killer Angels.

It is also, irritatingly, the first of a trilogy. Now we'll have to wait for the narrative of the second volume, to be named apparently Grant Comes East.

With the history shelves of bookstores groaning under the weight of books on Gettysburg, one might ask, "Why write another book on the most studied battle of the Civil War?"
Author Noah Andre Trudeau asked himself this question, and answered it by writing his impressive new book, Gettysburg - A Testing of Courage (HarperCollins, 2002).
Trudeau looked at the vast list of publications on Gettysburg, and decided that the time was right for a new, comprehensive history of the July 1863 battle. Several new books on Gettysburg are published every year, but few study the battle in its entirety. There are books on the officers and soldiers who fought at Gettysburg, the "ghosts" of Gettysburg, the "what ifs?" of Gettysburg, even the horses of Gettysburg, but rare is the book that studies the battle as a whole.
Trudeau's book puts the battle within a context of events that transpired in the summer of 1863. The fight at Gettysburg did not happen in a vacuum, and Trudeau's account enables the reader to understand the impact of the battle on both the Union and Confederate war efforts.
Trudeau's most notable accomplishment in A Testing of Courage is his vivid, hour-by-hour account of the combat on the battlefield. Accompanied by several maps, the narrative of the battle weaves personal accounts from fighting men with historical evidence unearthed by generations of historians into a brisk story of men at war.
Trudeau's depictions of the key players in this grand drama are balanced and enlightening. Robert E. Lee, George G. Meade, James Longstreet, Daniel Sickles, George Pickett, Winfield Scott Hancock, and all the generals made famous by more than a century of scholarship on Gettysburg come to life once again in Trudeau's book. The author uses the recorded words of these men to give readers a sense of what they were thinking, and feeling, during the momentous struggle.
Trudeau incorporates aspects of the fighting that are often overlooked in accounts of the battle, even on guided tours of the battlefield. Especially informative is the author's treatment of the many cavalry actions at Gettysburg. Trudeau's hour-by-hour format enables the reader to understand what the horse soldiers were doing - and why they were doing it - as the infantry and artillery fought for the high ground.
A Testing of Courage is not entirely flawless. There are a few misspellings, mistakes in word usage, and at least one misidentification of an officer. These mistakes do not in any way distract the reader from the flow of the action, and do not seriously impede the understanding of events at Gettysburg.
Trudeau does make an interesting and perhaps even controversial argument about the legendary "Pickett's Charge," the great Confederate infantry assault that cost Lee thousands of men and effectively ended his invasion of Pennsylvania. Based on his examination of the evidence, Trudeau believes that Lee intended his frontal assault against the Union position on Cemetery Ridge to be followed by a "second wave" of Confederate infantry. The second wave never moved forward, however, because the tactical commander of the attack - Longstreet - believed the first attack was hopeless and did not order the second wave forward. Historians and students of the battle will no doubt discuss Trudeau's conclusions about Pickett's Charge at great length.
Gettysburg- A Testing of Courage is a welcome addition to the great pantheon of literature on the largest battle ever fought in North America. Author Trudeau deserves acclaim for taking up such a daunting challenge, and achieving such an impressive success.

Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage is a "tour de force" of Civil War history...at once powerful in it's narrative comprehensiveness while maintaining an incredibly sublime human tone that should make this the apex of Noah Trudeau's Civil War accounts. Compulsively readable and extensively researched, Trudeau has conveyed an incredibly complex battle into a magnificent one-volume account that could eclipse most of the almost overwhelming inventory of contemporary Gettysburg histories.

This book begins with the disarrayed Union forces under "Fighting" Joe Hooker again encamped north of Fredericksburg following their critical loss at Chancellorsville. Conversely, Lee's Confederate forces are primed to invade the North again (fully recovering from the incredible standoff at Antietam) and Trudeau offers an extremely plausible explanation of Lee's rationale for the invasion and his almost desperate requests for additional troops (incredibly denied by Jefferson Davis as too costly to Richmond's defense). The bumbling Federal efforts at interpretation of Lee's movements ultimately leads to Hooker's dismissal as commander and implants George Meade (notwithstanding his reluctance to do so) as Lincoln's latest in the ever-growing list of Union commanding generals.

The Confederate invasion is allowed to proceed into Pennsylvania (almost to Harrisburg) before an amazing confluence of circumstances leads both armies to the small hamlet of Gettysburg. Trudeau describes the first day's battle correctly as a partial cavalry and partial infantry engagement, dispelling the age-old myth that Buford's Union cavalry alone interdicted the larger Confederate force. In fact, the strength of this penetrating narrative (in my opinion) is Trudeau's ability to use contemporary research to dispel many of the afore-mentioned Gettysburg myths (the Joshua Chamberlain "closing gate" maneuver at Little Round Top, Lee's reaction to J.E.B. Stuart as he complete's his "flanking" ride around the Union forces, Pickett's 3rd day charge...etc) and telling the un-embellished story.

The 2nd day's carnage is ever present as Trudeau eloquently describes it from both the soldier's viewpoint as well as the local civilian's. As Lee attacks the Union left-flank, the well known battles on the Round Tops, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard and Devil's Den are covered in comprehensive while at the same time amazingly readable detail. The action on the Union right is not given sort-shrift either as the engagements at Culp's Hill and Cemetary Hill are deftly covered. Trudeau also does not hesitate to indict Lee for his failures at planning and leadership on this day and, to me, this is a refreshing twist missing from many contemporary accounts.

The actions on both the Union and Confederate side leading into the decisive 3rd day's battle cover most of the last quarter of the book and the engagement itself is wonderfully re-counted with "Pickett's Charge" and the action at the Cemetary Ridge "Angle" and "Copse of Tree's" prudently taking "center-stage" as the focal point. Lastly, the final minor skirmishes from both Cavalry forces, the Confederate retreat to Virginia (again brilliantly told from both the civilian and soldier perspective) and an excellent "Judgements" chapter close out the book.

Trudeau's previous contributions to Civil War history pretty much cover the end of the war (from the Overland campaign through Appomattox), but with "Gettysburg", he's truly out-done himself. Passionate, compellingly engaging and expertly judicious (not to mention the many useful and appreciated maps), this account stands as the most definitive one-volume account since Coddington's "Gettysburg: A Study in Command" 35 years ago and is very highly recommended. A "must-read"!!

This book is a very detailed and masterfully researched account of the battle of Gettysburg. Trudeau preempts the details of the battle, and the individual skirmishes at Gettysburg, with a nice history of what happened leading up to the actual battle. Having done that, Trudeau then details the days events of June 30th, July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

I cannot overstate the detail that is included in this work. Details such as conversations, directions moved, events occurring at specific times, people involved (from officers to soldiers and their names), etc. When movements of troops are described, these are often accompanied by maps (though you have to hunt for the right map at times). In fact, the maps that are provided also detail the times the events occurred on the map itself.

For anyone who is interested in researching the battle at Gettysburg, this text is a must read. Trudeau also includes (like an appendix) a section titled "The People: Afterward." Here Trudeau details the people who were involved and gives a few facts about them. Moreover, there is a section titled "The Opposing Armies" where rosters are given (along with their commanders) of every unit/division engaged at Gettysburg. The bibliography is 36 pages and a masterpiece in its own right.

Lastly, this book also details the stories of the noncombatants, civilians who were placed in harms way, sometimes not by choice. People who perhaps prior to the battle led normal if not mundane lives but were caught up in these torrent events. If you love reading texts about the Civil War, and more specific about Gettysburg then you will not want to miss this one!

This is a book that puts Lincoln's address in the context of the times, corrects numerous misconceptions about the speech, and claims that the Address represented a revolution in thought and in style.

Both in the main text and in appendices, the author covers the actual Gettysburg event: who came and spoke and where. He attempts to piece together the actual writing of the address and to sort through various claims that particular drafts of the address were the final version. The author thoroughly debunks the notion that the address was a last-minute preparation.

The Gettysburg Cemetery was part of the nineteenth century's renewed interest in Greek society including the Greek interest in rural cemeteries. The two hour funeral oration by eminent Greek scholar Edward Everett at Gettysburg was typical for the times.

Clearly the most important aspect of the Gettysburg address was its turning to the ideas of the Declaration of Independence as the essential principles of the United States. The author shows that it was the "unfinished work" of establishing "a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" that Lincoln focused on. In his address, Lincoln made certain that the particulars of the Civil War would not intrude on his theme of a rebirth for a nation founded in 1776.

Lincoln was a noted scholar of language. The author dissects a number of Lincoln's earlier speeches to show his careful phrasing and choice of words. For the author, the Gettysburg address is the very epitome of an "economical, taut, interconnected" speech. He notes the repetition of words, the phrasing and sentence structure, and Lincoln's ability to cut out the extraneous. Though Everett was the principal speaker at Gettysburg, the simple brilliance of Lincoln's dedication remarks are what are remembered nearly one and a half centuries later.

The book is quite good in providing the context for the Gettysburg Address. There are quite a few Greek references but they are not so numerous as to present an obstacle for understanding. Though not the purpose of the author, it would have been interesting to see more substantiation of the transformative impact of the Gettysburg address.

The 272 of President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address are as significant today as they were six score and seventeen years ago. Garry Wills' explicates them and paints a picture that gives us the historical context of the President's speech. It was short enough for generations of people to remember, yet at the same time, long enough to have a great impact on the ways we think of America. Wills argues that through his speech Lincoln remade the American history in that Americans would interpret the Civil War, and the Constitution, through the kaleidoscope of the Declaration of Independence. It is an extraordinary argument that, with just two hundred seventy-two words, Lincoln changed the American history and forever altered the ways we interpret the American Revolution. With a rhetorical approach, Wills - like Lincoln - persuades his readers, through evidence and interpretation, to be convinced that at Gettysburg, Lincoln "revolutionized the Revolution, giving people a new past to live with that would change their future indefinitely."

Wills begins with a vivid description of the consequence of the three-day battle in early July 1863 that resulted in fifty thousand casualties. While Wills mentions that Edward Everett was the star of the ceremony in dedicating the Gettysburg, Lincoln - through a casual invitation - decided to make an appearance there. The casual invitation did not intend to offend the President, nor did he get offended. Of course, this was no accident. For Lincoln, Wills reasons, it was an opportunity. It was his chance to recuperate the political fences and elucidate the goals of the Civil War.

Wills persuasively points out that contrary to the popular myth that Lincoln wrote his speech on his way to Gettysburg on the train, Lincoln was a scholarly man and has always performed his work with shrewdness. The President did not do anything inadvertently and thus, "it is impossible to imagine him leaving his speech at Gettysburg to the last moment."

It is an intriguing matter that just when the readers think that Wills has delivered them with everything there is to know about the Gettysburg Address, the author merely begins to examine the national treasure for historical and cultural context. He argues that Lincoln's address "is made compact and compelling by its ability to draw on so many sources of verbal energy." Among these sources was classical rhetoric. The author illustrates the different ways both Everett and Lincoln used rhetoric to persuade their audience. He compares Lincoln's speech, especially, to Athenian funeral prose which often began with a praise for the dead, and closed with an advice for those who are alive. Lincoln modeled his speech on them to articulate his thoughts to his audience.

Wills entertains his readers by compelling them to be fascinated by Lincoln's use of language. In fact, he goes as far as dedicating an entire chapter to the revolution of the prose style in America that he argues is among the accomplishments of the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln was fond of experimenting with words and their usage, and he spent a great deal of his time doing so. Using the changes the President made himself to his First Inaugural speech - that was prepared for him by William Seward - as his evidence, Wills explains that Lincoln acquired a rhythmic pace that made his sentences smooth and coherent. Ultimately, Lincoln embraced the ideals of rhetoric and used them efficiently to make his speeches more powerful.

The author goes a step further and provides his readers with an analysis of the Gettysburg Address. He records that the speech is outstanding and abstract. Unlike Everett's speech, where he provides details after details of the Civil War, Lincoln avoids them in his address. The President did not mention Gettysburg- the battlefield, or the Union- the defender of the Constitution, or the South- the runaway rebel that had just been captured; nor did he mention anything about slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, or the future of the freed slaves. This was no accident at all. President Lincoln avoided mentioning these issues in his speech because, for one thing, they were the most controversial issues of the time. He did so, according to Wills, to look "beyond the wars to 'the great task remaining before us' as a nation trying to live up to the vision in which it was conceived." Lincoln wanted to put the war behind and move on to build a nation as foreseen by the forefathers of the republic. The Gettysburg Address focused more on the pivotal ideas for the nation and found a connection to the Declaration of Independence.

Throughout his book, Wills shows his readers that there exist a relationship between the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address. According to Wills, Lincoln often referred to the Declaration of Independence when he argued that it was inconsistent to think that the American people could believe that all men had the rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness but deny the very rights to black slaves. Lincoln was determined to not let this happen; and so, the Civil War was fought. Eloquently, Wills pens that Lincoln was able to remake America in his Gettysburg Address because he had spent a great deal of time relating the most sensitive issues of the era to the Declaration of Independence.

Lincoln, as Wills writes, viewed the Declaration of Independence as the basis of the American nation. Thus, it is deeply embedded within the Gettysburg Address. The pivotal argument of Wills writing is that in the Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln turned the attention of the nation of nations, the United States of America, towards its founding document, the Declaration of Independence. The President, with only two hundred seventy-two words, remade America on the most important principle of this sacred document - that all men are created equal.

Literary prizes are handed out every year, but true worth is manifested by actual readers going out and buying their books year after year. Nearly a decade has passed since Garry Wills won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for "Lincoln at Gettysburg," but the magnitude of his achievement is measured by the continued interest which book lovers have lavished on this thoughtful and debate-stirring work of history. Wills situates the Gettysburg Address in the Greek Revivalism exemplified by Edward Everrett (the forgotten featured speaker at the dedication of the Gettysburg cemetary), as well as in the Transcendentalist movement of Theodore Parker and Ralph Waldo Emerson. He goes on to demonstrate the inherant radicalism of Lincoln's 272 immortal words, imbued as they are with the dangerous notion that all men are created equal. Wills argues convincingly that the Gettysburg address hijacked the narrow readings of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution put forward by the southern rebels; through his words, Lincoln succeeded in placing these founding documents on the side of the angels by insisting that liberty and equality rather than sterile legalisms about states rights were the true basis of the grand experiment of the founders. In so doing, America's greatest President changed the history of the nation forever, influencing politics and policy right down to the present day. Huzzahs to Mr Wills for disinterring the radical hidden within the Great Compromiser!! And thanks to the prize committees for getting it right for a change.

Detailed map of Virginia during the war and a detailed map of the Gettysburg battlefield would have been helpful. It was difficult to follow the action with only a verbal description of the battle.

"Gettysburg," Book 6 in The Civil War Battle Series was always destined to be the most troublesome novel for James Reasoner because its climax would cover the same time and place as Michael Shaara's Pulitzer-Prize winner "The Killer Angels." Many of us interested in historical fiction about the Civil War have read Shaara's novel and it is impossible not to make comparisons. To a large extent, Reasoner tries to cover different ground. The story of the title battle, which readers of the series are well aware always takes place in the last two dozen pages of the novel, is told entirely from the perspective of the Confederate Army. Furthermore, the two Brannon brothers fighting at Gettysburg are involved in different parts of the battle from what Shaara covered: Will Brannon and the Stonewall Brigade attack Culp's Hill on the second day of the battle (while Shaara deals with Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th of Maine's defense of Little Round Top at the other end of the battlefield), while Mac Brannon is off on Jeb Stuart's joy ride around the Union army and arrives in time to have a cavalry fight with troops led by Custer. Of course, Custer is not mentioned by name, but then neither are Buford, Reynolds, or other key figures on the Union side in the battle (but Howard does get mentioned; go figure). However, those who have read "The Killer Angels" will be less than satisfied with the brief sketches of several memorable scenes they remember between Lee, Longstreet, and Stuart.

This book is also surprising in that the soap opera elements which have tended to dominate previous books in the series have been greatly reduced. Relatively little time is spent back on the Brannon farm, although the trouble between the Brannons and Duncan Ebersole is far from over. The novel begins focusing on Titus Brannon, who is a prisoner at the infamous Union prison camp Fort Douglas, and the stage is certainly being set for more soap elements in regards to that plot line, but most of this book focuses on how Will and Mac come to Gettysburg. For the first time in the series we really get the idea that the war is going on too long and even mother Abigail comes to the realization that her family is not going to make it through the war unscathed. Like Reasoner's other books, "Gettysburg" is a quick read and I think it is pretty clear that all of the elements are now in play in terms of setting up the conclusion. Although I do not remember Reasoner planning a 10-volume
series, that is clearly the plan now and we can the remaining battles will focus on the war in the "west" with Cory Brannon (Chattanooga, Atlanta, Sherman's March), and the finale in the east with the Wilderness, the siege of Petersburg, and the surrender at Appomattox. It will be interesting to see how he breaks this all down into four volumes and since it is pretty
clear how the war is going to end, all I can say is that as long as Ebersole gets his just deserts I will be happy.

July, 1863... Mac and Will Brannon, along with thousands of Confederate and Union soldiers, are converging on the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as General Robert E. Lee, in a bold move, hopes to obtain a decisive victory over the Union forces in their own territory.

Soon, the two Brannon brothers find themselves in the midst of the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. While Mac rides through the Pennsylvania countryside with Jeb Stuart's cavalry, Will heads into the battle alongside his friend and sergeant from Culpepper, Darcy Bennett......

GETTYSBURG is fraught with tension and dramatic battle scenes, written with James Reasoner's usual attention to accuracy and detail. My two brothers-in-law, who are Civil War buffs and Battle of Gettysburg fanatics, visiting there whenever they get the chance, LOVED this book.

I am a middle school student who had to read a Civil War book for History class. The Cavalry at Gettysburg was an okay book unless you are a history buff. It did give a pretty elaborate picture of each mounted Civil War hero and their march to Pennsylvania and the fight for Gettysburg. The book has a lot of people and they are all explained in the first chapter. The problem is that you have to remember them throughout the whole book. Also there were a lot of words I didn't know and had to look them up numerous times.

My favorite chapter was Gettysburg, 2 July. It is filled with interesting quotes and facts as day two of the Battle of Gettysburg goes on. Mr. Longacre does a pretty good job throughout the whole book but this chapter especially.

Although some pages were a challenge, The Cavalry at Gettysburg had a strong backbone and a lot interesting facts. It was a well-written book and might have been more interesting if I was a Civil War buff. Mr. Longacre has written a swell book that actually took me to the Battle of Gettysburg. It was a good book to read!

The Cavalry at Gettysburg is an interesting study of the cavalry on both sides during the Gettysburg campaign. I'd recommend reading it in conjunction with Lee's Cavalrymen, Longacre's latest book.

Longacre gives a good picture of the various roles of mid-19th century cavalry, compares/contrasts ANV and AOP cavalry, and criticizes the current tactics of mounted assault. As in his later work, he opines that Confederates often didn't like to fight with sabers, and I still wish he would provide more documentary evidence for that. His point regarding the difficulties of poorly armed troopers who could either fight only on foot or only mounted, is well taken.

The description of the campaign itself starts with Brandy Station, goes through Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville, and then follows the various cavalry units as they traveled north. The fighting behind the Union right on July 3 gets a lot of time, as does the desperate rearguard action after the battle.

Longacre generally feels that CS cavalry retained the advantage throughout the campaign, for which he more or less blames Federal leadership. He effectively demolishes the argument that Stuart was not following orders or was "joy-riding" during the march into Pennsylvania, and speaks harshly of the performances of Robertson and Jenkins. He goes on to suggest that Federal tactical flexibility would serve them well in upcoming campaigns.

This is a detailed and useful study, made vivid by the use of a fair number of quotes.

Mr. Longacre has written an excellent study of the various battles fought during the Gettysburg Campaign. One of his most interesting arguements is that Gen. Stuart should not be castigated for his movements prior to the battle. His disdain for Generals Pleasonton and Kilpatrick of the Union does certainly make one think.

The great thing about the book is it treats in detail aspects of the campaign not touched on in other Gettysburg books, so the well-read Civil War fan will learn something new. He touches upon almost every important player in both the CSA and USA Cavalry. He also touches upon the roles of Meade and Lee in the planning of the Cavalry movements though I wanted a deeper examination of those roles. That is the only thing I feel that could have been expanded upon.

His attentive scholarship shows up in the footnotes where he has utilized a large number of personal letters to give the common trooper a voice as well. A quick study of the Bibliography shows his depth of research.

If you enjoy reading an excellent military review of a talented historian, I highly recommend the book.

Bowden and Ward provide a well-researched and compelling look at one of the most researched and written-about battles in American history. I have read more than 20 books about Gettysburg and countless others on Lee's generalship. "Last Chance for Victory" was one of the most thought-provoking and compelling books on this topic I have ever read.

The author's analysis of Day Two of the battle is a refreshing look at the many controversies surrounding the battle and Lee's battle plan. Their analysis of President Davis's decisions prior to the Gettysburg Campaign and Stuart's famous and controversial "ride" also were refreshing and compelling.

In addition to forcing readers and historians to reassess traditional concepts about Lee and Gettysburg, this work is well researched.

Most important, it is well-written. The text flows easily and in many instances it reads like a novel.

I could not put it down.

This book is a must buy for any serious student of the Civil War or military history. It is also approachable for those new to the Civil War and Gettysburg.

Whether you agree with the authors' final conclusions or not, you should read this book. You will never think the same way about Gettysburg and Lee again!

There are numerous reasons why this book is superb, and why it has been named as part of the curriculum at the School of Advanced Military Studies at the United Stated Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

1) The description of Lee's art of war, and the explanation of what Lee believed had to be done in order to give the Confederates the best chance to win is rooted in the lessons of the Great Captains, and has never before been presented this clearly;

2) Lee's vision of victory and how he could accomplish same through his operational objectives for the campaign, along with the military, logistical and political forces at work that combined to influence his decision to transfer the defense of Richmond out of Virginia and into the North, and how these continued to bear upon his decisions once the battle was underway, are laid out clearly;

3) The Lee-Stuart controversary is dealt with in unprecedented clarity. Bowden and Ward's presentation of the facts and analysis provides, for the first time, a clear understanding of what all the principals involved knew and understood at that time, and how Stuart, once he reached Haymarket, made a decision that violated Lee's restraining orders and resulted in him compromising his command and the trust placed in him by Lee;

4) The entire issue of how and why Lee concentrated the Confederate army in the Cashtown-Gettysburg area is explained in
detail. The timeline provided by the authors concerning when and where Lee received information, his resulting orders and more, demonstrate the continued implimentation of his operational plan and goals;

5) Thank goodness, that for the first time ever, we have two authors that have deleved into thoroughly and explained properly Lee's role in the July 1 fighting. What's more, Bowden and Ward present, for the first time, the entirety of all the issues---and there are many of them---involved with Lee's pursuit orders to Richard Ewell following the battle that day. Further, the authors demonstrate, conclusively in my military opinion, why so many past and present writers. along with so-called students of the battle, are confused over this issue. These are just some of the reasons that the chapter dealing with July 1 is impressive;

6) As impressive as the book is up to the battle of July 2, it is my belief that the best part of LAST CHANCE FOR VICTORY are the two chapters that deal with Lee's initial plan of battle, and the actual fighting on July 2. In spite of all that has been previously written about Gettysburg, Bowden and Ward are the first authors I know of that PROPERLY explain Lee's initial plan of action, AND how and why it was modified to the en echelon mode of attack once the Federals realigned their positions on the South end of the field. Lee was present to scout the enemy positions, ascertain those changes, and issue a change of orders accordingly that took into consideration the new relative positions of the armies that was consistent with the best way to accomplish the mission for that day. Moreover, the description of the fighting on July 2, COUPLED WITH the explanation of how the en echelon plan of attack was being implemented and how and why it broke down and what that meant to the detriment of the Confederate cause, can only be described as just superb;

7) Lee's plans for July 3, how these had to be modified, and how the attack that did take place that afternoon did not materialize as had been planned, are covered in a succinct manner that helps the reader identify how the attack failed and the multiply people responsible for its failure (including Lee);

8) The summary of the book ("Reflections") provides additional insight (including more analysis than what has already been given) to the most important issues that contributed to Lee's defeat. It is a powerful conclusion to a hard-hitting book.

Are there any drawbacks to the book? Yes, given the reality of today's short-attention span public, and those with their minds already made up, there are. And after reading two recent so-called "reviews," I am more convinced than ever. THIS IS NOT A BOOK THAT CAN BE ABSORBED BY "BROWSING THROUGH" AT A BOOK STORE. THIS IS NOT A BOOK THAT CAN BE CLAIMED TO BE READ BUT THEN CRITICIZED IN A SPECIOUS WAY BECAUSE THE READER HAS NOT READ THE BOOK CAREFULLY ENOUGH IN ORDER TO GRASP THE TOTALITY OF THE
AUTHORS' ARGUMENTS. This does not mean that everyone who reads this book should AGREE with the authors. What this means is that there are legitimate criticisms and those which are not.

LAST CHANCE FOR VICTORY is a highly detailed book that provides in-depth analysis never before presented involving very complex historical and historigraphical issues. As such, it reveals the strengths and weaknesses of Robert E. Lee at his greatest trial by combat. The testiment to this book is in its accomplishments, which to date are:

Winner of the 2001 Douglas Southall Freeman History Award

Winner of the 2001 General N B Forrest Southern History Award

Winner of the 2001 Grady McWhiney Award of Merit

Winner of the 2002 Bonnie Blue Society Literary Award

and, arguably the most telling accomplishment, part of the curriculum at the US ARmy Command and General Staff College.

Buy the book; read and study it carefully; enjoy it.

JS

This is a well-researched and fresh look at the Battle of Gettysburg. Having read more than 20 books on Gettysburg and countless others on the Civil War, I thought that I knew all there is to know about the epic three day battle.

Bowden and Ward pleasantly surprised me with their fresh analysis of this battle and Lee's generalship. They look at the battle from a different perspective. In the process, they shatter (conclusively in my humble opinion) many of the traditions that have grown out of the battle.

The tour de force of the book, in my opinion, is the chapter on Day Two. The authors' conclusions are compelling and thought-provoking.

While it's a cliche, it's true: once you read this book, you will never think about the Battle of Gettysburg the same.

In addition to being thought-provoking and compelling, the book is also an excellent read -- dare I say a page turner!

Every serious student of the Civil War and military history should read this book.

It is also very approachable for those not entirely familiar with all the nuances of Gettysburg and the Civil War.

This volume is a collection of essays by nine "leading authorities" on unanswered, or previously unasked, questions surrounding the battle of Gettysburg. Some of the contributions were marginally interesting, inasmuch as the actions of several of the battle's more famous, or infamous, commanders - Chamberlain, Sickles, Ewell, Stuart - were examined from new perspectives. I was particularly interested in the somewhat revisionist view of Joshua Chamberlain, an erstwhile personal hero of mine, taken by Glenn LaFantasie. Maybe, just maybe, the savior of Little Round Top wasn't quite the paragon of honor and integrity I thought him to be. (Oh well, another bubble burst. At 51, I should expect such disillusionment.) A couple more of the essays fell into the category of "Who Cares?", e.g. the one by J. Matthew Gallman on the effect of the battle on the town of Gettysburg itself. Yawn. Finally, a couple more were nothing more than windy exercises by "experts" who probably like seeing their views in print regardless of content. Since I don't wish to be accused of the same, I'll stop here. My advice, don't bother buying unless you're really obsessed with the subject.

The Gettysburg Nobody Knows by Gabor S. Doritt, describes the story of the battle of Gettysburg from many different points of view. This book tells the views and opinions on what actually happened at Gettysburg from journal writings and historic interpretations. The Gettysburg Nobody Knows gives the reader insight into the minds of the Generals behind the scenes, the commanders in the field and how the common soldiers viewed the battle of Gettysburg. Journal entries from Generals such as the Confederate General Longstreet and the Union General Sickles, show why they made some of the decisions they did and how they felt after. Sickles, for example, has been a source of controversy among historians for years. His decision to move his armies from the hieghts of Cemetary Hill to the peach orchard and the wheat field below has been viewed as both an the cause of unessessary Union casualties and a complete military failure on his part. There are those in this book who both support this view, and those who argue against it such as Richard Nelson. He believes that such loses were enevitable and Sickles decision was neither right or wrong. The Gettysburg Nobody Knows is a wonderful book for historical reference as well as entertainment. It gives a great background on the battle as well as the significants of small skirmishes and every soldiers effort. The Gettysburg Nobody Knows is truly a great telling of the Battle of Gettysburg.

I particularly enjoyed this book in which several essays are presented on different aspects of the battle because it addresses the issue that battles are fought in real time and cannot be changed by historians years later. Richard B. McMurray in his essay entitled "The Pennsylvania Gambit and the Gettysburg Splash" hit home with me because I have felt for a long time that Gettysburg did not win or lose the war for either side. McMurrays belief and I concur is that the war was won in the west by the western armies and his essay addresses the invasion of Pennsylvania in light of the siege of Vicksburg and other operations in the west in 1863. I am glad to have purchased this book for my Gettysburg collection.

Why would anyone think that they could improve on the
tremendous drama of the history of the Gettysburg Campaign, especially with the hackneyed idea of Stonewall
Jackson's presence at Gettysburg? Don't waste your time
with so-called alternate history, study and learn about the
real events, often stranger than any fiction.

This work provides an entertaining look into what may have transpired during the Battle of Gettysburg. True, the outcome may have been different, but one can never really know.

I'm often asked, "...what would Jackson have done at Gettysburg if he were alive.", and my response usually is, - "Stink, since he'd been dead for a while". Now there is at least one new senerio for the armchair historian to ponder.

Quite interesting and a fun read.

Generously immersed in historical fact, I found myself forgetting at times where fact ends and the "what if" takes over. Gibboney works this concept superbly and his excellent knowledge of civil war history rewards him well as he deftly paves a side road to historical reality. I anxiously await more literary magic from this gifted writer.