This book was so bad I'm not going to give it any stars at all! I have never read a worse book in my life! It is about war and exitement but the author... took that all out of it!

When I think of the Civil War I think of excitement and danger. I expect to read a good rich book about it. Yet this book squeezes all the fun out of thesubject War. Yes, war is nothing fun yet it may be exciting and detailed. This book totally lacks all this information. Yet it does tell of the blood thirsty belligerent Generals that are awaiting battle. I have a love of books, all throughout my life. I have read many too. I highly don't recommend this book for pleasure reading. Unless you want to get details for an essay, forget about it.

This book is a great book! Nobody should pass this book up. None of it is boring! It has so much detail about the battle, battle prep, and cleanup. It is my favorite book. All the movements and everything were so vivid, that it is almost like you are there.

I was quite excited to receive this work in my mailbox. A good friend of mine and fellow Civil War buff, Dean Wells used to sit up late at college and often talk about Winchester and the various attacks and strategies that took place. Dean even went on to write an article that was used in this work thus I truly wanted to take the time to go over this material in the proper fashion.

The opening pages give rise to a wonderful description of Winchester and its importance to the Shenandoah Valley. The description of railroads and terrain give the reader an ideal look into the prominence this area was to play not just at this time but during the entire civil war. The map included on page 4 gives the reader a nice look into the Lower Shenandoah Valley including as far north as Hancock, Md. and as far south as Edinburg, Va. I would suggest that novices to this battle continually refer back to this map so they can get a better feel for the massive amount of terrain that was covered before and after this battle.

As for the next chapter about Robert H. Milroy, I've seen and read better accounts of his pre-military life as well as his subsequent life in the military. I would have to agree with other authors in that Milroy had a lack luster career during the Mexican War and he was disgusted by his own lack of action. As for the chapter on his occupation of Winchester I have a hard time believing Mr. Maier's facts on Milroy's ease of "governing" Winchester. The author's opinion certainly differs greatly from many of the noted authors who spoke at the civil war seminars I've recently attended this past year. I just wish there was more primary source material listed in the bibliography to back up the authors findings.

In going over the material presented I feel that many diaries were left out. Those of Kate Sperry, Julia Chase, and Portia Baldwin Baker to name a few, were not even mentioned. As for the property damage, I myself have visited the area and know first hand that there was a severe amount of property damage, so where the authors claim originated I have no idea. Also, if Milroy was so well liked why was he later jeered when he returned after the war on a more political agenda?

Another error noted early on is that the battle of McDowell took place over a one month period of time. On page 25 the battle starts out in May and then moves into June on page 27. If that's the case then this battle would be longer than history has documented. Either the author clearly mixed up dates or the editor perhaps missed June for May in the final editorial draft.
I feel that more work could have been done in putting together a better bibliography. The amount of research does not show through very well and I feel more primary source material other than more "Official Records" is needed. Perhaps more from the "Devil Diarists" would be appropriate, and a more though look into Milroy's past would definitely help beef up the opening pages of this work.

All in all this work may be suited for those that have a good working knowledge of the battle but it's definitely not recommended as the sole source for any reader on the second battle of Winchester.

Even though Winchester, Virginia, was strategically located in teh Lower Shenandoah Valley and was the key for control of the Valley, little scholarship has been devoted to the topic. Most work on Winchester and its battles comes from its connections with Stonewall Jackson's 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Therefore, when Larry B. Maier's book Gateway to Gettysburg: The Second Battle of Winchester was advertised it was an anticipated piece of scholarship that would help to bolster the already scant historiography. Even though this book had many great expectations among scholars of the Civil War in the Shenandoah Valley it does not live up to those expectations for a myraid of reasons.

Before this review points out the faults of the book it must be noted that there are no glarin problems with the history of the Second Battle of Winchester. There are, however, numerous problems with the biographical information about General Robert H. Milroy and his occupation of Winchester, Virginia. There are numerous instances of historical inaccuracies within the pages of this book, but only several will be provided for the purposes of this review.

First, the author attenpts in the beginning to lay out the biographical background of Milroy prior to the Civil War. The author notes that very few records exist about the service of Captain Milroy during the Mexican War, but that he and his men performed their duties ably. This is a problematic conclusion, since evidence does exist to paint a picture of the service of MIlroy and his "Wasbash Invincibles" (The author never uses the nickname of the company he commanded). Through several sources such as Indiana in the Mexican War and a small, but useful collection of Milroy's Mexican War letters from the Indiana Magazine of History and an article written on Milroy that appeared in the Indiana Magazine of History reveal that Milroy did not see any service, except for on one occassion when several men of his command were ambushed and killed. Milroy was disgusted with his service during the Mexican War becasue he did not see any action, and thusly was unable to attain heroic eminence.

Concerning Milroy's occupation of Wincehster the author notes that it was not really harsh and that there is no substantial evidence to back up this claim. The author paints a false picture of Milroy's occupation! Enough evidence exists, via Milroy's correspondence, civilians' diaries, and records at the National Archives to demonstrate that Milroy played the tyrant. The author's claims that not much property was damaged is unfounded and his claim that Milroy never performed any atrocities is ludicrous. Exiling women of all ages, arresting women and children, starving those who did not accept the oath of allegiance, etc. Compared with other Federal commanders in the Valley, his acts were unparalleled. In fact Milroy was much harsher in his treatment of the population of Winchester than was General Benjamin F. "Beast" Butler during his 1862 occupation of New Orleans. Milroy does claim in his correspondence to his wfie that many of the civilian population of Winchester stated that no other commander in Winchester had ever maintained so much order and that the civilians appreciated the order he provided. The diaries of the civilians of Winchester reveal that this is not at all how they felt toward the "Gray Eagle". As a matter of fact, Milroy was so despised, that when he came to Winchester in October 1868 to do some politiciking he was jeered at while speaking on the steps of the Court House. He was the only former Federal soldier to be treated with contempt in Winchester's post-war years.

Another glaring problem with the book, in its early pages, is the the date for the Battle of McDowell. June 8, is used at one point. That date is off by one month. Perhaps, however, this was an editorial mistake.

Several of the problems with the text having been discussed I wish to shift my attention to the author's source material. The Handley Library in Winchester, Virginia, has a rich collection of diaries, letters, memoirs, and journals, yet the author used only one diary from that collection--Mrs. Mary Lee. What about Kate Sperry, Julia Chase, Gettie Miller, Portia Baldwin Baker and Treadwell Smith? Even though the author used Margaretta Barton Colt's Defend the Valley, he failed to use a host of other published primary sources such as the diary of Cornelia McDonald or Emma Cassandra Reilly Macon. Other sources would have revealed more about Milroy's actions such as collections at the National Archives and Library of Virginia.

While the information on Milroy is not as abundant as source material on U.S. Grant or Robert E. Lee, there is a substantial body of primary material that the author could have examined to make better conclusions.

Overall the book has many problems. Readers should beware of his treatment of General Milroy!

I eagerly anticipated getting this book as Thomas generally puts out excellent guides/books. This one did not meet expectations..not by a long shot. The four walking tours basically follow the same roads as the auto tour routes and the tours are boring hikes as such ranging from 3.3 miles to 4.4 miles each. The "hikes" come with very, very sparce narratives and a few uninteresting photos. The horrible audio-taped bus tours provide more value..and they are bad. It does not even give details on the Big Round Top loop , Johnny Reb or Billy Yank trails AND one can get much better documented town tours of city center Gettysburg buildings from the tourist center or directly off the net. As the John Archer East Cemetery Gettysburg guide/book from Thomas gets 5 stars this gets the opposite, the worst. Save the money. Don't even think about getting this one.

This book is for those who want to have an organized walk of the battlefield, but who already have a good understanding of the battle. If this is your first time to Gettysburg drop two stars from the review since this book will give you only a limited explanation of the battle. You would be better off using the Army War College Guide or hiring a Licensed Battlefield Guide. But if you have read Coddington, Pfanz, Martin or a few of the hundreds of tomes on the battle and have been to the battlefield before this book may be for you. The book takes you over the terrain the same way as the soldiers of July 1863 did, on your feet not in your car. My wife and I have toured the battlefield many times over the last 28 years (most over the last 8 years) starting with the "dreaded bus tours", graduating to the auto tour, cassette tour, Army War College Guide tour and finally to using a Licensed Battlefield Guide. This tour gives you a greater understanding of how the soldiers saw and used the terrain, as well as a better feel for it, than any other tour we have taken. The walks are each a few miles long so you also have to be in decent shape.

These maps cover roughly the 25 square miles of land involved in the conflict before the battle. It can be very useful for the student of the battle who is trying to understand positioning and the terrain. Though these maps are well done, they are of the paper variety you typically find at gas stations. I was a bit disappointed in the lack some details and that these maps were made to be like that of the fold-out kind. I reasoned 2 stars due to the cost and quality of material that you get for the money.

I had not read much about Gettysburg until recently. While visiting Gettysburg, I found this book. Wanting to know more about Gettysburg, I purchased this book. I was quickly disapointed. Gambone first parades across the pages various Lee Defenders. He then compares Lee and those who chose to fight for the South as Benedict Arnolds! At that point, This book lost all interest with me.
He attacks what are called Lee's Victories. Questioning his ability, his tactics etc...It is always easy to critisize a man when you look back. At Gettysburg Lee made mistakes. But he was HUMAN! Gambone should take himself off his altar and come and live with the rest of us who make mistakes!Overall this book I think is a poor treatment of the Battle of Gettysburg. That is why I DO NOT recommend it to anyone! I suggets the book entitled " Last Chance for Victory by Bowden & Ward " as a more eyeopening treatment of the Gettysburg operation.

Not a great deal of new insight here. I did learn a bit more than I knew, however, about Meade's failure to pursue at Gettysburg. Mr. Boritt is the editor and author of one essay; other essays are by four historians: Stephen W. Sears, Mark E. Neely, Jr., Michael Fellman, and John Y. Simon. (Alan J. Jacobs

Thomas represents itself fairly in this book. It gives you what you might expect given the painstaking chore of citing locations of over 1300 monuments & markers: "very general locations", in short, it will get you in the vicinity of a marker, but I would gather you could travel two miles on a road trying to find a marker location described as " West Conferderate Avenue" (I'm not kidding here). A very general road map with the names of main roads is provided on the back cover, but you get no other graphics what so ever, like a grid identification system (i.e. A-3, B-8, etc.), to get you closer than just the name of the road. This guide is good for determining/confirming IF there is a marker on the field for a specific regiment (say a distant relative, great-great grandfather) and where you can wander around to find it, but beyond this it will not save you alot of time or aggravation. Look closely at the Thomas description, it doesn't promise you alot, and you don't get a whole lot.

Don't let the title mislead you, this book is a poor excuse for a mystery. I was surprised to find that I had actually guessed the murderer and motive before I was even a third of the way into the book. Perhaps for someone who isn't a hardcore mystery fan it would take a little longer to figure it out, but still there's no genius to the murder mystery part. The plot was fast-paced, perhaps a bit too fast paced for my taste, but by being fast-paced it always has a interesting change of scenery. The romance in it was okay, at times it dragged unlike the story. Jim Walker certainly makes use of his knowledge of civil war history. (as far as that's concerned I'm impressed with the book) Anyone who enjoys reading Gilbert Morris's work will enjoy this book.

This is the absolute worst book I've ever read. Not just the worst Civil War book, the worst book, period. The author devotes 11 measley pages to the actual engagement referred to in the title. The editing is so sloppy, every few pages are typos. The maps offered in the book are useless. No orientations to North, no scales, lacking in all detail. The most upsetting thing is the lack of documentation. It was almost as if this guy saw the movie and used that as the outline of his book. He offered very little in the way of proof to any of his assertations. The worst thing is, this guy was an officer in the Army. As an officer myself, I'm extremely disappointed in my peer. Do not waste your time with this book.

After finishing this book, I wasn't sure if I'd read one that was intended to be fact, or a novel. Despite its title, only one small chapter is devoted to the cavalry fight on Gettysburg's East Cavalry Field. The balance of the book, mostly devoted to the Gettysburg Campaign itself, is full of so many errors it's laughable. John Buford's fight the morning of July 1, the first day, is completely screwed up. It appears as though the author has never been within 1000 miles of Gettysburg. Throughout the book, the author presents easily DISPROVEN myths about Gettysburg as though they were facts. Anyone reading this book is going to get a completely incorrect idea of not only Gettysburg but much of America's Civil War in general. I collect books on the Civil War (with some 2000), the cavalry specifically, and I have just thrown this book in the trash. I will NOT permit this "work" to have a place on my shelves, and I completely regret purchasing it. The sources are scanty, and the author relied mostly on secondary resources. If the author had simply done the minimum required research in primary resources, and just cracked open the Official Records just once, he would have had to completely re-write his manuscript. DO NOT waste your money. Go to McDonald's and have a Happy Meal. It would be money much better spent. Hopefully this book will go out of print and disappear VERY soon.

This book advertises itself as being a study of the cavalry battle on East Cavalry Field at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. It's not, which is a shame.

The book is approximately 120 pages long. Of those 120 pages, only 12 deal the fight on East Cavalry Field. The rest of the book deals with a bunch of miscellaneous stuff that really has nothing to do with the themes suggested by the title. The little bit of information on the fight at East Cavalry Field sheds no light on the complicated battle that raged there. There's virtually no discussion of the extended and brutal dismounted fight that preceeded the two mounted charges and which necessitated them. There are only a couple of not particularly useful maps, and very little in the way of illustrations.

The title is also misleading in many ways. First, and foremost, George Custer played only a small and somewhat insignificant role in the battle. Brig. Gen. David M. Gregg commanded the Union forces there, and he's the one who made the critical decisions that impacted the outcome of the battle. Second, Gregg gave the orders for the 7th Michigan Cavalry, and later, the 1st Michigan Cavalry, to charge, usurping Custer's authority. In fact, Custer just went along for the ride, albeit a ride into glory. He had nothing to do with the decisions to charge.

Further, not even the most stalwart of cavalry buffs would be so arrogant to suggest that a sideshow to the Battle of Gettysburg somehow saved the Union. Perhaps the main fight at Gettysburg did, but this sideline action most assuredly did not. The repulse of the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge was much, much more significant to saving the Union than the Gregg-Stuart fight on East Cavalry Field.

Finally, and most troubling is the fact that this book's bibliography is only a page and a half long. It's clear that the author relied almost exclusively on secondary sources, as only three or four primary sources are cited in the bibliography. Stunningly, not one of those primary sources is the Offical Records of the Civil War, which must be starting point for anyone trying to analyze and understand a Civil War campaign or battle. There's no substance here to speak of, and certainly nothing to make it worth buying.

Do yourselves a favor...don't waste your money on buying this book. It's not worth it.