This is a gem of a book! In addition to telling the story of
John Burns of Gettysburg, author Tim Smith has provided
a wonderful portrait of life in 19th century Gettysburg and lots
of insights into village life in general during that era. I hated
to have to put this book down for meals and sleep!

Desjardin has written a concise, interesting history of a fascinating man. If you want to know more about Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain than the legends of the 20th Maine at Little Roundtop, this book is a terrific place to start. The book is well-researched and well-written.

This book is by the author of the "Little Maid" books. It is about an 11 year old girl, Kathleen, who lives in Gettsyburg, Pennsylvania, in 1863. She witnesses many historic moments, including hearing Lincoln give his famous Gettsysburg Address.

Cole and Frampton have set out to change our perception of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. It is about time. It has become apparent that visitors to Gettysburg hold the National Cemetery graves as an afterthought. Few people visit the memorials past the Lincoln rostrum. Lincoln's dedication speech has been regarded as national scripture despite his own wish that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here." His address along with the revived memory of secular-sainted generals has subsequently overshadowed the gravestones at Gettysburg as nothing more than set-dressing. Readers of Cole and Frampton's book however, can encounter the fighting men at Gettysburg. The authors recount the individuals' stories that many of those gravestones represent. Their research through archives and pension records gives a personal and comprehensive illustration of the sons', brothers', and fathers' ultimate sacrifice made for that "new birth of freedom" still underway today. You will meet the sixteen year-old runaway who wanted to experience adventure only to find martyrdom; the recovering dismembered young man who recieved a fatal 'Dear John' letter from his lover who couldn't cope with the loss of the veteran's limb; the unknown soldier responsible for the establishment of a Union Orphanage at Gettysburg for the parentless children that resulted from the war. Cole and Frampton have given us the opportunity to see the mettle of those that "gave the last full measure of devotion." Copies of the book were recently still on sale at the Gettysburg National Park Service Book Store.

This 79-page examination of the Gettysburg Address provides kids in grades 4-6 with an excellent in-depth examination of the concepts and basic importance of Lincoln's historic statements. Chapters blend vintage black and white photos with fine insights on the events of his times.

A wonderful history. The author quotes extensively (with references cited) from letters, telegrams and orders to and from Lee, Jackson, and the other important Civil War leaders. These are woven into a narrative that includes the political and economic forces on both sides. The result is an extremely well documented, extremely informative, yet very readable account of the Confederate strategy and troop movements in Virginia, Maryland and Pennslyvania from the start of the War to the Gettysburg battle. If you want an in-depth understanding of the Confederate strategy, what they wanted to do in Pennsylvania, and how there came to be a battle at Gettysburg, this is the book to read.

Have you been researching your GGGrandfather, uncle, cousin, determained that they were in General Picketts Division, and have wondered if they were in the charge, and what may have happened to them? Wanted to find out as much information about General Picketts Division at Gettysburg as possible?..I wondered, bought the book and found my GGrandfathers name on the company roster as being present, he was not on the list of unengaged personnel, so as much as historical research can determain he participated..There are 602 pages in this book,the first 173 tells about the actual charge and the events leading up to it. The remaining pages list every man by name in each company of every Regiment present. There are also lists of those killed, wounded,known burial locations,disinterments from the battlefield,unengaged personnel,and much more..If you are looking for a book about the men in Picketts Division at Gettysburg,written by the historian at Gettysburg, I have not came accross another that comes close .....

Although published in two editions, this volume is among the scarcest of Gettysburg memorial books. This reprint is of the fuller edition; the smaller version lacked the history of the battle and contained only 94 pages.

"An official publication of the State of Ohio, now out of print and extremely scarce. It is the report of the Commission consisting of the Adjutant-General, Secretary of State and Auditor of State, designated by the General Assembly to erect monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield, indicating the position of Ohio troops that participated in that battle. It contains half-tones of the twenty monuments erected for that purpose, and also full description of the position of the various organizations on the field. It is the history of the Ohio Regiments at Gettysburg. The proceedings upon the formal dedication of the monuments are given in full, as well as the speeches delivered upon that occasion. It is a valuable and reliable record. Alfred E. Lee, Secretary to the Commission, contributes to the volume a well-written description of the battles of the three days, accompanied by maps." Daniel J. Ryan, The Civil War Literature of Ohio

This volume is a must for both the Gettysburg enthusiast
and the student of Civil War small combat actions. The
author tells the little-known story of the struggle for the Bliss
Farm at Gettysburg in vivid prose augmented by choice
illustrations and photographs. The reader may or may not
agree with the author's conclusions, but the book is certain
to create debate and discussion!

I agree with(another reviewer)about the error concerning the number of Union corps at Gettysburg. Early in the book, the author has General Meade meeting with his 12 corps commanders. Then later he mentions a total of 16 corps. Actually, there were 7. The first, second, third, fifth, eleventh and twelfth. Otherwise, a rousing story. He also was too critical of General James Longstreet, who, along with Hancock, were the two best corps commanders on the field.

All and all, THE MOST GLORIOUS FOURTH is an excellent introduction to the Gettysburg and Vicksburg campaigns of 1863. It tells the tale of the dynamic events leading up to America's 87th birthday, the nation whose future was held in the hands of Generals Meade, Lee, Grant, Pemberton, and the men who served under them at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. The stories of the two campaigns are skillfully woven together, leaving the reader with a solid understanding of the strategy of the campaigns, how the battles were fought, who the main people involved were, and what the campaigns did to the soldiers, the civilians of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, and to all people in the Union and Confederacy. The end result, with many well-placed first hand accounts of the soldiers on the lines and in the trenches, the people of the two towns trapped between two warring armies, and the generals and politicians involved, combined with liberal use of noted historians' accounts and historical analysis (with the benefit of hindsight) is a good, balanced book

The book's only problems come from, in a way, its strengths. In putting the stories of Vicksburg and Gettysburg together, much must be accomplished in a book. Background must be given, the situation of the campaigns must be introduced, the key participants (political, military, and civilian) must be introduced, and the battles and their aftermath must be covered. This puts page space at a premium, leaving the author but little space for each topic. In this book, the author usually gives sufficient coverage of his topics, but occasionally, he falls just a tiny bit short, sometimes using generalities that need more depth, or sometimes not covering or explaining a topic as well as it could be done. This happens rarely, but there are occasions where the reader looks for just a little more. In a book of this scope, however, it is understandable.

The veteran Civil War reader will find a few annoying embellishments, such a repeated mention of General T.J. Jackson's alleged love for lemons. Also noted are some small, but annoying errors, such as: (1) On page 55, John Brown was tried and executed at Charles Town, not Charleston, VA (now WV.) (2) On page 247, some confusion exists as to how many army corps General George Meade and his Army of the Potomac had, when the author says "fully half his [Meade's] army, eight corps...." As far as I know, he only had 7 infantry corps (the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 11th, and 12th corps) as well as one cavalry corps, not 16 corps. These and other small errors are found, but please let me emphasize that they are only minor annoyances, and they do not greatly detract from the positives of this book.

THE MOST GLORIOUS FOURTH does exactly what it set out to do: to tell the remarkable story of the period in American history where survival of the Union was ensured. At Vicksburg and Gettysburg, history stood transfixed in time; it could have turned 180 degrees with success of the Confederate forces at either of those battles. This book is the best combined history of those two amazing campaigns, and should be a welcome addition to any Civil War enthusiast's bookshelf, beginners and experts alike. I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to read the history of America's Most Glorious Fourth.