Winner of the Guggenheim-Lehrman Prize in Military HistoryAn Economist Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of the YearThe Battle of Gettysburg has been written about at length and thoroughly dissected in terms of strategic importance, but never before has a book taken readers so close to the experience of the individual soldier. Two-time Lincoln Prize winner Allen C. Guelzo … soldier.
Two-time Lincoln Prize winner Allen C. Guelzo shows us the face, the sights and the sounds of nineteenth-century combat: the stone walls and gunpowder clouds of Pickett’s Charge; the reason that the Army of Northern Virginia could be smelled before it could be seen; the march of thousands of men from the banks of the Rappahannock in Virginia to the Pennsylvania hills. What emerges is a previously untold story of army life in the Civil War: from the personal politics roiling the Union and Confederate officer ranks, to the peculiar character of artillery units. Through such scrutiny, one of history’s epic battles is given extraordinarily vivid new life.
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To all who thought the battle was a forgone conclusion you need to read this. Neither Lee or Meade distinguished themselves in this battle. Lee was getting tired of war and the loss of his best comrades. Meade just got there, like four days after he was made commander of the union army he was emeshed in Gettysburg.Yhe battle was led by lesser commanders on the field who you might not even recognize. Read it it’s worth the effort.
Guelzo is a brilliant historian! Outstanding work!
Excellent narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg with details I never knew before and I am a Civil War buff and have visited the battlefield many times! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED reading!
Great historical read
I thought I knew something about the battle of Gettysburg before I read this excellent book, but I was wrong. This exhaustive history of the battle is extremely well written, marvelously researched, and highly engaging.
Guelzo’s grasp of the campaign’s details is impressive. He easily describes the backgrounds and personalities of this broad cast of characters, and those personalities quickly become important. Union General Meade’s distrust of commanders whom he felt had not been sufficiently pro-McClellan is reflected in many of his decisions–sometimes with disastrous consequences. For example, his distaste for General Dan Sickles may have caused him to post Sickles as far down the Cemetery Ridge line as possible, and to provide the headstrong Sickles with almost no guidance. Guelzo sees the personal conflict between Meade and Sickles as a likely factor in Sickle’s catastrophic decision to advance his corps without orders, unhinging much of the Union line.
In a similar fashion, the post-Chancellorsville reorganization of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia left many senior officers questioning several of the new appointments. For example, General Harry Heth was promoted over the heads of more senior officers to command a division in the newly-formed Third Corps, largely because he was one of the few people who could work with the corps’ commander, A.P. Hill. Heth’s performance on the first day of the battle has been highly criticized and, as the lead formation in Robert E. Lee’s army, brought that force into the unplanned engagement at Gettysburg.
Guelzo takes his time describing the actions all over the battlefield, and that’s important. Many times during the three days of fighting, victory or defeat for both armies hinged on minor failures or extraordinary efforts. With that said, his chronicle includes viewpoints from the highest commanders to the most junior privates, from government officials to local civilians. The picture he paints of Gettysburg is comprehensive, and complete.
The final chapter, where Guelzo details the significance of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, is simply outstanding. If you only read one book about Gettysburg, read this one.
I thought I knew something about the battle of Gettysburg before I read this excellent book, but I was wrong. This exhaustive history of the battle is extremely well written, marvelously researched, and highly engaging.
Guelzo’s grasp of the campaign’s details is impressive. He easily describes the backgrounds and personalities of this broad cast of characters, and those personalities quickly become important. Union General Meade’s distrust of commanders whom he felt had not been sufficiently pro-McClellan is reflected in many of his decisions–sometimes with disastrous consequences. For example, his distaste for General Dan Sickles may have caused him to post Sickles as far down the Cemetery Ridge line as possible, and to provide the headstrong Sickles with almost no guidance. Guelzo sees the personal conflict between Meade and Sickles as a likely factor in Sickle’s catastrophic decision to advance his corps without orders, unhinging much of the Union line.
In a similar fashion, the post-Chancellorsville reorganization of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia left many senior officers questioning several of the new appointments. For example, General Harry Heth was promoted over the heads of more senior officers to command a division in the newly-formed Third Corps, largely because he was one of the few people who could work with the corps’ commander, A.P. Hill. Heth’s performance on the first day of the battle has been highly criticized and, as the lead formation in Robert E. Lee’s army, brought that force into the unplanned engagement at Gettysburg.
Guelzo takes his time describing the actions all over the battlefield, and that’s important. Many times during the three days of fighting, victory or defeat for both armies hinged on minor failures or extraordinary efforts. With that said, his chronicle includes viewpoints from the highest commanders to the most junior privates, from government officials to local civilians. The picture he paints of Gettysburg is comprehensive, and complete.
The final chapter, where Guelzo details the significance of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, is simply outstanding. If you only read one book about Gettysburg, read this one.