2006-03-21 Monumental

On July 1, 1863, leading elements of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, operating in Pennsylvania, stumbled into elements of the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Gen. George G. Meade. Against the better judgment of both commanders, the armies were drawn into a full-fledged battle which raged for three days, and left some 51,000 men killed, wounded, captured or just plain missing. More importantly, unbeknownst at the time, the battle marked a turning point in the war, the Confederates had reached their high water mark and the future moved on toward inevitable defeat.

This monumental work is, in my opinion anyway, the absolutely best book to read on the Battle of Gettysburg. The author did a great job of covering the battle in depth, giving all of the information you will need, covering the officers and their activities leading up to the battle, giving information on the topography and all of the detail necessary to truly understand what happened during those days in July.

Now, at 623 pages, this is a hefty book to read, so this is not the book for you if you want a quick understanding of the battle. But, if you want a book that will give you a deep knowledge of the battle, then it is the book for you. Plus, I must say that this book is not dry or academic, but is a wonderfully fascinating read, keeping the narrative moving along in an interesting manner.

So, overall, I would say that this is a great book, probably the best one that has ever been written on the Battle of Gettysburg. I give it my highest recommendations!