Review by Booklist Review
Perhaps there is no compelling need for another book on the defining battle of the Civil War. Yet, this comprehensive, engrossing, and frequently surprising account of the prelude, the three-day battle, and the aftermath is a very worthy contribution to the mountain of Gettysburg lore. Trudeau, an executive producer at National Public Radio and an acclaimed Civil War historian, has chosen a straight chronological approach, but he masterfully conveys the sense of a confused, even chaotic, series of simultaneous battles being fought across a widely strewn field. The familiar demigods are all here, including Lee, Longstreet, Hancock, and Chamberlain--and Trudeau gives them their proper due. However, he is at his best when he describes the actions and reactions of the more obscure soldiers who strive, often heroically, to do their duty without fully comprehending the stakes involved. This is military history at its best, and it will make a great addition to any Civil War collection. --Jay Freeman
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Making comprehensive and sophisticated use of a broad spectrum of archival and printed sources, NPR executive producer Trudeau (Bloody Roads South) enhances his reputation as a narrative historian of the Civil War with what is to date the best large-scale single-volume treatment of those crucial three days in July 1863, elegantly reconstructing the battle and the campaign from the perspectives of the participants. Trudeau allows them, from generals to enlisted men, to speak in their own words, creating a thoroughly absorbing story of determination on both sides and at all levels. Robert E. Lee began the campaign intending to win a battle of annihilation. July 1 inaugurated some of the hardest, and the most exacting, fighting American soldiers have ever done. The operational narratives are remarkable for their clarity, especially Trudeau's presentation of the confused fight for the Union left flank on July 2. The text is supplemented by sketch maps of unit positions and movements that are also models of clarity a particular boon to nonspecialist readers. Trudeau defensibly concludes that the wide latitude allowed subordinates at all levels of the Army of Northern Virginia worked against it at Gettysburg. Further, his emphasis on contemporary sources instead of postwar retrospection and academic analysis shows that despite nearly equal losses totaling almost 50,000 men Gettysburg failed as Lee's battle of annihilation. (July 1) Forecast: From Jeffry D. Wert's Gettysburg, Day 3 and Harry W. Pfanz's day-by-day accounts to Duane P. Schultz's The Most Glorious Fourth, there have been a slew of recent books on Gettysburg, not to mention renewed attention to Lincoln's Address. Publishing on the 139th anniversary of the battle's beginning, this book should get a boost from July 4 patriotism, and would nicely anchor a holiday display. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
An executive producer for National Public Radio, Trudeau (Like Men of War: Black Troops in the Civil War) opens his new book with no apologies, saying that the time is right for another comprehensive work on the Battle of Gettysburg. This book begins on May 15, 1863, and describes in minute detail the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself (often hour by hour), and Lee's retreat in the early hours of July 4. Trudeau skillfully intertwines his narrative with firsthand accounts using letters, diaries, memoirs, and after-action reports from local residents, soldiers, and officers. He offers new insights on familiar controversies such as Confederate General Ewell's role on the first day of fighting, Robert E. Lee's mood for battle, and Major General Meade's reluctance to fight. In addition, Trudeau unearths many little-known human interest stories and brings to light the trials and tribulations of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. The book includes 60 maps, a detailed roster of the opposing armies' command structure, and copious chapter notes. A monumental work, thoroughly researched and well written, this is the best recent single-volume history of the campaign. Highly recommended for Civil War enthusiasts and scholars. Robert K. Flatley, Frostburg State Univ., MD (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From Civil War specialist Trudeau (Like Men of War, 1998, etc.), a superb rendering of a signal episode in American history. Trudeau makes no apology for adding another to the huge pile of Gettysburg books; nor should he, for this is the first one-volume treatment of the whole battle--Jeffry Wert's Gettysburg (2001) covered only Day Three--to appear in nearly 35 years. It's well worth the wait. The narrative begins with a measured consideration of the strategy involved in Lee's invasion of the North and an assessment of some of the key players at Gettysburg, many of whom had met just weeks before at the battles of Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg. Though it offers no real surprises, Trudeau's account of actual combat is extraordinarily good, from the first shots on Seminary Hill to Lee's retreat along Fairfield Road. The author capably captures the strange aspects of a fight waged on one hand with the most modern artillery and on the other with antiquated muzzle-loading musketry, all wielded by a mixture of huge formations and "small groups of soldiers [who] were setting their minds to the practical problems of killing one another." Trudeau also does a fine job of portraying individual actors, remarking on such matters as Joshua Chamberlain's political ambitions and Richard Ewell's extraordinary bravery as glimpsed through the smoke of battle. He dismisses a few legends in passing, notably the old chestnut that Robert E. Lee apologized to his soldiers for the debacle of Pickett's Charge. "While such recollections may have been helpful in the postwar climate of factional healing," Trudeau remarks, "and while they may have promoted adulation of Lee, they must be docketed alongside Gettysburg's other myths. . . . Unfortunate though the events of this day were, and however much it pained him to see his men suffer, he had no cause for self-recrimination." Worthy of being shelved alongside Bruce Catton and Shelby Steele, this belongs in every Civil War buff's collection. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
