Gettysburg: The Story of the Battle with Maps

by Stackpole Books

Overview

• 70 color maps and insightful text tell the hour-by-hour story of the 3-day Battle of Gettysburg
• Each map shows the same 3 1/2-by-4 1/2-mile view of the battlefield, allowing the reader to visualize the battle as it developed over the entire area, including key engagements, troop movements and positions, and locations of commanders
• Sheds new light on important events such as the first clash west of town on July 1, the fighting for Cemetery Hill, the defense of Little Round Top, Pickett's Charge, and more
• Crystal-clear maps and narrative make this an ideal introduction for newcomers while the unique approach offers fresh perspectives for those who've read every book on the battle
• Perfect companion for battlefield visits and armchair-general debates

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780811712187
Publisher:	Stackpole Books
Publication date:	06/01/2013
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

M. David Detweiler graduated from Yale and has worked as a journalist and editor and published short stories and novels. He was the key editor for Gettysburg: The Story of the Battle with Maps. Detweiler is an amateur military history buff, composer, and sometime fly angler. President and CEO of Stackpole Inc. for the past quarter century, he lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with his wife and enjoys chasing the unsolvable what-ifs of history.

Editorial Reviews

"Many attempts to depict the course of fighting on America’s most iconic battlefield are either so general as to be misleading, or so specific as to be incomprehensible. This cartographic display is a nice compromise. The movements are depicted clearly, and in full color, so that even a complete newcomer to the battle can follow the action easily."

Craig L. Symonds

"Gettysburg: The Story of the Battle with Maps is a unique exploration of the battle. The maps are very easy to follow. Each one shows the entire battlefield, making it possible to understand the context of each movement, attack, and counterattack during the three days. The accompanying text brings the battle alive and nicely compliments the maps."

D. Scott Hartwig

"This map-supported narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg will appeal to neophyte and expert alike. The hour-by-hour maps of the maneuvering and fighting provide the clearest cartographic picture of the battle in existence. Of especial value is the integration of the cavalry fight east of Gettysburg on July 3 into the main battle story."

James M. McPherson

"Just as the Battle of Gettysburg sprawls over three days, the Gettysburg battlefield sprawls over 25 square miles, which means that there’s no way to understand this climatic conflict without a good set of maps. This book meets people coming to the battlefield just where they are, with concise and uncluttered maps that clearly and accurately lay out the major movements down to brigade level, on an hour-by-hour basis, and with a straightforward and easily followed narrative of each map’s actions. Take it in the car, take it on foot, combine it with digital apps, or study it in advance--you will have the Battle of Gettysburg in easy grasp."

Allen C. Guelzo

This attractively produced volume offers 180 color maps, 70 of which are full page. Accompanying pages of narrative text lead the reader through the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. A foreword explains the symbols used to depict movement and combat and the colors and styles of type used to identify individual units. The maps clearly convey the terrain and unit positions. With a few exceptions, the smallest units indicated are brigades. The maps follow the course of the battle, so those illustrating smaller actions are more detailed and of a larger scale than later depictions of the field when both complete armies were present. One disadvantage of this approach is that the maps can give only general positions of individual units. The advantage, however, is that the reader gets a comprehensive picture of the battle at a given time (e.g., "July 1, Late Afternoon"). Unfortunately, the prose that accompanies the maps is written in an over-the-top style, in the present tense, and with wide variations in tone. A dispassionate recitation will suddenly veer into purple prose (e.g., "Near the darkling swale of Plum Run, Barksdale is discovered…."), complete with mixed metaphors (e.g., "Like a mighty breaker exhausting to froth, the Confederate sweep eastward has run out of steam"). VERDICT Suitable for enthusiastic Civil War buffs and reenactors. The maps will also have utility for players or designers of war games.—Richard Fraser, Univ. of California, Los Angeles, Libs.

Library Journal