I have to mention “Gettysburg: The Last Invasion “ by Allen Guelzo - he has created an extraordinary immersion experience with this spell binding history of the Gettysburg battle. He has personalized the battle, humanized the thousands of people caught up in it – collectively and individually. He explains causes and effects, mistakes made, decisions taken – drawing them out and explaining the consequences, short and long term. He examines the politics and personalities and the widespread effects they had. He engages in periodic digressions into 19th Century army tactics, weapons, logistics and practices that enhance both his narrative and the reader’s comprehension of the realities of the Civil War. The digression into medical practices and the treatment of the wounded in the aftermath is heart rending. His explanation of the rationale for Lee’s devotion to Virginia over his oath to the United States is the first I have seen, and he pointedly notes that Lee’s devotion to Virginia also superseded his fealty to the Confederacy as well.
As events proceed over the three days of the battle, Guelzo dives into the various controversies that continue to color consideration of the battle – Chamberlain on Little Round Top, Sickles deployment of his corps, Reynolds role in precipitating the battle then and there, Stuart’s ride, the Minnesota charge, Meade’s faltering performance and predilection to retreat, the looting of Gettysburg and adjacent towns, the abduction of Pennsylvania blacks into slavery, the advance of Pickett’s division to the battlefield and its subsequent charge, the insidious political influences rampant throughout both armies (but most destructively the Union Army), and so much more … it is an historical experience of first-rate and compelling affect. The succession of absolutely critical turning points that kept cropping up over the three days, and the succession of absolutely last-minute serendipitous reprieves that saved the Union army time and again are breath-taking.
My one criticism is directed to his brief (eight pages) Epilogue at the end in which he narrates the creation of the Gettysburg National Cemetery and the evolution of the ceremony that concluded with Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. For reasons I cannot fathom, he refers to Lincoln as “the tall man” throughout the Epilogue in a tone of folky reverential mysticism interspersed with phrases from the speech and digressions of imputed meaning. It is such a jarring change from the tone and quality of narration of the entire preceding book that I found it irksome and unnecessary. The subject of the dedication ceremony and Lincoln’s address are clearly relevant and necessary – but Guelzo’s manner of presenting them is a complete shift from his extraordinary and glorious treatment of all that preceded it. Some examples (not all inclusive, either):
“The mind of the tall man in the White House had been weighing what the battle signified ever since the news of Gettysburg first came…”
“As was his wont, the tall man began committing his ideas to paper piecemeal…”
“The tall man did not speak of the war as a crusade of liberation from slavery…”
“The tall man stood up, unfolded his wire-rim spectacles, produced two or three sheets of paper from his inside pocket…”
So I give this book five stars for 474 of its 482 pages. Actually, I would give it ten-stars on the five star scale... and I will just choose to give the author a pass for those last eight pages…
A classic examination of leadership, strategy, and decision making. I have always preferred key judgements over the executive summary style. While not exactly what you are presenting here, your key insights format provides the reader with a quick, but clear and thoughtful view into subject. Well done.
An excellent review of one of the finest warfare novels ever written. It should inspire any American to want to learn more about the battle, as well as to visit the battlefield. Frankly, it is one of the places that every American should visit if given the opportunity....to learn about the sacrifices that their ancestors endured!!!
I studied civil war history at Florida State University with the author's son. Who became a renowned author in his own right!!!
Thank you, Sir! We appreciate your comments and agree with your thoughts on learning about the Civil War and the Battle Gettysburg. As statues are removed, highways and military bases are renamed, the lessons learned from this war will continue to fade. So books and battlefields grow in importance. We don't need sequel.
This was a foundational book for me relatively early in my career. My academic specialties in military history were World War I navies and World War II navies and Eastern Front land combat. My boss on the II Marine Expeditionary Force staff in 1988, Colonel Klaus Schreiber, asked me what I'd read about the Civil War. "Nothing," I replied, "I'm just not curious about hillbilly wars." He smiled and assigned me this book and said we'd talk about it in a month. I was done in just a few days as I was hooked early in the narrative. My Civil War history collection is now the largest portion of my personal military library, and I never tire of reading new books on campaigns, battles, leaders, and the experience of the soldiery on both sides. As an avid board wargamer, I also have played a dozen titles on this particular engagement; my opponents and I often recalled portions of the book as we played.
While more recent scholarship brings some of the narrative's interpretations into question, this doesn't detract from the value of the book in breathing life into popular accounts of The Battle of Gettysburg. I follow Colonel Scheiber's example in recommending this book for those with a germinating interest in the war and the battle.
Thanks, Eric. As you can see it is one of my favorites as well. I'm still a Civil War amateur with interests that pull me towards more recent conflicts, but books on the Civil War can draw me in especially living near Fredericksburg with so much of that history in my backyard.
As we mentioned in our first post "The abundance of new books is both a gift and a challenge. On one hand, an endless supply of knowledge, stories, and ideas is waiting to be explored. On the other, there’s the reality that no matter how much you read, there will always be more great books left untouched."
That's why it's so important, and difficult, to pick your next read wisely.
I have to mention “Gettysburg: The Last Invasion “ by Allen Guelzo - he has created an extraordinary immersion experience with this spell binding history of the Gettysburg battle. He has personalized the battle, humanized the thousands of people caught up in it – collectively and individually. He explains causes and effects, mistakes made, decisions taken – drawing them out and explaining the consequences, short and long term. He examines the politics and personalities and the widespread effects they had. He engages in periodic digressions into 19th Century army tactics, weapons, logistics and practices that enhance both his narrative and the reader’s comprehension of the realities of the Civil War. The digression into medical practices and the treatment of the wounded in the aftermath is heart rending. His explanation of the rationale for Lee’s devotion to Virginia over his oath to the United States is the first I have seen, and he pointedly notes that Lee’s devotion to Virginia also superseded his fealty to the Confederacy as well.
As events proceed over the three days of the battle, Guelzo dives into the various controversies that continue to color consideration of the battle – Chamberlain on Little Round Top, Sickles deployment of his corps, Reynolds role in precipitating the battle then and there, Stuart’s ride, the Minnesota charge, Meade’s faltering performance and predilection to retreat, the looting of Gettysburg and adjacent towns, the abduction of Pennsylvania blacks into slavery, the advance of Pickett’s division to the battlefield and its subsequent charge, the insidious political influences rampant throughout both armies (but most destructively the Union Army), and so much more … it is an historical experience of first-rate and compelling affect. The succession of absolutely critical turning points that kept cropping up over the three days, and the succession of absolutely last-minute serendipitous reprieves that saved the Union army time and again are breath-taking.
My one criticism is directed to his brief (eight pages) Epilogue at the end in which he narrates the creation of the Gettysburg National Cemetery and the evolution of the ceremony that concluded with Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. For reasons I cannot fathom, he refers to Lincoln as “the tall man” throughout the Epilogue in a tone of folky reverential mysticism interspersed with phrases from the speech and digressions of imputed meaning. It is such a jarring change from the tone and quality of narration of the entire preceding book that I found it irksome and unnecessary. The subject of the dedication ceremony and Lincoln’s address are clearly relevant and necessary – but Guelzo’s manner of presenting them is a complete shift from his extraordinary and glorious treatment of all that preceded it. Some examples (not all inclusive, either):
“The mind of the tall man in the White House had been weighing what the battle signified ever since the news of Gettysburg first came…”
“As was his wont, the tall man began committing his ideas to paper piecemeal…”
“The tall man did not speak of the war as a crusade of liberation from slavery…”
“The tall man stood up, unfolded his wire-rim spectacles, produced two or three sheets of paper from his inside pocket…”
So I give this book five stars for 474 of its 482 pages. Actually, I would give it ten-stars on the five star scale... and I will just choose to give the author a pass for those last eight pages…
A classic examination of leadership, strategy, and decision making. I have always preferred key judgements over the executive summary style. While not exactly what you are presenting here, your key insights format provides the reader with a quick, but clear and thoughtful view into subject. Well done.
Thanks, James. We added the 'Key Insights' section after we released the post. Another reader recommended it for longer posts.
An excellent review of one of the finest warfare novels ever written. It should inspire any American to want to learn more about the battle, as well as to visit the battlefield. Frankly, it is one of the places that every American should visit if given the opportunity....to learn about the sacrifices that their ancestors endured!!!
I studied civil war history at Florida State University with the author's son. Who became a renowned author in his own right!!!
Thank you, Sir! We appreciate your comments and agree with your thoughts on learning about the Civil War and the Battle Gettysburg. As statues are removed, highways and military bases are renamed, the lessons learned from this war will continue to fade. So books and battlefields grow in importance. We don't need sequel.
This was a foundational book for me relatively early in my career. My academic specialties in military history were World War I navies and World War II navies and Eastern Front land combat. My boss on the II Marine Expeditionary Force staff in 1988, Colonel Klaus Schreiber, asked me what I'd read about the Civil War. "Nothing," I replied, "I'm just not curious about hillbilly wars." He smiled and assigned me this book and said we'd talk about it in a month. I was done in just a few days as I was hooked early in the narrative. My Civil War history collection is now the largest portion of my personal military library, and I never tire of reading new books on campaigns, battles, leaders, and the experience of the soldiery on both sides. As an avid board wargamer, I also have played a dozen titles on this particular engagement; my opponents and I often recalled portions of the book as we played.
While more recent scholarship brings some of the narrative's interpretations into question, this doesn't detract from the value of the book in breathing life into popular accounts of The Battle of Gettysburg. I follow Colonel Scheiber's example in recommending this book for those with a germinating interest in the war and the battle.
Thanks for this fresh review on an old favorite!
Thanks, Eric. As you can see it is one of my favorites as well. I'm still a Civil War amateur with interests that pull me towards more recent conflicts, but books on the Civil War can draw me in especially living near Fredericksburg with so much of that history in my backyard.
As we mentioned in our first post "The abundance of new books is both a gift and a challenge. On one hand, an endless supply of knowledge, stories, and ideas is waiting to be explored. On the other, there’s the reality that no matter how much you read, there will always be more great books left untouched."
That's why it's so important, and difficult, to pick your next read wisely.