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sleepyboi2988's review against another edition
5.0
Typical Sears. Which means you are going to get excellent prose, first hand accounts, and history.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
4.0
This is a book you have to think your way through. But then, that's how must battle books are. I spent a lot of time listening while staring at maps trying to picture who was where and when. I had to take a lot of time to look for maps. The maps in this book are pretty good, but more could be added. I spent a lot of time looking at maps online also.
This book taught me a lot about the Battle of Gettysburg. It's a pretty overwhelming subject, and the fact that Sears or anyone else can get it down on paper is quite remarkable to me. I must say my appetite is whetted to read another book on the same subject to see what other approaches to the subject there are.
I think some Day 2 activities were probably glossed over as I was confused by some Day 3 references to Day 2. This is another reason I would like to read another text. But this one is good.
I really did enjoy it.
This book taught me a lot about the Battle of Gettysburg. It's a pretty overwhelming subject, and the fact that Sears or anyone else can get it down on paper is quite remarkable to me. I must say my appetite is whetted to read another book on the same subject to see what other approaches to the subject there are.
I think some Day 2 activities were probably glossed over as I was confused by some Day 3 references to Day 2. This is another reason I would like to read another text. But this one is good.
I really did enjoy it.
n0rmann's review against another edition
5.0
Quite simply the best book I've ever read about a single battle. Sears does a great job of putting you on the battle field and introducing all of the important participants. Even though the winner of the battle is known, he kept me at the edge of my seat. His telling of the story really makes you realize how violent and horrible this battle was.
mattmp's review against another edition
2.0
On a whim, I decided to take a crack at reading some Civil War military history. Not normally the type of book or the historical period that I'm into. The style is to focus on the details of the armies: personalities, positions at different points times, organizational structure. There is much less (to none) of a focus on the historical context & social background. There is a cursory look at how civilians in occupied and affected territories reacted. The best part is that the author quotes heavily from personal journals and letters. Overall, extremely comprehensive, if military history or the Civil War are your cup of tea.
theeverglow17's review against another edition
5.0
Having read various portions of this book over the years, I decided now was the time to sit down and read it all. Sears has a way of being very detailed at times and very brief at other times. The book as a whole reads as a narration... with the occasional primary source quote thrown in. It is much easier to read and understand the battle from an episodic perspective than Trudeau's book "A Testing of Courage", which was chronological... and thus jumped all over the battlefield from paragraph to paragraph. One of the main complaints I have about this book is the maps. The maps just seem to be oddly placed... sometimes, he would cover nearly an entire portion of the battle before a map of that portion was shown. Other times, the map would appear at the very start of a certain section of action. This problem was magnified since I was reading the book on my iPad... making "flipping" to find the maps difficult.
Overall, however, this a fantastic book about Gettysburg. It's good for anyone with a knowledge of the battle who wants to go into more detail.
Overall, however, this a fantastic book about Gettysburg. It's good for anyone with a knowledge of the battle who wants to go into more detail.
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
3.0
A well written book for what it is. Unfortunately, what it is happens to be a style of book that is clearly not for me; that is, a dry book largely about detailed military orders and maneuvers, largely lacking in greater human interest. I'm sure this is an amazing book for someone who is interested only in military strategy and the minute details of battle, but for me, it lacked the greater details about the humanity involved.
jwest87's review against another edition
5.0
I wish I could give half stars here. I found this to be a very moving account about Lee's second invasion North. My only gripe (a very small one) is that Mr. Sears declares in the introduction that the person at fault for the Confederate loss at Gettysburg is General Lee and General Lee alone. By the end of this, it felt like the entire leadership of the Confederacy (excluding General Longstreet), was at fault. A leadership that has been given so much praise throughout the years seems to be totally absent. Credit must also be given to some of the leadership in the Union army (Hancock especially).
dreamwanderer's review
5.0
The title of this book is a bit deceiving. There is much more to this work than just the battle itself. Sears sets up the scenario by revealing how the different pieces for this accidental battle fell into place. It begins with Lee and Davis planning their invasion of the North with the parallel account of the political bickering in the Union Army which resulted in General Meade becoming the reluctant Commander of the Army of the Potomac.
The Gettysburg Campaign begins June 3 in Culpeper VA as Lee and his forces make their way north and it ends nearly a month later when they recross the Potomac back into Virginia. There are battles and skirmishes on the way to Pennsylvania and more battles and skirmishes during the retreat. Sears covers every movement of the battle itself taking time to give short bios of the officers and descriptions of the terrain. None of this slows the story down.
Good comprehensive book that tells the complete story of a great three day battle that not only affected one nation but also had ramifications for the future of the world.
The Gettysburg Campaign begins June 3 in Culpeper VA as Lee and his forces make their way north and it ends nearly a month later when they recross the Potomac back into Virginia. There are battles and skirmishes on the way to Pennsylvania and more battles and skirmishes during the retreat. Sears covers every movement of the battle itself taking time to give short bios of the officers and descriptions of the terrain. None of this slows the story down.
Good comprehensive book that tells the complete story of a great three day battle that not only affected one nation but also had ramifications for the future of the world.