≫ Read Free American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg Craig L Symonds 9780060549336 Books

American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg Craig L Symonds 9780060549336 Books

Download As PDF : American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg Craig L Symonds 9780060549336 Books

American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg Craig L Symonds 9780060549336 Books

I knew quite a bit about the Battle of Gettysburg. I've read numerous accounts of the battle, and my favorite written one was by Shelby Foote in the section or chapter entitled, "The Stars in their Courses." I also enjoyed the movie "Gettysburg" which I thought was a great and accurate recreation of the battle itself. Now I've started reading this book by Symonds and I've really enjoyed reading Symonds based on 2 books- "Lincoln and his Admirals" which was nicely written and showed me an aspect of Lincoln I was not aware of, how he dealt with his admirals vs. his generals, as well as the Symonds edited New York Times edition of "The Civil War" where you get to read the headlines of the New York Times during the days they were written. Symonds did a great job there as well. As for this book, so far I have just read the account of the first day, but I was interested to read the book's assessment of the "missed opportunity" to attack the Union position of Culp's Hill if not Cemetery Hill. The book shows two fallacies of this argument. One was how there was no standardized time of the battle so trying to determine what happened and when was a tricky thing regarding Gettysburg. Also, there were quite a few Union men at Cemetery Hill at least along with artillery making a successful attack there questionable at best, and as for Culp's Hill, perhaps the opportunity suspected of being there may have been there early, but by the late afternoon and early evening, that chance had been missed as well due to the soldiers being placed there. No, it appears to come down to whether it was prudent to attack on the 2nd and 3rd day at all which Longstreet did not want to do and which Lee did want to do. History has shown which general was right there. This book certainly recreates that.


Tags : American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg [Craig L. Symonds] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Filled with photographs, drawings, maps, firsthand accounts, and essays, a lavishly illustrated and thorough history of one of the most lethal battles in all of American history provides a gripping narrative that captures the personalities,Craig L. Symonds,American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg,HarperCollins,0060549335,History,History - U.S.,History Military United States,History United States Civil War Period (1850-1877),History: American,Military - United States,United States - Civil War

American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg Craig L Symonds 9780060549336 Books Reviews

I enjoyed this book quite a lot and was put off by some of the other reviews posted here. This is a concise history that is lavishly illustrated with photos, artwork, and pretty good maps. It balances military detail of the battle sequences with background details about the major players, soldiers' lives, weapons, etc. As a popular introduction, it has its share of anecdotes, some fanciful, but that wasn't a major distraction for me. It would be a decent introduction to the battle for someone with modest familiarity with the Civil War, but I would not give it to the average teenager, as suggested by another reviewer. I also thought that the treatment of Longstreet was not overly negative; read D. S. Freeman if you'd like to see a really negative treatment. I have read 6 other books on Gettysburg so far and was happy to make this the 7th.
The Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg in particular continue to have a great hold over the thought and imagination of many Americans. The Civil War, including its grandest battle, is often referred to as the "American Iliad" with all the horror, suffering, and search for glory of that mythical conflict between the ancient Greeks and Trojans.
There are many ways of approaching the Battle of Gettysburg. Some people are primarily interested in understanding simply what happened as a matter of fact. Other people are more interested in exploring its meaning -- both the meaning it may have for them personally and the meaning it has had for others. Craig Symonds's "American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg" (2001) is a coffee-table sized book and a collage.
But that is just the beginning. The book has a great deal to offer both those with a casual interest in the Battle of Gettysburg and to serious students of the War and of the Battle. It is one of the relatively unusual books that will offer something different to every reader.
The book includes Symonds' succinct yet informative narrative of the Battle. He begins with the fateful decision of the Confederate military and political leadership to invade the North following Lee's victory at Chancellorsville in early May, 1863. There is good discussion of the reasons which lead to this decision. Symonds then follows the course of the Confederate invasion of the North together with the pursuit of the Union Army. He discusses in a thorough, simple way the meeting of the two armies at Gettysburg, the first day's fighting, Longstreet's attack on the second day, the fighting at Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill, Pickett's Charge on the third day, and the Southern retreat and Union pursuit. His account is less than fully detailed but it is far from superficial. I found it showed balance and an effort to be fair to all the participants.
The story of the Battle has been told many times. I thought that the many photographs, drawings, and paintings made this book fresh and valuable. To begin with, Symonds offers clear maps of some of the confusing movements on the battlefield. The book also includes an excellent collection of historical photographs of the Battlefield that are reproduced well with cogent annotations and explanations. The book also includes drawings of the events of the Battle, some of which were made contemporaneously with the events and some of which postdate the Battle. Finally, there are many reproductions of paintings of scenes from the Battle of Gettysburg. These are all reproduced well and informatively annotated and explained.
I was intrigued and moved to see the many photographs, drawings and paintings gathered together to illuminate a narrative history of the Battle. The paintings especially were mostly unfamiliar to me, and I learned a great deal by seeing how American artists had imagined the Battle. (The quality of these paintings as works of art is for this purpose less important than the way they present their subject.) The Battle of Gettysburg was a historical incident which is worth studying to determine what happened and what didn't happen. But it is also an American legend and it is more than worth seeing how Gettysburg has fared in the American imagination.
This book does well in capturing Gettysburg both as history and as memory. Those with a casual interest in the Battle will receive an adequate factual account with lovely pictures and trappings. I think readers knowing more about the Battle will find the greater interest in the photographs, drawings and paintings that show how Americans have explained and recreated the Battle of Gettysburg for themselves subsequent to the eventful days of July 1 -- July 3, 1863.
A Great book for those who study the Battle of Gettysburg. American Heritage never fails to deliver agreat book for the novice to the serious student. The book is well written and replete with page after page of photos, sketches, maps and paintings that enhances the subject matter and experience.
Brian K
A bit dated but still very good.
A very good read, well organized and researched. I enjoy reading about the Civil War and have read many books concerning the battle of Gettysburg. The American Heritage History of the Battle of Gettysburg is an enjoyable addition because of the photos and pictures of artifacts. I recommend this book.
This is a fine effort on a very enigmatic subject. It explains very well why Lee did not take the advice of Longstreet and what happened with Ewell as with almost everything in life timing is so important, tempest fuget. How minutes change the courses of a battle and history. It would seem so easy for some to criticize these brave men but as with so many events being there is total. The relation given in the book to the Kaos of battle with the ever changing circumstances causing even the best laid plans to fail is very concise. Overall a very good book on a difficult subject one of the most important in the history of the United States.
I knew quite a bit about the Battle of Gettysburg. I've read numerous accounts of the battle, and my favorite written one was by Shelby Foote in the section or chapter entitled, "The Stars in their Courses." I also enjoyed the movie "Gettysburg" which I thought was a great and accurate recreation of the battle itself. Now I've started reading this book by Symonds and I've really enjoyed reading Symonds based on 2 books- "Lincoln and his Admirals" which was nicely written and showed me an aspect of Lincoln I was not aware of, how he dealt with his admirals vs. his generals, as well as the Symonds edited New York Times edition of "The Civil War" where you get to read the headlines of the New York Times during the days they were written. Symonds did a great job there as well. As for this book, so far I have just read the account of the first day, but I was interested to read the book's assessment of the "missed opportunity" to attack the Union position of Culp's Hill if not Cemetery Hill. The book shows two fallacies of this argument. One was how there was no standardized time of the battle so trying to determine what happened and when was a tricky thing regarding Gettysburg. Also, there were quite a few Union men at Cemetery Hill at least along with artillery making a successful attack there questionable at best, and as for Culp's Hill, perhaps the opportunity suspected of being there may have been there early, but by the late afternoon and early evening, that chance had been missed as well due to the soldiers being placed there. No, it appears to come down to whether it was prudent to attack on the 2nd and 3rd day at all which Longstreet did not want to do and which Lee did want to do. History has shown which general was right there. This book certainly recreates that.