Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage - Hardcover

Trudeau, Noah Andre

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060193638 ISBN 13: 9780060193638

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2002

Synopsis

America's Civil War raged for more than four years, the three days of fighting in the Pennsylvania countryside in July 1863 continue to fascinate, appall, and inspire new generations with their unparalleled saga of sacrifice and courage.

No battle was as deadly or dramatic as Gettysburg. More lives were lost there than in any other war fought on American soil. From Chancellorsville, where General Robert E. Lee launched his high-risk campaign into the North, to the Confederates' last daring and ultimately doomed act, forever known as Pickett's Charge, the battle of Gettysburg gave the Union army a victory that turned back the boldest and perhaps greatest chance for a Southern nation.

The last three decades have seen scores of remarkable new studies focusing on important elements of this monumental campaign. Now, acclaimed historian Noah Andre Trudeau brings the most up-to-date research available to a brilliant, sweeping, and comprehensive history that sheds new light on virtually every aspect of the battle of Gettysburg. Deftly balancing his own narrative style with revealing firsthand accounts, including excerpts from the diaries and letters of the men on both sides of the battlefield, Trudeau brings this engrossing human tale to life. He recounts the heightening tension of the campaign, the life-or-death decisions made by its commanders, and the struggle endured by thousands of its bravest soldiers. Not forgotten are the stories of the noncombatants, the thousands of civilians whose placid lives were swept into the ferocious cauldron.

Scrupulously researched and masterfully written, Gettysburg conveys all the drama and heroism in what is sure to be the defining account for years to come of this pivotal moment in American history.

About this title

About the Author

Noah Andre Trudeau is the author of Gettysburg. He has won the Civil War Round Table of New York's Fletcher Pratt Award and the Jerry Coffey Memorial Prize. A former executive producer at National Public Radio, he lives in Washington, D.C.

From the Back Cover

America's Civil War raged for more than four years, the three days of fighting in the Pennsylvania countryside in July 1863 continue to fascinate, appall, and inspire new generations with their unparalleled saga of sacrifice and courage.

No battle was as deadly or dramatic as Gettysburg. More lives were lost there than in any other war fought on American soil. From Chancellorsville, where General Robert E. Lee launched his high-risk campaign into the North, to the Confederates' last daring and ultimately doomed act, forever known as Pickett's Charge, the battle of Gettysburg gave the Union army a victory that turned back the boldest and perhaps greatest chance for a Southern nation.

The last three decades have seen scores of remarkable new studies focusing on important elements of this monumental campaign. Now, acclaimed historian Noah Andre Trudeau brings the most up-to-date research available to a brilliant, sweeping, and comprehensive history that sheds new light on virtually every aspect of the battle of Gettysburg. Deftly balancing his own narrative style with revealing firsthand accounts, including excerpts from the diaries and letters of the men on both sides of the battlefield, Trudeau brings this engrossing human tale to life. He recounts the heightening tension of the campaign, the life-or-death decisions made by its commanders, and the struggle endured by thousands of its bravest soldiers. Not forgotten are the stories of the noncombatants, the thousands of civilians whose placid lives were swept into the ferocious cauldron.

Scrupulously researched and masterfully written, Gettysburg conveys all the drama and heroism in what is sure to be the defining account for years to come of this pivotal moment in American history.

Reviews

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.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060193638
• ISBN 13: 9780060193638
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 694