If the South won Gettysburg by Mark Nesbitt

by Mark Nesbitt

Many historical accounts have been written documenting the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War. In "If the South Won Gettysburg" author Mark Nesbitt makes a dramatic hypothetical examination of precisely that What if the South won at Gettysburg as a result of a change in the South's battle tactics ? What would have been the fate of this great nation?

Genres: American Civil War, Alternate History, Fiction, Civil War, Historical Fiction

Paperback

First published June 1, 1980

About the author

Mark Nesbitt was a National Park Service Ranger/Historian for five years at Gettysburg before starting his own research and writing company. Since then he has published fourteen books including the national award-winning Ghosts of Gettysburg series. His stories have been seen on The History Channel, A&E, The Discovery Channel, The Travel Channel, Unsolved Mysteries, and numerous regional television shows and heard on Coast to Coast AM, and regional radio. In 1994, he created the commercially successful Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. The book starts off promisingly with a researched factual rendition of the Gettysburg campaign. Nesbitt missed with his fanciful prediction of what could have happened if Lee had acquiesced to Longstreet's suggestion of a flanking maneuver on Gen Meade-not the idea itself but how it was portrayed. Too much adulation for the "glorious" southern cause wreaks in this book, and makes Nesbitt's characterization of union forces under Meade suspect. When Meade repeatedly hurls his army upon an entrenched confederate force to obliteration, then surrenders his entire army, Nesbit ignores Meade's well known cautious defensive temperament. Gen Stuart riding into DC unscathed regardless of the actual massive union forces emplaced and entrenchments ringing the city, makes for a farcical ending to the campaign. Shelby Foote said that even had the Union lost at Gettysburg, the hand that was figuratively tied behind their back up to this point would have come out to eventually finish the job on the south.
Nonetheless, the author's intention was to appeal to the "lost cause" southern sympathizer crowd, so in that he succeeds in weaving a tale to effect, however implausible.

[Scott Skipper · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the South Won Gettysburg is a fascinating tale in three parts. It begins as a meticulous retelling of the beginning of the battle then turns into a highly plausible description of how events might have developed had Lee listened to Longstreet’s suggestion of a flanking maneuver. The resulting invented troop movements and skirmishes read like truth. The outcome as told by Mark Nesbitt appears to be precisely how things would have been if one decision by Lee were taken differently.

The third part of the story is a rapid narration of subsequent worldwide reaction to a Confederate victory. All speculation feels reasonable and logical. This is the type of cerebral exercise that history enthusiasts will find intriguing and amusing. Plus, there is a message that twenty-first century readers would be remiss to ignore.

[William Sariego · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good little book for what it was, something I put in my lunchbox to read on breaks at work. Yet it's format leaves me confused. Only 107 pages long, the first 44 are not alternate history at all, but a recap of the history of the rivalry between the North and South and the war through day two of Gettysburg. If you have little or no knowledge of the conflict, this might be needed. But would such a reader be interested in an alternate history with actual historical knowledge lacking? The book veers off when Lee finally listens to Longstreet's advice and moves his army between Meade and Washington D.C. This is were the book becomes interesting for the Civil War aficionado. I am afraid Mr. Nesbitt is an author in search of an audience.

[Robert]

autographed copy

[Carole]

This was an interesting book. However, it's been too long since I started it and finished it soon after for me to tell anything about it.