Gettysburg: The True Account of Two Young Heroes in the Greatest Battle of the Civil War

by Iain C. Martin

In the summer of 1863, General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia advanced into Pennsylvania in a daring offensive to win the Civil War in a single campaign. They met the Union Army at a quiet crossroads town called Gettysburg, and engaged in the greatest battle ever fought on American soil. Three days of combat ended on July 3 with Pickett's Charge, a heroic assault by nine of Lee's brigades against the Union defenses on Cemetery Ridge. Their repulse at the stone wall became known as the "high-water mark" of the Confederacy. At the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery that November, Lincoln used the occasion to deliver his Gettysburg Address, a short, two-minute speech that became the most famous in American history.

Genres: Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

Iain C. Martin is a freelance writer and historian with a MA in American history from Southern Connecticut State University. Originally from Owego, New York, he now resides in Connecticut with his wife and two young children.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough walk through of the events leading up to, durning, and after the battle.

[Tee2e · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm interesting details

Very interesting read, I could definitely use a miniature scale model to help follow along in all the various battles and skirmishes. Keeping track of the myriad of troop movements and their respective leaders was a challenge but fully explained the intricacies of engagements. I really enjoyed the highlighted individuals, especially the after battle updates and tidbits at the end of the book.

[Katie Lebkuecher]

1. Twin Text: Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863, Laurie Calkhoven, 2011
2. Calkhoven’s novel enhances Martin’s non-fiction text by giving children a view of the days leading up to and during the Battle of Gettysburg from the point of view of a twelve-year-old boy. It follows a boy named Will as he and the other citizens of Gettysburg prepare for the Civil War to find its way there, face the Confederate Army and deal with the aftermath of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. Both books follow the three days of the battle day-by-day and the aftermath. Calkhoven includes an actual teen from Gettysburg, Tillie Pierce, whose story is told in the Prologue of Martin’s Gettysburg.
3. Martin uses several text structures. He uses description to tell the story of the Battle of Gettysburg and the aftermath of the battle. He also organizes the story using chronological sequencing as each chapter covers a different day. Prior to reading, students can begin to fill in a KWL chart with the information they know about the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg and what they would like to learn about the battle. They would then fill in the last column as they read the books to answer the questions they asked in the second column.
4. (2013, July). Booklist. http://www.booklistonline.com/Gettysb...

[Jenn M · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is beautiful with many historical photographs and paintings within its pages.

The primary story line is presented with multiple side bars to expand the information presented. However, in many cases, the information (even the exact wording) is repeated in the main story line AND the sidebars. I felt like I was losing my place and re-reading pages accidentally, when really the information was repetitively presented. Perhaps, because book is geared to middle grade and young adult readers, this method was chosen to emphasize certain important (author opinion) facts. I did not like reading then rereading the same information within a couple of pages. Also, the number of sidebars caused the flow to be somewhat sporadic, not smooth.

However, there is good with the bad in this book. The information, even though presentation style is less than desirable (from my perspective), was relevant and interesting. I even learned a fact or two that were new to me.

So, mixed feedback on this book.