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Gettysburg
70 color maps and insightful text tell the hour-by-hour story of the 3-day Battle of Gettysburg. Each map shows the same 3-1/2-by-4-1/2-mile view of the battlefield, allowing the reader to visualize the battle as it developed over the entire area, including key engagements, troop movements and positions, and locations of commanders.
This book sheds new light on important events such as the first clash west of town on July 1, the fighting for Cemetery Hill, the defense of Little Round Top, Pickett's Charge, and more. Crystal-clear maps and narrative make this an ideal introduction for newcomers, while the unique approach offers fresh perspectives for those who've read every book on the battle. The perfect companion for battlefield visits and armchair-general debates.
“This map-supported narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg will appeal to neophyte and expert alike. The hour-by-hour maps of the maneuvering and fighting provide the clearest cartographic picture of the battle in existence.”
—James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom
“The new Stackpole Gettysburg map book meets people coming to the battlefield just where they are, with concise and uncluttered maps that clearly and accurately lay out the major movements down to brigade level, on an hour-by-hour basis, and with a straightforward and easily-followed narrative of each map's actions. Take it in the car, take it on foot, combine it with digital apps, or study it in advance -- you will have the battle of Gettysburg in easy grasp.”
—Allen C. Guelzo, two-time winner of the Lincoln Prize and author of Gettysburg: The Last Invasion
“Many attempts to depict the course of fighting on America's most iconic battlefield are either so general as to be misleading, or so specific as to be incomprehensible. This cartographic display is a nice compromise. The movements are depicted clearly, and in full color, so that even a complete newcomer to the battle can follow the action easily.”
—Craig L. Symonds, author of the Lincoln Prize-winning Lincoln and His Admirals
“Gettysburg: The Story of the Battle with Maps is a unique exploration of the battle. Since each map shows the entire battlefield, it is possible to understand the context of each movement, attack, and counterattack during the three days and how it related to the rest of the battle. The accompanying text brings the battle alive and nicely complements the maps.”
—D. Scott Hartwig, Supervisory Historian at Gettysburg National Military Park
“This attractively produced volume offers . . . a comprehensive picture of the battle.”
—Library Journal
This book sheds new light on important events such as the first clash west of town on July 1, the fighting for Cemetery Hill, the defense of Little Round Top, Pickett's Charge, and more. Crystal-clear maps and narrative make this an ideal introduction for newcomers, while the unique approach offers fresh perspectives for those who've read every book on the battle. The perfect companion for battlefield visits and armchair-general debates.
“This map-supported narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg will appeal to neophyte and expert alike. The hour-by-hour maps of the maneuvering and fighting provide the clearest cartographic picture of the battle in existence.”
—James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom
“The new Stackpole Gettysburg map book meets people coming to the battlefield just where they are, with concise and uncluttered maps that clearly and accurately lay out the major movements down to brigade level, on an hour-by-hour basis, and with a straightforward and easily-followed narrative of each map's actions. Take it in the car, take it on foot, combine it with digital apps, or study it in advance -- you will have the battle of Gettysburg in easy grasp.”
—Allen C. Guelzo, two-time winner of the Lincoln Prize and author of Gettysburg: The Last Invasion
“Many attempts to depict the course of fighting on America's most iconic battlefield are either so general as to be misleading, or so specific as to be incomprehensible. This cartographic display is a nice compromise. The movements are depicted clearly, and in full color, so that even a complete newcomer to the battle can follow the action easily.”
—Craig L. Symonds, author of the Lincoln Prize-winning Lincoln and His Admirals
“Gettysburg: The Story of the Battle with Maps is a unique exploration of the battle. Since each map shows the entire battlefield, it is possible to understand the context of each movement, attack, and counterattack during the three days and how it related to the rest of the battle. The accompanying text brings the battle alive and nicely complements the maps.”
—D. Scott Hartwig, Supervisory Historian at Gettysburg National Military Park
“This attractively produced volume offers . . . a comprehensive picture of the battle.”
—Library Journal
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
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118 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 9, 2022
I have a friend who has been a close buddy for decades. When he suggested that we spend most of our vacation time going from one American Civil War site to another, I was more than hesitant. However, I couldn’t say no to a trip to Gettysburg on the July 4th holiday weekend, and I am glad that I did. His expertise as we toured each point of conflict gave me a better sense of what I had read in history books. I wish we had taken this book with because the clear color-coded maps plus being on the battlefield would have been the best way to understand what had happened almost hour by hour.
In addition to the maps are descriptions of both the terrain and the personalities. Here are several examples:
"…the Union regiments . . . watch in astonishment . . . as Davis’s Confederate infantry . . . disappears! In fact, the Rebels have taken refuge by dropping out of sight into an unfinished railroad cut. This level, dead-straight, trench-like road bed, where track has yet to be laid, runs through the swells and dips of the farm country approximately parallel to the pike, immediately north of it. The Confederates are aware of the cut. Earlier in the fight when Davis made his initial attack on Cutler’s regiments just as they were arriving in position north of the pike, one of Davis’s attacking Confederate regiments utilized the cut for cover and concealment, advancing straight down it at Cutler’s left flank to spring out of nowhere on Cutler’s surprised Yankees. Now, not three quarters of an hour later, Davis’s men again avail themselves of the cover afforded by the cut’s high banks where the road bed runs below the gentle countryside rises: It’s a logical move . . . and a great mistake."
and ---
"ROBERT E. LEE is a Virginia aristocrat, God-fearing in his belief that once you’ve done your best, the outcome rests with Him. Soft-spoken, unfazed by shedding blood in service to the Cause, LEE gives orders suggestively and at times without definitiveness or follow-through (“avoid a general engagement”). This tendency will serve him ill at Gettysburg, where he’s restless, occasionally to the point of seeming not to know what to do. A brilliant leader who employs the best and gives them their head, LEE pulled off his recent coup at Chancellorsville against overwhelming Union odds greatly with the help of Jeb Stuart’s piercing “eyes and ears” and Stonewall Jackson’s lion-hearted daring. Here, in the dark at Gettysburg with the sun rising on Day Two, LEE has no Jackson, no Jeb Stuart, and a Longstreet willfully refusing to accept LEE’s attack philosophy."
Early reviews noted the profusion of typographic errors. I believe that, in the Kindle edition, most have been corrected. This is both a delightful addition to any Gettysburg collection and, almost an essential if/when the site is visited.
In addition to the maps are descriptions of both the terrain and the personalities. Here are several examples:
"…the Union regiments . . . watch in astonishment . . . as Davis’s Confederate infantry . . . disappears! In fact, the Rebels have taken refuge by dropping out of sight into an unfinished railroad cut. This level, dead-straight, trench-like road bed, where track has yet to be laid, runs through the swells and dips of the farm country approximately parallel to the pike, immediately north of it. The Confederates are aware of the cut. Earlier in the fight when Davis made his initial attack on Cutler’s regiments just as they were arriving in position north of the pike, one of Davis’s attacking Confederate regiments utilized the cut for cover and concealment, advancing straight down it at Cutler’s left flank to spring out of nowhere on Cutler’s surprised Yankees. Now, not three quarters of an hour later, Davis’s men again avail themselves of the cover afforded by the cut’s high banks where the road bed runs below the gentle countryside rises: It’s a logical move . . . and a great mistake."
and ---
"ROBERT E. LEE is a Virginia aristocrat, God-fearing in his belief that once you’ve done your best, the outcome rests with Him. Soft-spoken, unfazed by shedding blood in service to the Cause, LEE gives orders suggestively and at times without definitiveness or follow-through (“avoid a general engagement”). This tendency will serve him ill at Gettysburg, where he’s restless, occasionally to the point of seeming not to know what to do. A brilliant leader who employs the best and gives them their head, LEE pulled off his recent coup at Chancellorsville against overwhelming Union odds greatly with the help of Jeb Stuart’s piercing “eyes and ears” and Stonewall Jackson’s lion-hearted daring. Here, in the dark at Gettysburg with the sun rising on Day Two, LEE has no Jackson, no Jeb Stuart, and a Longstreet willfully refusing to accept LEE’s attack philosophy."
Early reviews noted the profusion of typographic errors. I believe that, in the Kindle edition, most have been corrected. This is both a delightful addition to any Gettysburg collection and, almost an essential if/when the site is visited.
January 13, 2014
This is a superb book and offers an exceptionally cogent narrative of the battle. Unfortunately fairly heavy on typographical errors, however. Every other page is a full-page, full-color map, and the page next to it is narrative text and explanation. Each subsequent page details the next hour or two of the battle over the entire range of events from Buford's first encounter (July 1, early morning) to Pickett's charge (July 3, late afternoon). The layout is simple but profoundly effective. The graphics are superb. Details hour-by-hour location of Lee and Meade, as well. Includes a pretty good bibliography, too. Highly recommended. If only it were a whole series with every major Civil War battle! That would be great.
July 17, 2019
If, like me, you have read books on the battle of Gettysburg but still have no real idea of how the battle unfolded on the map this is the book for you!
I often find it difficult to follow the flow of AAR's. I struggle to picture in my mind's eye the movement of units, and the terrain they occupy, in relation to other units.
Thus, this is the kind of book I've always wanted. It provides a narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg with maps on every page, giving a play by play of what happens. It is impossible to get lost since every movement and engagement of troops is shown on a corresponding map.
I only wish there was a book like this for every major engagement of the ACW!
I often find it difficult to follow the flow of AAR's. I struggle to picture in my mind's eye the movement of units, and the terrain they occupy, in relation to other units.
Thus, this is the kind of book I've always wanted. It provides a narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg with maps on every page, giving a play by play of what happens. It is impossible to get lost since every movement and engagement of troops is shown on a corresponding map.
I only wish there was a book like this for every major engagement of the ACW!
June 18, 2013
OK, so I want to hasten to assure you...I don't go all five-star gushy at just anything I read, and in fact, it takes something pretty amazing (at least to me) to get the Flag of Five. That said, you will not find a more interesting and cogent description of the Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863. Oh, there are a ton of books out there, and I've read a lot of them, trying to make sense of the sense of the battle, but all those units, and all those places on the battlefield, and all those names, both blue and gray. Well, no matter how much I concentrated, I was always at least a little lost...now which general was that? When did that happen? Now where was that going on?
Enter this book: The story is so plainly laid out, and with such clarity, and dare I say it...poetic effect, that you can lose yourself in the story in the best sense. The maps are there on each facing page, so you always know all the W's.
Seminary Ridge, Cemetery Ridge, The Round Tops, Culp's Hill, Pickett's Charge, The Bloody Angle. You see where the mighty armies clashed, bled, and died, and you sense the anguish, the loss, and triumph, and the sadness that was the beginning of Northern ascendancy, and the high water mark for the Confederacy. Gettysburg in the east, and Vicksburg in the west..the night they drove ole Dixie down.
If you're a fan of military history, hie thee to a bookseller near you. You will not be disappointed.
5 Stars.
Enter this book: The story is so plainly laid out, and with such clarity, and dare I say it...poetic effect, that you can lose yourself in the story in the best sense. The maps are there on each facing page, so you always know all the W's.
Seminary Ridge, Cemetery Ridge, The Round Tops, Culp's Hill, Pickett's Charge, The Bloody Angle. You see where the mighty armies clashed, bled, and died, and you sense the anguish, the loss, and triumph, and the sadness that was the beginning of Northern ascendancy, and the high water mark for the Confederacy. Gettysburg in the east, and Vicksburg in the west..the night they drove ole Dixie down.
If you're a fan of military history, hie thee to a bookseller near you. You will not be disappointed.
5 Stars.
June 8, 2015
Anyone who wants a play by play layout of the entire battlefield should read this book. It really made the battle come to life for me and helped me better understand how and why it played out the way it did. My only complaint is that it seemed very one sided in that it deliberately berated Longstreet, Ewell, and Sickles and kept Lee above reproach. My opinion on this matter does matter but I was upset at the way the narrative was written in an unfair manner. Only reason I would give it a 4-star rating instead of 5.
May 26, 2017
I gave this book a top rating based on its excellent use of maps and map segments to illustrate the sequence of events for the 3 day battle.
However I found the sentence structure used by the authors in the descriptive text to be frequently confusing.
However I found the sentence structure used by the authors in the descriptive text to be frequently confusing.
June 17, 2017
If you enjoy looking at maps and getting a sense of the Battle of Gettysburg with a strong focus on possibility and the visual representation of the friction of war, this is definitely a worthwhile book. Of course, I am no stranger to reading books about the Battle of Gettysburg [1], and this book definitely delivers a compelling picture of the tension and sense of possibility that existed in the Battle of Gettysburg, and how the initial timing of the battle influenced the course of the rest of the battle in subtle ways. There is a lot to like about this book--to be sure, it is a short guide and does not include as much text as many other books would include, but all the same it is the sort of book that can greatly help a student of the Battle of Gettysburg get a sense of the importance of both timing and terrain in the course of the battle as a whole, and that is a lesson that would be greatly useful to many readers of military history and one that is likely to be appreciated.
The contents of this book are immensely straightforward, as might be expected. A foreword includes the legend for how the map is organized before the authors give a prelude to the book that includes the context of the Chancellorsville campaign and its outcome as well as the state of the war in the West at the time and the factors that led to the encounter battle at Gettysburg. Throughout the book the authors comment that Lee seemed not to take as much direct control as he might have been expected to, and as a result many subordinates were simply not at their best. There are chapters for all three days of the battle, and a significant amount of space is shown dealing with the cohesion of various units as well as the possibilities and goals for each of the armies and the behavior of various generals, ending up about 150 pages total including the bibliography and acknowledgments. Overall, this is not a book that will be too taxing to a student of military history who looks at this book as an aid to a study of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the authors even manage to include a great deal of detail about the importance of cavalry and artillery.
As a whole, this short book is an excellent guide to the battle if one wants to get a sense of the topography involved. One gets a sense of the importance of terrain, and how some generals--Sickles comes off particularly poorly here--were lured by an incomplete understanding of terrain in order to seek high ground that was not supported by other units. The importance of beats and timing as well as seizing momentum is covered here to a great degree, and there is much in this book that offers insight to those who wish to understand why battles work the way that they do. The authors take a critical tone at many of the generals for their behavior, showing how petulance and a lack of creativity as well as some off days on the part of many officers led to the battle that developed. While few of the readers of this book would ever apply the topographical insights that this book demonstrates, this is the sort of book that will at least make many readers more aware of the importance of terrain and timing in the way that battles work, which will at least make the audience of this book more savvy readers of military history and better armchair generals, which is itself a worthwhile achievement.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
The contents of this book are immensely straightforward, as might be expected. A foreword includes the legend for how the map is organized before the authors give a prelude to the book that includes the context of the Chancellorsville campaign and its outcome as well as the state of the war in the West at the time and the factors that led to the encounter battle at Gettysburg. Throughout the book the authors comment that Lee seemed not to take as much direct control as he might have been expected to, and as a result many subordinates were simply not at their best. There are chapters for all three days of the battle, and a significant amount of space is shown dealing with the cohesion of various units as well as the possibilities and goals for each of the armies and the behavior of various generals, ending up about 150 pages total including the bibliography and acknowledgments. Overall, this is not a book that will be too taxing to a student of military history who looks at this book as an aid to a study of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the authors even manage to include a great deal of detail about the importance of cavalry and artillery.
As a whole, this short book is an excellent guide to the battle if one wants to get a sense of the topography involved. One gets a sense of the importance of terrain, and how some generals--Sickles comes off particularly poorly here--were lured by an incomplete understanding of terrain in order to seek high ground that was not supported by other units. The importance of beats and timing as well as seizing momentum is covered here to a great degree, and there is much in this book that offers insight to those who wish to understand why battles work the way that they do. The authors take a critical tone at many of the generals for their behavior, showing how petulance and a lack of creativity as well as some off days on the part of many officers led to the battle that developed. While few of the readers of this book would ever apply the topographical insights that this book demonstrates, this is the sort of book that will at least make many readers more aware of the importance of terrain and timing in the way that battles work, which will at least make the audience of this book more savvy readers of military history and better armchair generals, which is itself a worthwhile achievement.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
January 20, 2023
I recently visited Gettysburg prior to reading this book and was lost in the size of the engagement and maneuvers. Especially with kids, it was impossible to spend the time to orient myself and understand what had happened. So I immediately looked into a book to help me. I am a map person, so I was drawn to this book and, in that regard, it did not disappoint. The maps are great. It maintains the same map (the area and scale) throughout so that I was able to clearly understand where everyone was and where they were going. In the text, explaining the maneuvers and fightight, there were zoomed in crops of the map that showed exactly where the described action was. All in all, the book was as advertised - the story of the battle with maps. FYI - I read this on ebook, which worked fine when in color. If you have a black and white e-reader, I would recommend finding a way to read it in color. Also, my e-reader didn't allow for zooming in, so, for a while, I read it side by side with another map of topographical features around Gettysburg.
Now, the book does suffer a bit from the narrative. No, not the portrayal of Lee, but rather the basic writing. Honestly, it feels like something that was spit out by an early-generation AI, or something that was run through Google translate. For the most part, it did not detract from the goal of the book, but I would not describe this as "well written".
Now, the book does suffer a bit from the narrative. No, not the portrayal of Lee, but rather the basic writing. Honestly, it feels like something that was spit out by an early-generation AI, or something that was run through Google translate. For the most part, it did not detract from the goal of the book, but I would not describe this as "well written".
October 31, 2019
By far the best set of maps and accompanying text I've read about Gettysburg or, really, any battle. The narration (which seems like it could have used one last proofreading pass for narrative clarity—my only criticism), nevertheless is wonderful and works hand-in-hand with the maps to provide almost a guided tour of the battle. I liked that at particular points in the telling, the narration provides context by reflecting back on earlier events that impact the present moment and also looks forward to later events that would be impacted by events being described. It is wonderful that all of the heroic feats that, individually, have become legendary are each placed in their proper place on the sprawling battlefield and in the proper time in relation to all the other events of the battle. The maps are brilliant and clear, showing the correct amount of detail to make each hour's situation easily understandable, with smaller highlight maps to illustrate points being made in the text. It is a marvelous achievement and highly recommended.
May 10, 2019
The only reason this gets more than one star is the maps, which are really good.
Other than that, it is a very biased and in my opinion faulty presentation of the battle, with usual lost cause arguments against longstreet and nothing critical againsts lee.
If you've only read this book it would seem Lee ('the gray-white, ramrod-straight, gentlemanly living legend in the saddle beside him.' - I almost puked reading this) was a godlike tactical genius not capable of making a mistake with his subordinates doing his best to make him lose this battle, at whose front is the Luci...Longstreet himself.
Other than that, it is a very biased and in my opinion faulty presentation of the battle, with usual lost cause arguments against longstreet and nothing critical againsts lee.
If you've only read this book it would seem Lee ('the gray-white, ramrod-straight, gentlemanly living legend in the saddle beside him.' - I almost puked reading this) was a godlike tactical genius not capable of making a mistake with his subordinates doing his best to make him lose this battle, at whose front is the Luci...Longstreet himself.
June 2, 2021
If you have any interest in learning about the battle but aren't sure where to start, this is the perfect book. The maps are great and the narrative matches the energy of the situation. So much so, you will want to set aside a block of reading time, you will not want to put it down once you start. I really hope they do more of these. There are numerous books on the battle to read after this one but I can see this one getting a lot of use as you look at the maps as you read these other books. It will be hard to imagine not rereading this book several times.
December 29, 2021
A graphic and picturesque map book that details the moves and results of battles and positioning of both sides over the course of the 3 days at Gettysburg. These are maps on each page that show the movement and intentions of the North and South. From these maps and explanations a decent history will be made known in the event of the reader every going to Gettysburg. History will be revealed easily.
July 6, 2024
I bought this to help figure out what was going on in Pfanz's Gettysburg: The Second Day, but this book does not go into regimental detail. The text is juvenile and full of weird platitudes. But...if you're looking for a visual representation of the three days of battle this is helpful and would be easy to take along with you on a trip to the battlefield.
January 8, 2020
My favorite book about the Battle of Gettysburg! Maps galore, tracking and mapping almost every hour of the three day battle. Easy to understand with the notes and different colors. Extensive bibliography adds to the value.
July 4, 2021
Writing not the best, added "color" takes away from the work from the maps are excellent and the book offers an excellent view on the unfolding of the battle, pairs well with other books that go into more detail about what's happening with the leaders/details.
April 16, 2024
Great Tool!
Read this simultaneously as Stephen W. Sears “Gettysburg” as it was a great tool to show broad scale movements as well as depiction of units, movement of reinforcements, and even the Cavalry Battles with Stuart and Custer to the East of Gettysburg.
Read this simultaneously as Stephen W. Sears “Gettysburg” as it was a great tool to show broad scale movements as well as depiction of units, movement of reinforcements, and even the Cavalry Battles with Stuart and Custer to the East of Gettysburg.
August 23, 2020
I am not a Gettysburg scholar but this book was very helpful in understanding the basics of the battle. I wish I would have read it before visiting the battlefield!
May 30, 2022
Wonderful collection of chronological maps of the battle of Gettysburg
December 28, 2022
Maps are essential to understand any military effort. Highly recommended !!
June 2, 2025
A great explanation of the battle with information about the positioning of the armies; however at times written a little flowery which leads to some distraction
November 30, 2025
The full page maps are well designed. Some of the smaller insets are less well done. The descriptive text is less effective. At times the text engages in clichés.
January 6, 2026
Highly informative! The maps take you through the battle day-by-day, seeing what occurred in various parts of the battlefield. An excellent guide!
August 16, 2015
Excellent!
I highly recommend this book to the Civil War scholar or casual history fan alike. I've never been to Gettysburg (yet!), but reading this makes me feel that I have. I know that when I finally make my pilgrimage to the battlefield, the terrain will be very familiar to me, thanks to this book. The amount of detail in the book is simply staggering.
I highly recommend this book to the Civil War scholar or casual history fan alike. I've never been to Gettysburg (yet!), but reading this makes me feel that I have. I know that when I finally make my pilgrimage to the battlefield, the terrain will be very familiar to me, thanks to this book. The amount of detail in the book is simply staggering.
July 9, 2013
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in the Battle of Gettysburg. The maps indicating troop movement provide a clear picture of events.
Read
May 24, 2016Very cool visualization of the battle, step-by-step. Every pair of pages is a map + description -- great for us map-a-holics!
August 17, 2016
Great companion to (i) Stephen Sears' "Gettysburg" 1 volume history (very good), and to (ii) visit to the battlefield (we enjoyed the Segway tour!).
September 7, 2025
Very good visual overviews of the Battle
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews