In Gettysburg: A History for the People, Licensed Battlefield Guide John D. Cox brings to life the story of America's greatest battle. All of the drama of the conflict, with its tragedies and heroism, becomes real in its pages. The monumental decisions of the commanders are revealed, the self-sacrifice of the soldiers and the nightmares of the civilians, caught between the two armies, are vividly uncovered. From the start, Gettysburg: A History for the People pulls the reader into a gripping narrative, told with the knowledge of a professional, but with the vibrant touch of a master storyteller, that never lets go. Gettysburg: A History for the People reads like a novel.
Having read numerous books published on Gettysburg over the years, I found this one quite refreshing. The author's experiences as a battlefield guide are borne out in each chapter and it is well researched
A lot of other Gettysburg books focus on the strategic decisions that were made and look at whole regiments, brigades or divisions from the 30,000 foot birdseye view. Cox brings out the stories of the men involved in the fierce battle without sacrificing the overall picture.
Like his guide work, Cox tells the narrative in chronological order, which makes the events easy to understand without getting too bogged down in minute.
The one criticism I have of this book is that it is not as well edited as it should be. There are more misspellings in this book than most other publications. But those are minor issues and if one has the ability to overlook them, they will find that this single volume telling the story of one of the greatest and most important three-day stretches in American history is one of the best written-books in the modern era.
I was well satisfied with the read. It definitely added to my knowledge-base of the Battle of Gettysburg.
it was a 3 day epic battle in 1863, the largest number of casualties of the entire Civil War. This book is very well researched. I like the actual notes/quotes that bring it to life. You can almost hear the grinding of the canons on.gravel , explosions, gun fire and groans. Little Round Top, Cemetery Hill are certainly hallowed ground. Pickett's Brigade pushed through the fatigued lines. Although opinions differ, General Meade was relentless in defeating General Lee as he trudged up the steep slope of Cemetery Ridge. Casualties of over 23,000 Union and more than 28,000 Confederate. Only one civilian killed - accidentally. Good read.