Why Gettysburg Mattered: 150 Years Later

by Allen C. Guelzo, Mark Boyett (Narrator), Kevin Pariseau (Narrator)

The Battle of Gettysburg - the turning point of the American Civil War - would, in the words of one staff officer, stand "like Waterloo, conspicuous in the history of all ages." In this stirring production, adapted from the New York Times’ award-winning online journal and Audible audiobook Disunion, we revisit the meaning and importance of the battle that forever changed US history. Timed to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the battle which took place over several days starting July 1st, 1863, Why Gettysburg Mattered concludes with an inspiring performance of Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Historical, Civil War, American History, War

Audible Audio

First published June 24, 2013

About the author

Allen Carl Guelzo (born 1953) is the Henry R. Luce III Professor of the Civil War Era at Gettysburg College, where he serves as Director of the Civil War Era Studies Program.

Reviews

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free from Audible.com

I nice litte essay on the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg not just on the north and the Union, but on whether or not the experiment known as democracy would continue.

[Debra Delulio · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought there would be more. It seemed longer all those decades ago when I was in school and had to memorize it!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short. A nice little synopsis and a reading of The Gettysburg Address in its' entirety. It stresses the importance of what a new concept democracy was at that time and the importance of preserving it. Worth a listen particularly for those who don't know much about Gettysburg's place in history.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short essay. I knew most of this information already, but it was all very well done. It includes the Gettysburg address which is always amazing and inspiring. I'd gladly listen to this audiobook again.

[Shawna Alpdemir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick refresher on The Gettysburg Address.

[Morandia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes we need a reminder

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what I expected, but I definitely expected more than this incredibly brief recap.

[Mark Stapel · Rating 3 out of 5]

audible
notes in note

[Lavender · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short history of gettysburg, includes Lincoln's speech.

[Alysha DeShaé · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was interesting.

[z3r0 c00l]

07/06/16

[Monica L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s history!

[Shannan Stanfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick little aubible title.

[Jeff Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really short bonus material I discovered in my library on Audible. I thought it was very informative.

it was only about 15 minutes but added a lot to understanding Gettysburg.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The civil war is a big interest for me and I know why Gettysburg is important......but not from the essay. I wasn't expecting much but it is titled "why Gettysburg mattered" so that should have been discussed. Essentially this was a list of casualties and the Gettysburg address.

[Scott Fabel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot has been written about the Battle of Gettysburg, and I would like to think that most American children have heard the story and know why the battle was important. Because of this, I didn't think that this book was really necessary. It was written and released because of the 150th anniversary of the battle; however, there is nothing new or interesting in this book. Instead, it seems to simply be a reminder of why the Battle of Gettysburg mattered. I might be someone overly sensitive to this topic because I live in Pennsylvania about 45 minutes away from Gettysburg. As such, I am frequently reminded of the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg and didn't need a book to remind me. Even so, I can't imagine why anyone would really need to read this book.

The saving grace in the book is the inclusion of the Gettysburg Address. This is probably the most important speech in American history, and it is always a joy to read. The performance that was done in the Audible.Com edition of the book was great. Unlike the dull description of the importance of the Battle of Gettysburg, I could listen to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address over and over.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Eye Opener


Sadly, my hitherto fore retained knowledge of the "history of the Civil War" is pretty much from Gone With the Wind. There was a battle of Gettysburg? Really? I didn't remember Rhett or Scarlett being there.

My exposure to the Gettysburg Address consisted of school days memorizing of the first part of the speech - "Four score and seven years ago..." and wondering what the heck a score was (yup, got it, thanks!).

This short presentation was fascinating, and even though I listened to it with only half an ear, it was a real eye opener to what I've turned a blind eye to all my life. This audio production was short enough and lively enough to engage my attention and get that I really should learn more about the political climate and the course of the war between the states, to have a better concept of what the heck is going on these days in politics.

I will be re-listening to this several times I expect.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This essay talks about the Gettysburg and the impact that it had on both sides of the Civil War. It’s an essay so it is not very in-depth, but if you are unsure whether or not to buy the author’s book, this is a good thing to try as it is free. It includes the Gettysburg address as well.


Crossposted at Booklikes.

[Reg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty boring actually. BUT. I'd be willing to give it another listen in a different environment and see if I like it any better. I was also kind of miffed that the last few minutes were just the Gettysburg Address. It's only 15min long; we really need to add filler?

meh. I can't complain too much. It was a free download after all.

[Alejandro Heracles al-Mu'minin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was the Civil War About Slavery? - Prager U

What caused the Civil War? Did the North care about abolishing slavery? Did the South secede because of slavery? Or was it about something else entirely...perhaps states' rights? Colonel Ty Seidule, Professor of History at the United States Military Academy at West Point, settles the debate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcy7q...

[Sofia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Free download from Audible.com. Meh, was just OK. Maybe it would be better in context. That said, I've always preferred the Revolutionary War to the Civil War.

[Allan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very basic read.

[Melody · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I really understand why it mattered. Well, I do -- but not because of this book. It was free but nothing new here.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This audiobook is perfect for history novices. Short, but covers all the bases.

[RA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Details about the battle, and a reading of Lincoln's speech, which is still one of the most concise, gripping presidential speeches of all time.

[Samm Serrinnitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com."

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a free audio-"book" from Audible. A short 14 minutes--perfect length for a single point.