Gettysburg

The Last Invasion

De: Allen C. Guelzo

Narrado por: Robertson Dean

From the acclaimed Civil War historian, a brilliant new history—the most intimate and richly readable account we have had—of the climactic three-day battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863), which draws the reader into the heat, smoke, and grime of Gettysburg alongside the ordinary soldier, and depicts the combination of personalities and circumstances that produced the greatest battle of the Civil War, and one of the greatest in human history.

Of the half-dozen full-length histories of the battle of Gettysburg written over the last century, none dives down so closely to the experience of the individual soldier, or looks so closely at the sway of politics over military decisions, or places the battle so firmly in the context of nineteenth-century military practice. Allen C. Guelzo shows us the face, the sights, and the sounds of nineteenth-century combat: the lay of the land, the fences and the stone walls, the gunpowder clouds that hampered movement and vision; the armies that caroused, foraged, kidnapped, sang, and were so filthy they could be smelled before they could be seen; the head-swimming difficulties of marshaling massive numbers of poorly trained soldiers, plus thousands of animals and wagons, with no better means of communication than those of Caesar and Alexander.

What emerges is an untold story, from the trapped and terrified civilians in Gettysburg’s cellars to the insolent attitude of artillerymen, from the taste of gunpowder cartridges torn with the teeth to the sounds of marching columns, their tin cups clanking like an anvil chorus. Guelzo depicts the battle with unprecedented clarity, evoking a world where disoriented soldiers and officers wheel nearly blindly through woods and fields toward their clash, even as poetry and hymns spring to their minds with ease in the midst of carnage. Rebel soldiers look to march on Philadelphia and even New York, while the Union struggles to repel what will be the final invasion of the North. One hundred and fifty years later, the cornerstone battle of the Civil War comes vividly to life as a national epic, inspiring both horror and admiration.

Detailed and comprehensive

I got this book after spending a few days at the Gettysburg battlefield. Invaluable to help provide an overview and context. His focus on the politics and personalities of the leaders was eye opening, and the details of the ordinary soldier's experience vivid. Unimaginable carnage, chaos, and valor. Admirable book if at times overwhelming.

Very detailed

This is a great book about the battle of Gettysburg. The author really covers everything and I would highly recommend this book.The author covers every key person and then some along with some nice background information. I liked at the end last chapter maybe you get the authors analysis on events.

good book must read this.. awesome

loved it very good book to read about history
must read carefully please there are others

Fascinating Account of the Gettysburg Campaign

Dr. Guelzo’s detailed account of the Gettysburg campaign is by far the best book I have read on the subject. Dr. Guelzo is pretty balanced in his depiction on the battle. Guelzo did not try to excuse Lee’s errors in judgement on poor health, JEB Stuart’s tardiness or the loss of Stonewall Jackson. The author also did not credit General Meade for the victory. The credit was given to the bravery of the Union troops and blame was placed primarily on the hubris of Robert E. Lee.

The performance of Robertson Dean was top notch. Highly Recommend.

MUST READ/LISTEN TO THIS BOOK!

If you could sum up Gettysburg in three words, what would they be?

Pivotal, Courageous, Horrific

What did you like best about this story?

The detail is magnificent, expertly researched/documented and heart-rendering. The author is clearly devoted to explaining and judging, impartially imputing plausible rationale for the decisions made by the many combatants on both sides during the battle.

What about Robertson Dean’s performance did you like?

Mr. Dean is able to adroitly portray the sayings from the quotes in a manner befitting the nuances spoken while separating them from the text, clearly and cleanly.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No because the details are far too complex for just one sitting and at over 22 hours listening that would be nearly impossible. Possibly Allen G. was able to do this but why? The reading can be enjoyed over and over again.

Any additional comments?

I suggest strongly for all readers to visit and thoroughly walk/bicycle the Gettysburg Battle sites before listening/reading this book, or better yet, visit and do the complete reading while there, visiting as many of the battle sites that are reachable. Also, suggest not to drive a vehicle around (unless it's a motorcycle) in order to experience what the combatants experienced. As another reviewer noted, I made my own sketch of the full deployments (not visible in the reading of course) to better understand where each unit mentioned, was during the action. The maps provided in the text were not complete enough for my taste and certainly didn't live up to the dialogue/descriptions but were adequate enough to see the larger units/leaders.