Gettysburg Battlefield: The Definitive Illustrated History

The ultimate book for Civil War fans, Gettysburg Battlefield contains 486 photographs, both archival and modern day, plus 24 2- and 3-dimensional maps, making it the most comprehensive history of Gettysburg ever published in a single volume. After more than a century, the battle of Gettysburg remains the largest and deadliest military campaign ever fought in the Western Hemisphere. Nearly 8,000 men lost their lives and an astounding 38,000 were wounded or missing. In Gettysburg Battlefield: The Definitive Illustrated History, author David Eicher's unforgettable narrative takes you on a chronological journey of the battle that culminates with the Union army's ultimate triumph as the Confederate army retreated across the Potomac. Throughout the book, fascinating side-by-side photographs show images of the battlefield take just days after the guns ceased to fire next to images of those same sites today, many surprisingly unchanged. Numerous modern photographs reveal houses, monuments, and historically significant areas that are sometimes overlooked by contemporary Gettysburg photographers. More than 100 portraits of the key participants, from commanding generals Robert E. Lee and George Meade to ordinary soldiers and civilians, offer a rare and personal glimpse into a war fought by husbands and fathers, brothers and sons. Two dozen unique two- and three-dimensional colour maps illustrate the critical part played by the topography of the region in such key actions as Little Round Top and the action at Devil's Den. Fifteen essays by notable Gettysburg experts, including park historians Kathy Harrison and Scott Hartwig and celebrated writers Brian Pohanka, Tom Desjardin, and John Y. Simon among them, reflect on the sites as they appear today. And Pulitzer prize-winning author James M. McPherson's thought-provoking foreword reminds us that there is still much to be learned from the events that took place at Gettysburg. Both a compelling chronicle of a legendary conflict and an amazingly useful guide for anyone planning to visit and explore the battlefield itself, Gettysburg Battlefield is the ultimate pictorial Civil War record.