​Richmond Shall Not Be Given Up: The Seven Days’ Battles, June 25 – July 1, 1862
Doug Crenshaw
Savas Beatie, 2017, 192 pp., $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-355-3
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The Emerging Civil War Series has introduced many readers across the country to specific cites of the American Civil War.  For all of the writing which has been done, I was surprised that the Seven Day’s Battles had not yet been covered.  Thanks to Doug Crenshaw, Richmond Shall Not Be Given Up is the book from that series which strives to bring an introductory treatment to the Seven Day’s Battles.  Personally, I don’t think those battles get enough attention as it is, but that is only myself as a Civil War reader.  While we focus greatly on the Battles of Antietam and Second Manassas, this book gives us some much needed information regarding the actions between the dates of June 25 to July 1, 1862
                Doug Crenshaw is a volunteer historic interpreter at the Richmond National Battlefield Park.  As a member of the Richmond Civil War Roundtable, Doug is a speaker, presenter, tour guide, and author of books on both Glendale and Fort Harrison.  He is a descendant of the Sydnor family from Beaver Dam Creek during that battle, and the Binford family, who lived in the area of Malvern Hill.  He has also written Fort Harrison and the Battle of Chaffin’s Farm,  and The Battle of Glendale: Robert E. Lee’s Lost Opportunity.
                As it is with all of the Emerging Civil War Series books, there is great appreciation for the photographs, maps, and even drawings placed on every page.  As an introductory to these engagements, they are greatly needed for those who know little.  For myself, one of the most interesting parts about the Seven Day’s Battles as a whole was when Lee took command before the conflicts.  That portion of the work was handled quite well as the narrative places a great emphasis on his leadership.  The other portion which was also handled well was the subject of General McClellan and how his own ego would be bruised in these fights.  In my own personal studies, I have found many mentions of the Seven Days Battles and I enjoyed the narrative and explanations of them more so than other parts of the book.  I felt that the narrative written by Crenshaw brought more light to the subject at hand.  As usual in the Emerging Civil War Series, there are appendices which fall into the book, only three for this installment, and also driving instructions for the reader if they were to take this volume with them to the battlefield. 
                Once again, the Emerging Civil War Series hits it out of the park with this one.  I highly recommend this book to students who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the Seven Day’s Battles and the events which would lead the fall of 1862.  There are not enough books about these engagements and I thank Crenshaw for bringing this introductory study to light here.  After reading this book, I know I will personally seek out his other works on these conflicts, hoping to gain a deeper understanding myself.  Highly Recommended!
 

​Discovering Gettysburg: An Unconventional Introduction to the Greatest Little Town in American and the Monumental Battle that Made It Famous
W. Stephan Coleman, Ill. Tim Hartman
Savas Beatie, 2017, 264 pp., $25
ISBN: 978-1-61121-353-9
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While something can be said for the realm of Civil War academia, there seems to be this massive subgenre which continues to fill with every year.  The books surrounding those epic three days in July, and the weeks surrounding them, are many and there is good reason for it.  No other battle has received such an epic scale of analysis, devotion, and research in the American Civil War.  Discovering Gettysburg strives to bring something different to the study surrounding it.  Not only does the book take a look at the battle, but also looks at the town, and some of the other major areas surrounding the battlefield. 
                W. Stephen Coleman is a professor of theater at the University of Pittsburg and is a specialist in Shakespeare, acting, directing, and stage combat.  He has taught for more than thirty years and has starred in such films as Silence of the Lambs.  Another role of his was of General Braddock in The War That Made American.  After his retirement, he discovered a new interest in his life: the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg.  This book is also illustrated by Tim Hartman who is a native of Pittsburg and has been professionally acting, singing, writing, cartooning, and storytelling since 1982.  He is also an award winning political cartoonists and illustrator whose work has been widely published in newspapers.
                Discovering Gettysburg is a different book in many ways.  One of the points in the narrative which I enjoyed was the first person account of the author himself, in which he takes you along his journey, almost as if he is telling you his stories through the battle.  The book often felt as though the reader was on a personal tour with Coleman who had such passion upon pointing things out of interest.  The book also deals with the town before and after the battle, including other towns such as Cashtown.  One thing which stood out to me is that Coleman also takes a look at the Eisenhower National Historic Site which I’m not sure I’ve seen covered in other Gettysburg related works.  And possibly one of the most personal chapters which I connected with was the work on reenactors and what they do for the public involving education and the like.  Overall, this book felt very personal which I cannot say for many other books.  Coleman’s passion for this project comes through clearly in the writing and is aided by some well done illustrations.  The illustrations almost made me feel like I was reading a political cartoon in Harper’s Weekly.
                I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Gettysburg.  The way in which the narrative was written was quite unique to the brand of scholarship which is usually brought to the craft.  You can feel why Gettysburg is not only important to the author, but important to all whom it surrounds.  Through this, you can see why there are so many visitors to this pivotal site in American History.  Highly Recommended!

Six Days in September: A novel of Lee’s Army in Maryland, 1862
Alexander B. Rossino
Savas Beatie, 2017, 318 pp., $22.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-345-4
​ Image courtesy of amazon.com 
 
When I first heard that publisher Savas Beatie was publishing a novel, I was intrigued.  For my own memory, they were always a publishing house of excellent non fiction works spanning most of American History.  But when I read the synopsis of Six Days in September, I was even more interested.  The Battle of Antietam, and the campaign which surrounds it, is a subject that lends itself to fiction quite well.  The subtitle, A novel of Lee’s Army in Maryland, 1862, made me even more intrigued that we would be getting a Confederate view of the battle as the main focus.    Alexander B. Rossino is an award winning historian who has written such works like Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg, Ideology, and Atrocity.  He spent a great deal of time working at the United States Holocaust Museum while writing articles and reviews.  His fascination with the Civil War peaked again when he moved to Boonsboro, Maryland close to South Mountain.  There, he began the writing of this book with extensive research on the subject.    The Battle of Antietam has been written about many times before, but there was something about this novel which seemed to ring true with me.  Overall, I felt that the author’s perspective of the Confederate commanders was interesting and yet refreshing.  The story followed the Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland where Lee is looking for that final victory which would bring about the end of the war.  The narrative which flows from this simple idea for the plot makes Six Days in September something to recommend to all.  The Lee we get in this novel is exhausted by the string of mistakes and disappointments he faces.  With the refusal to evacuate at Harper’s Ferry, to the lost plans which fell into the hands of General McClellan, Lee is painted in a different light than I have seen in other novels.  But it is not just commanders who get the treatment in the novel.  The soldiers are written about for their hardships during the war and even the civilians in Sharpsburg are written as well.  Sometimes when writing a novel about the Civil War, one can focus on the commanders too often.  I was glad to see the soldier life and the civilian life presented here in this work.  Six Days in September not only shows the hardship of command, but also shows the humanity of the war itself by bringing those previously mentioned viewpoints.  At the same time, this novel seeks to inform and entertain.  Those who have little knowledge on the battle will find suitable information in this binding.    I highly recommend this novel.  I was pleased to see that even though this is a work of fiction, the information within the binding of this volume is incredible for all.  Rossino’s grasp of the narrative is captivating and often gives the viewpoint of the human side of the war from all those who fought during this campaign.  The tragedy which was taken on those Maryland fields is wholly felt in this book.  Highly recommended.     

​Confederate Courage on Other Fields: Overlooked Episodes of Leadership, Cruelty, Character, and Kindness
Mark J. Crawford
Savas Beatie, 2017, 190 pp., $18.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-352-2
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                When it comes to the study of Civil War history, there are certain battles which garner more attention than others.  Mostly, the studies aimed at Gettysburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and even Vicksburg far outshine some of the other fields of glory.  Confederate Courage on Other Fields is Mark J. Crawford’s answer to that sentiment by using four locations in order to tell tales of incredible leadership from the Confederate commanders.  Events such as the Battle of Dinwiddle Courthouse, stories from Missouri, and lesser known areas, are given the just treatment here in this work.  Not only does the book show the stories of these commanders and soldiers, it details lesser known places which badly need attention.
                Mark J. Crawford has spent most of his life as an exploration geologist.  For eighteen years, he prowled forests and deserts mainly in the southeast.  There, he researched this book, which not only showed him the stories which the earth can tell, but also by visiting some of the descendants of these soldiers, and driving up dirt roads.  He has written four other works, including, The Encyclopedia of the Mexican-American War. 
                As stated in the introduction, this book strives to take four events that are not fully covered in the Civil War realm of scholarship, and use them to tell stores of valor from Confederates, both officers and soldiers.  The book opens with the Battle of Dinwiddle Courthouse in Virginia which preceded the Battle of Five Forks.  While the chapter was fascinating in the narrative, the most interesting, and disturbing part, was the tale of the troops which were swept away with the river, some of them drowning in the attempt to get across.  The second section he devotes his writing to is from the letters of a man named Charles Blacknail.  His story is that of a plantation owner who became a Confederate officer.  The letter writing shown in this section of the book highlights the overall problem of being driven and consumed by the war at hand.  The next portion of the work is dedicated to a struggle between officers from both sides in which President Lincoln had to become involved.  Mainly taking place in Missouri, these two men’s quarrels greatly affected those around them more so than they would like to admit.  The last section of the book deals with one of the hospitals in North Carolina and Reverend M.M. Marshall.  The narrative deals with the ways in which he tended to the soldiers while they were in that place, attempting to heal, or preparing themselves to die.
                I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys human interest stories.  This book not only shows some of the human side of the conflict, but the overall humanity which these soldiers faced.  Too many books rely on the maneuvers and overall battles which were fought in the war, but this one pinpoints the stories which touch at the heart of the conflict; these stories show the side of a conflict that we rarely see and the reasoning behind their motivations.  Highly Recommended!

​A Civil War Captain and His Lady: Love, Courtship, and Combat from Fort Donelson through the Vicksburg Campaign
Gene Barr
Savas Beatie, 2016, 342 pp., $32.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-290-7
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Oftentimes, when we study this conflict, the most reliable primary sources which I have read have been letters, mostly between either lovers or married couples.  Today’s book presents the letters between a Civil War Captain and a woman whom he was courting.  Throughout these accounts, I found some of the most interesting writings about the time of Fort Donelson through the Vicksburg Campaign as a primary source that I have seen in a long time.  Gene Barr has done a great service by bringing these letters to the light of Civil War Scholarship.  In the long run, I do believe that these letters will be looked at when studying the campaigns listed above and the time between.
                Gene Barr is the president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.  He has spent most of his life in the political and government affairs world, including twelve years with a Fortune 100 energy company.  It is the largest broad-based business advocacy group in the state.  He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.  He also serves on the board and is a former chair of the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  A Civil War Captain and His Lady is the first book he has written. 
                This is an interesting book, most likely I will not be reviewing another like it in some time.  The book covers the relationship between Josiah Moore and Jennie Lindsay.  Josiah is a Captain in the 17th Illinois infantry and Jennie is a member of one of the most prominent families in Illinois.  But this book is not just their letters which showcase the love they had for one another, this collection also showcases some of the actions which the 17th Illinois faced.  Jennie’s letter writing also shows the reader that the role of the sweetheart writing to the soldier in the war was an important one.  The encouragement in her letters, the language she uses in these writings shows the level of hardship with not only Josiah in the war, but her brother as well.  Josiah’s letters show the reader quite a bit about the life of a soldier and the engagements which they were a part of.  This publication of the 17th Illinois’ actions throughout the time of Fort Donelson to Vicksburg give a new perspective of that unit in the war, and this includes the Meridian Campaign which has been highly ignored. 
                I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Western Theater of the war.  I also recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the letter writing between the war and homefront.  This is not just about two lovers sending messages back and forth; it is about the toll that it takes not only on their lives, but on the lives of the loved ones around them.  In a way, these letters are fascinating on a different level and as I said before, I don’t think I’ll be reviewing another book like this one for quite some time.  Highly recommended.

​Battle Above the Clouds: Lifting the Siege of Chattanooga and the Battle of Lookout Mountain, October 16 – November 24, 1863
David A. Powell
Savas Beatie, 2017, 192 pp., $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-377-5
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The Emerging Civil War Series has brought introductory books to many in the public who have shown interest in certain parts of the American Civil War.  Battle Above the Clouds continues that tradition by giving the reader an introduction to the Siege of Chattanooga and the Battle of Lookout Mountain for which the book is named.  Written by David A. Powell, this material is in fine hands upon the completion of his Magnum Opus, The Chickamauga Campaign.  I, as a reader, have always felt that this battle was not well covered in the past, but with a renewed interest in this campaign, this book is a great starting point for any reader who might be interested not only in the Siege of Chattanooga, but the Civil War in the West.
                David A. Powell is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute with a Bachelors in History.  He has written many articles and has been focused on the Battle of Chickamauga for which he is nationally recognized.  His other works include The Maps of Chickamauga, Failure in the Saddle, and the previously mentioned, The Chickamauga Campaign.  All three volumes have been released and were widely acclaimed.  His is also the Vice President of Airsped Inc., a specialized delivery firm.
                Once again, as mentioned in the introduction, this book handles a lot of information which can be seen as an introduction to these conflicts.  This book surrounds the first half of the campaign to lift the siege of Chattanooga but within its spine, there is so much more.  Portions of the book which I found to be interesting was the arrival of Ulysses S. Grant as commander and there were even portions of the book which were dedicated to the appendices as it is with previous Emerging Civil War books.  This work, however, limits those appendices to only three which aids the book in the narrative flow.  The coverage of the Battle of Lookout Mountain was well handled, as in my own experience, it is not covered enough in the scholarship of the Civil War.  All of these things help the book to become a great aid for anyone interested in the engagements here.  As always, there are driving tours which shows how versatile these books are, that they can be brought along with the reader in order to help them understand what happened in these locations.  Once again, very well done.
                I highly recommend this book to anyone who has read the Emerging Civil War Series.  These books not only aid in the understanding of the battle, but help those who want to get into the Civil War.  On top of that, Mr. Powell handles this book with the same narrative grace which he offered to his Chickamauga series which has just finished.  With photographs and or maps on every page, this book should be a fine offering to those who wish to gain a further understanding.  Highly recommended. 

​“No Such Army Since the Days of Julius Caesar”: Sherman’s Carolinas Campaign from Fayetteville to Averasboro, March 1865
Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky
Savas Beatie, 2017, 248 pp., $29.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-286-0              
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If there is one thing which I do not believe gets enough coverage in Civil War study, it is the war in the west.  Also, I do not believe that the end of the Civil War in the West gets enough coverage, even when it gets coverage.  While today’s book does not completely cover the end of the Civil War in the West, it is one of the stepping stones which leads us there.  “No Such Army since the Days of Julius Caesar,” chronicles Sherman and his Carolinas campaign in March of 1865.  Mark A. Smith and Wade Sokolosky have brought us a book not only well researched and developed, but a fine book which covers that which is not covered enough.
                Colonel Wade Sokolosky is a graduate of East Carlolina University and a veteran of the United States Army.  He leads tours of Civil War battlefields and is a well seasoned speaker to many.  He also co-authored “To Prepare for Sherman’s Coming,” which precedes this work.  He is also the author of Final Roll Call: Confederate Losses during the Carolinas Campaign.  Major Mark A. Smith is a veteran of the United States Army holding various positions in his career.  He holds a Masters degree in military studies.  He is the other co-author of “To Prepare for Sherman’s Coming.”
                In their previous work, both Smith and Sokolosky showed us the Battle of Wise Forks which occurred in March of 1865.  This book focuses on the fighting immediately following the “March to the Sea” with Sherman’s plan to head north into the Carolinas.  As I was reading the opening pages, I was fascinated not only by the plans coming ahead by moving into the Carolinas, but by Sherman himself.  I will not get into it here since Sherman is so well covered by other works, but as a side note, both Smith and Sokolosky handled the commander quite well.  But what was interesting was the coverage of the Confederate side of the ordeal coming into this campaign.  Most usually focus on Sherman and his movements, but here there is plenty of coverage on the opposition.  Of course, the narrative on the Battle of Averasboro showed that Sherman could be halted.  While it was an inconclusive fight, there was still enough time to be given to the Confederacy for Johnston to assemble his forces.  I have to say that while reading these narratives, I was enthralled by the accounts.  I was happy to see these battles getting their due diligence with research and that both authors continued their dedication to the Carolinas campaign that we saw in their earlier work.
                I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War in the West.  For far too long, these engagements have not been covered in history and I am happy to say that Smith and Sokolosky brought about a well written work for the fighting.  The narrative is aided not only by well drawn maps, but photographs which are relevant to the events at hand.  Highly Recommended!

​Confederate Waterloo: The Battle of Five Forks, April 1, 1865, and the Controversy that Brought Down a General
Michael McCarthy
Savas Beatie, 2017, 294 pp., $32.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-309-6
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I remember the first time I learned about Napoleon Bonaparte and his massive campaigns across Europe and Africa.  I was fascinated by the stories which came from them and the imminent failure he received at Waterloo.  It is no surprise, then, that many of the battles which occurred in the Civil War were also named with terms such as “Waterloo,” “Tragalger,” and “Austerlitz.”  Michael J. McCarthy offers up one of those such battles.  Confederate Waterloo deals with the Battle of Five Forks teetering on the edge of the end of the war, focusing not only on the downfall of a general, but the incipient end of the war on the horizon.
                Michael J. McCarthy graduated from LeMoyne College with a degree in history and received his Masters in American History in 1971.  He has spent a great deal of time working for the government and also received MPA degrees in Public Finance from the University of Albany, and in Public Management from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.  His interest in the Battle of Five Forks occurred during a Capital District Civil War Round Table trip to the battlefield.  This work before us is an edited version of his dissertation and is his first book on the market.
                The Battle of Five Forks is, according to some who even fought in the conflict, a skirmish.  However, that account continues to say that “no other fight of the entire four years’ struggle was followed by such important consequences.”  When I begin to think about the ending of the Civil War in the East, the Battle of Five Forks comes to mind.  Throughout the text, we see that though the Confederate force fought well, they knew what was coming.  For those who know next to nothing about the Battle of Five Forks, this work is the place to start.  McCarthy handles the narrative of the battle with grace and even shows the reader some of the mistakes which were made on both sides both during and after the battle.  While the Union was successful, the clash between both Generals Sheridan and Warren would bring about a lifelong rivalry.  This portion of the work was not only well handled, but some of the most interesting writing on military judicial cases I have read.  When I first heard that there were chapters devoted to that, I was looking forward to it.  The narrative on the battle is wonderful, but I thoroughly enjoyed the work on the judicial case towards the end of the book.
                I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the final days of the Civil War in the East.  The narrative on both the battles and the court case were fascinating to read.  The research was top notch and McCarthy should take pride in the work which he has accomplished.  While this was part of his dissertation, I was happy that the work was able to be published for the public in this form.  A fine book indeed!

​Decision at Tom’s Brook: George Custer, Thomas Rosser, and the Joy of the Fight
William J. Miller
Savas Beatie, 2016, 268 pp., $29.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-308-9
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George Custer has gone down in history as one of the great names of our nation, but what he is most well known for is the failure he faced at Little Big Horn.  But as you look at the life of Custer, you begin to see other things in his military career which he should be more well known for but is forgotten.  Custer fought at East Cavalry Field in the Battle of Gettysburg; he graduated at the bottom of his class at West Point for interesting reasons.  All of these get forgotten if you look at that failure.  Thankfully, William J. Miller’s work, Decision at Tom’s Brook, brings about more information about this fascinating character in history along with a few others whom we should remember as well.
                William J. Miller is a teacher, writer, and preservationist; he is a former editor of Civil War Magazine and has authored other works as well.  Mapping for Stonewall: The Civil War Service of Jed Hotchkiss, won the Fletcher Pratt Award for best Civil War nonfiction in 1993.  He also wrote Great Maps of the Civil War: Pivotal Battles and Campaigns.  Decision at Tom’s Brook is his ninth book about the Civil War.
                The Battle of Tom’s Brook is one which has been covered in the past, but not to the extent which Miller has taken in my experience.  It is books like these which make my reading interesting.  I knew next to nothing about this battle going into the narrative and to learn about this disaster, according to a Confederate soldier in his account, was wonderful.  I extensively mentioned Custer in the introduction but there is another personality which Miller highlights: Thomas L. Rosser.  Both attended West Point before the war but when it broke out, as so many heartbreaking Civil War stories follow, they split, with Rosser serving in the Confederacy.  Off the bat, Miller not only makes his narrative about the Battle of Tom’s Brook, but he highlights the relationship between the two and shows that they had not met in battle until this moment.  There were moments within the book which left me enthralled; some of them were even written with the gravitas of tragedy.  It is that kind of narrative which keeps my interest alive in the Civil War and I’m sure that other readers would agree.  Behind the “friend against friend” narrative is an amazing account of the battle and the details of the combat which was had at Tom’s Brook.  It is not one to be missed.
                I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Battle of Tom’s Brook.  There is also a high recommendation to anyone who is fascinated with the “brother against brother,” or “friend against friend” ideals which the Civil War brought with it.  The narrative is exquisite and is aided by wonderfully drawn maps.  The research which went into this work is nothing short of a labor of love and Miller should be praised for what he brought to the forefront.  Highly recommended!

​Meade and Lee After Gettysburg: The Forgotten Final Stage of the Gettysburg Campaign, from Falling Waters to Culpeper Court House, July 14-31, 1863
Jeffrey Wm Hunt
Savas Beatie, 2017, 312 pp., $29.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-343-0
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The Gettysburg Campaign is one of the more written about conflicts in the American Civil War yet for all the books and articles written about it, there are still things we have yet to learn.  In Meade and Lee After Gettysburg, Jeffrey Wm Hunt explores the end of the campaign from July 14th – July 31st, 1863, as the campaign was winding down, and some of the small battles which occurred.  While most books on Gettysburg do talk about these small battles, Hunt’s work strives to give us an in-depth account of what happened in those places instead of trying to sum them up in one chapter.  Now there are books about the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, but this one is brings a fine analysis to certain battles on the way towards Virginia.
                Jeffrey William Hunt is the Director of the Texas Military Forces Museum located in Camp Mabry in Austin.  He is also an Adjunct Professor of History at Austin Community College.  He has a degree in government and a Masters Degree in History from the University of Texas.  In 2013, he was named an honorary Admiral in the Texas Navy by Governor Rick Perry.  He is the author of The Last Battle of the Civil War: Palmetto Ranch, and has also contributed to Essential Civil War Curriculum, the Revised Handbook of Texas, and the Gale Library of Daily Life: American Civil War.
                As I stated in the introduction, most books on the Gettysburg Campaign cover the end of the conflict with a simple chapter chronicling Lee’s escape into Virginia while only mentioning a few battles on the way.  Hunt’s work looks to fix that.  Throughout the work, Hunt starts to describe these final moves from Gettysburg to Culpepper Court House as a grand game of chess, which I thought was quite provoking on thinking of these weeks.  The mindset of George Meade presented here was fascinating.  There are some authors who just give the impression that once Meade won the Battle of Gettysburg, he was finished with the task at hand, but Hunt says otherwise.  Meade attempted to outthink his enemy, push towards certain points of the map which would not seem usual.  He wanted to trap Lee and bring that victory which the high ranking officials in Washington so wanted to see.  The narrative in the work shows that strategy playing out in the mind of Meade with great fascination.  I also enjoyed the narrative when it came to General Lee and his men, defeated, yet still trying to make their way across the Potomac, back into Virginia.  From the Battle of Falling Waters in 1863, to the Culpeper Court House, these conflicts are analyzed to a solid point, using the Official Records, regimental histories, and other primary sources to such a finite point, that the research within this book is amazing.
                I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Battle of Gettysburg.  This is the book which should be read after reading any work about that seminal battle.  The narrative is striking, the maps are well drawn and beautiful, and the research is top notch.  Jeffrey Wm Hunt should be praised for his work here and I cannot wait to see what else he is working on.