Gettysburg

The battle of Gettysburg is acknowledged to have been the greatest battle of the Civil War, as well as one of the most remarkable in the history of war. Over a period of three days, 160,000 combatants were involved in a struggle in which approximately 33,000 were wounded, some mortally, and about 7,000 were killed.

Gettysburg is a dramatic and poignant re-telling of these events, from the first skirmishes of the battle to the final, heroic phase known as Pickett’s Charge, when 15,000 Confederate soldiers in a line a mile wide marched 1,000 yards over open ground towards the Union center in the face of concentrated rifle and canon fire.

In these pages, Brendan January vividly captures the dramatic and surprising course of events and the tragic loss of life that occurred over three days of fighting. By setting the scene, using contemporary quotations to great effect, providing profiles of the major participants and detailed coverage of each day of the battle, the author achieves a thoughtful and engaging account of the battle that proved to be the Civil War’s turning point.

Richly illustrated and enriched with maps, a timeline and a glossary, Gettysburg tells a moving and unforgettable story in a compelling way.

The American Battlefilds series:
The concept of American Battlefields is to show how military conflicts influence history. It does this by describing three stages of historical events: first, the situation that exists as prelude to the battle, second, the details of the battle itself; third, how future events are influenced, or even determined, by the outcome of the battle. It also shows how lost battles can lead to largervictories, and how battles won can fail to help an overall lost cause.

See how military conflicts influence history in unexpected and surprising ways.

Leila Toledo - Children's Literature

Based on January's account, it seems that if the support that General Lee expected from General Pickett had been forthcoming, the outcome of the Battle of Gettysburg would have been different. The battle, which lasted only three days, is considered one of the greatest and costliest of the Civil War in terms of loss of life on both sides. The detailed and rich illustrations of maps, paintings and pictures of the generals and soldiers complement the text which gives details on how and why the battle started, the events of the battle itself and how it influenced United States history. The battlefield has since been established as the Gettysburg National Military Park. It is reported that approximately two million people visit the site annually. A number of years ago, on New Years day, my husband and I visited the site. The ground was covered with snow and it was cold and windy. As we walked through the site, we observed the graves arranged according to the soldiers home states. It was nice to be able to honor those who took part in such an important event in United States history. Additional resources are also given in this title. 2004, White-Thomson Publishing Limited/Enchanted Lion Books, Ages 13 to 16.

Brendan January has an A.B. from Haverford College and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University. He has written numerous nonfiction titles for young readers, 24 of which are in print, including The Thirteen Colonies, Fort Sumter, The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He lives in New York City.