I’m drawn to Gettysburg because of the larger story it tells about our civilization. After all, it is a people story; a tragic one, but one that made significant impacts and changes we continue to feel today.
I’ve always questioned in my mind what I would have done if I had lived then, and had been a part of it (we do have ancestors in our family who were there). It’s not just the strategies and tactics of the battle that interest me, but also who the people were, how they behaved, and why they did what they did.
I’ve visited the battlefield many times in all seasons, walking it and spending time in different places, like Little Roundtop or my favorite spot near the monument of the 73rd New York Infantry Regiment – the Fourth Excelsior 2nd Fire Zouaves. I would sit and read about what happened there, trying to imagine myself there too. It’s soul-touching, and its’ helped me to appreciate life much more and think about the implications for how we live our lives.
Here are a few of the books about Gettysburg that I’ve read and learned from.
- Command and Communication Frictions in the Gettysburg Campaign by Philip M. Cole
- “Bayonet! Forward” My Civil War Reminiscences by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
- The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command by Edwin B. Coddington
- Gettysburg: The Last Invasion by Allen C. Guelzo
- Lees’ Real Plan at Gettysburg by Troy D. Harman
- For Causes & Comrades: Why Men Fought In The Civil War by James M. McPherson
- Hallowed Ground: A Walk At Gettysburg by James M. McPherson
- The War That Forged A Nation: Why The Civil War Still Matters by James M. McPherson
- Decisions At Gettysburg” The Nineteen Critical Decisions That Defined the Campaign by Matt Spruill
- Killer Angels by Jeff Shaara