9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Maybe the best Antietam guide, December 22, 2008
This review is from: Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide (This Hallowed Ground: Guides to Civil Wa) (Paperback)
I am a battlefield walker! I love to stand in the spot where ... happened. At these times, history becomes reality. To get the most from visiting a battlefield you need knowledge of the battle or a companion that has this knowledge or a good guidebook.
Knowledge of the battle comes from study and discussion. It is almost impossible for the average person to gain enough in-depth knowledge to make visiting multiple battlefields a vivid experience. A companion paid or otherwise, is usually a good option. The problem is they may not be available or able to communicate their knowledge. Paid guides are expensive and money is not something we usually have in abundance. This makes the guidebook option one of the best for battlefield walkers. The book is always available, ready to go when you are and inexpensive. Most of the books vary from very good to excellent. Much of the difference depends on what you need from the guidebook.
Brooks D. Simpson, Mark Grimsley and Steven E. Woodworth are the editors of "The Hallowed Ground: Guides to Civil War Battlefields". This series has always been excellent and this addition meets and exceeds that standard. Ethan S. Rafuse is an inspired choice as author for the Antietam guide. He has in-depth knowledge of the battle, studied under Joseph Harsh and is an expert on McClellan. Dr. Rafuse acknowledges "an enormous debt" to Thomas G. Clemens, Steve Stotelmyer, Mark Snell and Ted Alexander. Any student of the battle recognizes these names as subject matter expert this guide is put together by the A Team.
What a guidebook it is! In addition to Antietam, we have South Mountain and Harpers Ferry. Antietam is 14 main stops with several have two to four stops. In addition to the main tour, there are three optional excursions, Bloody Lane, Burnside Bridge and Boteler's Ford. South Mountain has five main stops, each having one to three stops. The Siege of Harpers Ferry is two main stops each having three secondary stops. These detailed tours will take hours to complete. The amount of time needed for each of the tours is listed. The "How to use this guidebook" contains all the information needed to make the tour an enjoyable experience.
Directions are detailed and complete. I wish this were the book I had my last time on South Mountain! I would have found the Reno Monument instead of driving up n down farm roads. Once at the stop, Orientation places and faces you. What Happened gives you a couple of paragraphs on why this is a stop placing you in the overall battle. Vignette is a personal human-interest story from the battle, told by the men that were fighting at this stop. Analysis brings the historical aspects into play. Here the selection of Ethan S. Rafuse is inspired. He presents a balanced picture of Lee and McClellan at Antietam. This is very important after so much McClellan the fool school of history. Another strong point are the Burnside Bridge tours, again the book avoids much of the now discredited history of that action. A good four-page essay "After Antietam" places the battle in historical perspective. An order of battle with an essay on "Organization, Weapons and Tactics" completes the book.
This book works on several levels: it is an outstanding battlefield guide and a good general overview of the Maryland Campaign of 1862. In either case, it is a necessary addition to any Antietam library. See you at South Mountain, with this book we can find the Reno Monument!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must have guide before you visit, June 9, 2010
This review is from: Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide (This Hallowed Ground: Guides to Civil Wa) (Paperback)
I knew nothing about the Antietam Campaign my 1st trip to the battlefield two years ago, but I went well-informed and prepared on my most recent visit because I had this battlefield guide. Not only are you led step-by-step through the battle at Antietam, but also through Harper's Ferry, South Mountain and the surrounding Civil War sites in Western Maryland. This book is a must have guide before you visit!!!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent detailed guide, April 18, 2011
This review is from: Antietam, South Mountain, and Harpers Ferry: A Battlefield Guide (This Hallowed Ground: Guides to Civil Wa) (Paperback)
I purchased this book for myself & my brother on our trip to Antietam in April 2011. We used this book every day of our week long tour of Antietam, Harper's Ferry & South Mountain. The book gives the reader step by step directions to all important aspects of the battle and informes with detailed descriptions of the battle and what happened at each stop point. If you are a civil war buff (like us) you will love this guide book of Antietam and the surrounding battles of Lee's invasion of Maryland.
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