Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage [Hardcover]

Noah Andre Trudeau (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 18, 2002

America's Civil War raged for more than four years, the three days of fighting in the Pennsylvania countryside in July 1863 continue to fascinate, appall, and inspire new generations with their unparalleled saga of sacrifice and courage.

No battle was as deadly or dramatic as Gettysburg. More lives were lost there than in any other war fought on American soil. From Chancellorsville, where General Robert E. Lee launched his high-risk campaign into the North, to the Confederates' last daring and ultimately doomed act, forever known as Pickett's Charge, the battle of Gettysburg gave the Union army a victory that turned back the boldest and perhaps greatest chance for a Southern nation.

The last three decades have seen scores of remarkable new studies focusing on important elements of this monumental campaign. Now, acclaimed historian Noah Andre Trudeau brings the most up-to-date research available to a brilliant, sweeping, and comprehensive history that sheds new light on virtually every aspect of the battle of Gettysburg. Deftly balancing his own narrative style with revealing firsthand accounts, including excerpts from the diaries and letters of the men on both sides of the battlefield, Trudeau brings this engrossing human tale to life. He recounts the heightening tension of the campaign, the life-or-death decisions made by its commanders, and the struggle endured by thousands of its bravest soldiers. Not forgotten are the stories of the noncombatants, the thousands of civilians whose placid lives were swept into the ferocious cauldron.

Scrupulously researched and masterfully written, Gettysburg conveys all the drama and heroism in what is sure to be the defining account for years to come of this pivotal moment in American history.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Making comprehensive and sophisticated use of a broad spectrum of archival and printed sources, NPR executive producer Trudeau (Bloody Roads South) enhances his reputation as a narrative historian of the Civil War with what is to date the best large-scale single-volume treatment of those crucial three days in July 1863, elegantly reconstructing the battle and the campaign from the perspectives of the participants. Trudeau allows them, from generals to enlisted men, to speak in their own words, creating a thoroughly absorbing story of determination on both sides and at all levels. Robert E. Lee began the campaign intending to win a battle of annihilation. July 1 inaugurated some of the hardest, and the most exacting, fighting American soldiers have ever done. The operational narratives are remarkable for their clarity, especially Trudeau's presentation of the confused fight for the Union left flank on July 2. The text is supplemented by sketch maps of unit positions and movements that are also models of clarity a particular boon to nonspecialist readers. Trudeau defensibly concludes that the wide latitude allowed subordinates at all levels of the Army of Northern Virginia worked against it at Gettysburg. Further, his emphasis on contemporary sources instead of postwar retrospection and academic analysis shows that despite nearly equal losses totaling almost 50,000 men Gettysburg failed as Lee's battle of annihilation.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

An executive producer for National Public Radio, Trudeau (Like Men of War: Black Troops in the Civil War) opens his new book with no apologies, saying that the time is right for another comprehensive work on the Battle of Gettysburg. This book begins on May 15, 1863, and describes in minute detail the events leading up to the battle, the battle itself (often hour by hour), and Lee's retreat in the early hours of July 4. Trudeau skillfully intertwines his narrative with firsthand accounts using letters, diaries, memoirs, and after-action reports from local residents, soldiers, and officers. He offers new insights on familiar controversies such as Confederate General Ewell's role on the first day of fighting, Robert E. Lee's mood for battle, and Major General Meade's reluctance to fight. In addition, Trudeau unearths many little-known human interest stories and brings to light the trials and tribulations of ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances. The book includes 60 maps, a detailed roster of the opposing armies' command structure, and copious chapter notes. A monumental work, thoroughly researched and well written, this is the best recent single-volume history of the campaign. Highly recommended for Civil War enthusiasts and scholars. Robert K. Flatley, Frostburg State Univ., MD
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 720 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (June 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060193638
• ISBN-13: 978-0060193638
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #325,978 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gettysburg not for the faint of heart, August 3, 2002

By 

David W. Nicholas (Van Nuys, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage (Hardcover)

The battle of Gettysburg is probably better chronicled than any event in American military history, if not the world's. Writers have gotten tired of telling the history of the battle completely, and moved on to write "microhistories" of one part or another of the battle. The present book is billed as the first attempt at a complete detailed history of the battle since Coddington's The Gettysburg Campaign, a wonderful book published, if memory serves correctly, in 1968. Trudeau has a good reputation, and so I was looking forward to this, the first of his books I have read. I wasn't disappointed.

There is a considerable amount of information here, and it's quite well presented. The author writes clearly and concisely, and the action is explained well and is easy (at least for someone who's well-versed in Civil War history) to follow. Some of the other reviews criticize the maps, either for their format or the physical size. What they don't realize is that most publishers would be willing (even eager) to publish a book like this with perhaps three or four maps, thinking that sufficient. There are, instead, a plethora of them here (there's no list, but there must be three dozen) with details of unit positions and directions of movement. A key on the daily comprehensive maps showing which of the smaller ones covered what part of the battlefield might have helped a bit, though I had no problem. Then again, I'm pretty good with maps, and have read a lot on Gettysburg. One annoyance is that the maps are uncredited, which means we can't castigate or praise the cartographer.

The author has a writing style which apparently irritated some people. He writes in short passages, some only a paragraph long, some several pages, and they are arranged chronologically. This means that you read about the action on one flank, then move to the other, then to the middle of the battlefield, then back to where you started, a lot. I suppose if you aren't a Civil War buff, and well-read on the battle already, this could get a bit dizzying. I didn't have any problem, followed it easily, and enjoyed it. I spent the afternoon reading the last 130 pages without a break, enjoyed it, and will now go look up some of the author's other books.

A further thing to note is the author's care in debunking myths, and sorting facts out from the post-war posturing that pollutes so much of what was written about Gettysburg by the participants. The Confederate spy Harrison was apparently named Henry, not James as has been previously written (I just looked at a book where his name is Edward: perhaps we'll never really know). Ewell's decision not to attack Cemetery Hill or Culp's Hill is looked at from a different perspective, and Sickles' advance on the second day is dissected carefully. We learn that the Army of Northern Virginia encountered a considerable amount of sniping when it moved into Pennsylvania, as the Union army did when it campaigned in Virginia, and that they gathered up blacks and shipped them south when they could catch them.

All in all, I would consider this a wonderful book for anyone who's interested in the Civil War. Why a novice would pick up an almost 700 page book on anything is beyond me (referring to one of the other reviewers, complaining that this isn't for novices). If you're not a novice, buy it!

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional lucid military history for all levels of readers, September 1, 2002

By 

Richard E. Hegner (Columbia, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage (Hardcover)

I have spent a large part of this summer reading a number of the histories of the battle of Gettysburg that have appeared over the past decade, and I have to say that I have read none that even approaches this wonderful book in quality, clarity, and comprehensiveness. Unlike many books that focus on a single battle or campaign, this one never bogs down in details, yet it provides a sufficient level of descriptive information to give the reader a true feeling of first-hand experience. Trudeau demonstrates a fine command of not just military details but also the English language. Unlike many military histories, this book also provides important insights into the civilian experience during the battle--for after all, through most of those three days in July 1863, Gettsburg was truly a town under enemy occupation. In addition, it presents the experience of all levels of soldier partipants--from the lowliest enlisted man to the high command. His obvious familiarity with and skillful use of contemporary material make the narrative seem all the more realistic, too.

The book offers a wealth of superior battlefield maps, charting all but the most minor incidents, and thus gives the reader a constant reminder of where the action is taking place and the "lay of the land." Trudeau also does a laudable job of relating what was happening at the same time on different parts of this extensive battlefield, by interspersing short contemporaneous passages on events from all over the area. He presents the battle in context, too--commencing the narrative just after Robert E. Lee's signal victory at Chancellorsville and carrying on to Lincoln's address at the commemoration of the national cemetery.

This is a book which should appeal to both the general reader, with minimal background on Civil War history or Gettysburg in particular, as well as the more informed reader, since it offers new perspectives on a number of the key controversies surrounding the battle. Trudeau seems to speculate that this was Lee's battle to lose--and his loose battlefield supervision and reluctant corps commanders lost it because Lee delegated leadership too extensively. He also gives a convincing explanation of why George Meade did not pursue Lee closely after the battle. The book offers a balanced portrayal of events from both Union and Confederate perspectives, too.

I have only one minor criticism of the book. It is rich in maps, but offers no photographs or other illustrations, despite the fact that there is a wealth of such material available. The dust jacket of the book has a formal grouping of random portraits of contemporary soldiers from the George Eastman House, but there is no indication that any of these men fought at Gettysburg. I almost hesitate to offer this criticism, but the general reader is going to miss this dimension of the battle in this otherwise excellent history.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the new standard, July 2, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage (Hardcover)

With his new one-volume history of America's most famous battle, Mr. Trudeau has done a mighty service for Civil War buffs, and Gettysburg fans in particular. It is detailed - remarkably so - and may put off some newcomers to the battle's story, but it's depth and thoughtful approach make it the new standard for comprehensive histories of Gettysburg

I've read a great deal about Gettysburg, but Trudeau has managed to find first-person accounts that I've never heard before. They are woven together with incisive narrative and wonderful maps. Lots of maps. They give a real feel for the ebb and flow of the battle.

Trudeau nicely balances emotion and military detail. The first-person voices give the story heart, while the text and maps provide the historical anchor. This book needs to be on every Civil War collector's bookshelf.