Customer Reviews

The Maps of Gettysburg : An Atlas of the Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 - July 13, 1863

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book works on several levels; first as an atlas of the Gettysburg campaign, second as a history of the campaign and last as a reference work. That it excels at each level is a testament to the author's knowledge and skill. Any book on Gettysburg by Bradley Gottfried is subject to high expectations. His "Roads to Gettysburg" and "Brigades of Gettysburg" are essential works on the campaign and battle. This book exceeds our expectations and raises the bar for his next work. The author's style of writing requires a minimal number of words to convey essential information, making for a very informative narration that does not require pages of text. This produces an informative but easy to read text of the essential action for each map just as it did for each brigade in his last book.

144 full-page color enhanced maps that cover the advance, battle and retreat. Facing pages have a map on the right page and text on the left one. This simple idea puts everything together, ending flipping pages trying to understand the action. The second requirement is short time intervals and detailed maps. Again, the author manages this difficult idea. The 29 map set present in chronological order the campaign from Virginia to Gettysburg and back to Virginia. Each map set presents a specific action and contains from three to 21 maps and text covering this phase of the campaign. The scale is from 12 miles for campaign maps to 220 yards to the inch for the detailed regimental maps. The lower scale maps have contour lines indicate woods, cornfields, orchards and grain fields with worm, post & rail or stone fences. Roads, railroads and buildings are included. This makes for a busy map and takes some study before easily reading the tactical maps. Since this is Gettysburg, most readers know where these items are located and can find the symbols on one of the maps

The largest map set is the advance of the armies to Gettysburg starting on June 3rd and ending on July 2nd. The maps for the first six days of the campaign are in two-day increments. From June 12th to July 2nd, the maps are daily. Included as part of the approach are map sets for the battle of Second Winchester and Stephenson's Depot. Eleven map sets and one evening July 1- 2 map, cover the fighting on July First. Ten-map sets cover July Second with one evening July 2 - 3 map completes the day. July Third has four map sets. The detail is impressive, using July Third for an example the map sets: are Culp's Hill remains in Union Hands, five maps, The Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble Charge, seven maps, The East Cavalry Field, four maps and The South Cavalry Field 3 maps.

Reading the text and viewing the maps can be a sequential process giving the reader a detailed account of the campaign and the battle. A second approach is using the book as a reference for a specific action. The text and maps provide a good detailed study that allows the reader to follow the action on the map. Lastly, you can use this atlas with any Gettysburg book and to answer specific questions about the battle.

The obvious questions is "Should I replace my existing Maps book?" Color makes a huge difference in readability enhancing the usefulness and value of the book. Until I laid the two books side by side, I did not realize how much difference it would make. My answer is "YES", it is a worthwhile upgrade. Gettysburg is like someone we went to grade school with and have known all our lives. We fit comfortably and enjoy a companionship of shared experiences and memories. We can always find out more about our friend and always enjoy hearing from them. This book is a wonderful visit with our old friend.

By way of disclosure, I will first state that I was one of the editors for this book.

Having said that, I was extremely impressed with this work in progress before ever signing on to help edit the manuscript and maps. The book is wonderfully set up so that the reader can take it right out onto the field - on each left side page, there is detailed explanatory text for each action, with the corresponding map on the right side page. No flipping around to find maps. Never before has there been one, concise book that contains maps of the entire Gettysburg Campaign from beginning to end - so if you ever plan to visit the field, you need this book and will enjoy it over and over. And anyone interested in the battle and campaign must have this book. It is, in effect, the NEW field guide for the battle and campaign, one not likely to be surpassed in our lifetimes.

As a long-time student of the campaign, I can attest to the accuracy of both maps and text. I especially spent a lot of time with both Brad and the publisher making sure that the portions dealing with the cavalry were accurate (I have one book and many articles published on Gettysburg/Civil War cavalry operations). Everyone involved with this book went the extra mile to make sure that no errors crept in that we couldn't catch.

And as for the maps - I'm astonished at the amount of time and effort Brad put into them. As a novice cartographer, he did an admirable job. The level of detail is commendable, and the battlefield walker will easily understand them. On the field, instead of lugging dozens of books and map sets around with you, all you'll need is this book. Then, if you have a particular detailed interest in one part of the field, you can go to works and maps that have finer detail. The maps in this book will get you easily oriented, all the while explaining the actions. Divided chronologically by each section of the field, the reader/walker will easily follow each hour's events without having to flip back and forth - it's all right in front of you.

With all the books coming out on Gettysburg and that continue to appear, I've never been as excited to see one in print as this one (except for my own!) and I know it belongs on the shelf of every battle/campaign student and in the hands of every battlfield stomper. When you own this book, you'll have the Number One tool you need to explore the Hallowed Ground of Gettysburg.

Buy this book - yesterday!!

Bradley Gottfried's "The Maps of Gettysburg" is an unmatched resource for studying the Battle of Gettysburg and the campaign surrounding the battle. The maps are superb: easy to understand and comprehensive. A veritable mountain of books about Gettysburg have been published over the years, both general histories (such as those by Coddington and Sears) and specialist studies that focus in upon narrower aspects (like the books of Harry Pfanz). Gottfried's work will serve well as a supplement to those older books, clarifying their works with detailed, clear maps to show the action in progress. And it will serve well as a battlefield guidebook; I look forward to my next trip to Gettysburg when Gottfried's maps will enhance my understanding on the ground of just who was where. And for those less familiar with the battle, "The Maps of Gettysburg" provides a solid narrative history of events to accompany the maps. All in all, "The Maps of Gettysburg" easily climbs to the top of that mountain of Gettysburg books, and it can lay claim to a spot on the bookshelves of almost any Civil War enthusiast.

Gettysburg as seen through maps
Much has been written on the 3 days at Gettysburg, and excellent maps have been produced, but Bradley Gottfried concentrates on the battle through examining the various troop movement through detailed maps. He breaks down the entire 3 day battle into major combat segments giving concise accounts while showing the actual troops engaged and how they moved and fought the battle. By following Mr. Gottfried's precise maps one gets a better flavor of the ebb and flow of the battle. I liked how he had the entire map on the right side page, with NO crease breaks, and an explanation of the map on the facing page. That way you could read the battle description and follow along by glancing at the facing map: Excellent. I do have 2 relatively minor improvements for future editions. 1. Include more general overview maps of the general battle area under discussions. You can get a little lost around the Herbst Woods/Railroad Cut/ Oak Hill-Oak Ridge areas. I feel a general overview map of each day and general area would be nice. 2. A general time stamp on each map. That would better put the individual areas in a more understandable overview. These are minor and really do not detract that much from Mr. Gottfried's wonderful book.
This is a must have for any Civil War buff's library. I have already used it in conjunction with several other CW biographies I am currently reading. I hope this kind of cartographic examination will be done on other major CW battles.
All in all an outstanding addition to better understanding the complexities of Gettysburg. Well done Mr. Gottfried.

I can't begin to tell you how many descriptions of Civil War troop movements I've been frustrated by: this brigade moved here or that regiment moved there. I am a visual person, I learn best when I can visualize things... therefore I, by my nature, am a map person. Most books on Civil War battles contain only enough maps to cover the most basic aspects of troop movements in a particular battle. There are never enough maps for me.

Bradley Gottfried understands me and others like me and has authored nothing less than an atlas of the Gettysburg campaign. Like an oasis in the middle of the desert, The Maps of Gettysburg: An Atlas Of The Gettysburg Campaign, June 3 - July 13, 1863, has quenched my thirst for maps.

Mr. Gottfried's book contains 29 maps map sets, each containing between 2 & 21 maps, covering the advance to Gettysburg, the battle and the Confederate retreat. In all the 136 maps give nearly an hour by hour account of the three day battle that changed the course of American History. At last I am able to see and understand the fighting back and forth across the unfinished railroad cut on July 1st, the bloody, awful fighting in the Wheatfield and Peach Orchard on the 2nd and the breathtaking and awe inspiring lines of the Picket-Pettigrew-Trimble charge as they moved across the Emmitsburg Road on July 3rd.

Each map is accompanied on its left facing page by a descriptive text detailing the specificities of troop movements at the corps, division, brigade, regimental and some times even down to the company level.

My one and only criticism of Mr. Gottfried's book is there is almost no reference to time. A date/time stamp on each map would have been helpful, when moving from one map set to another in identifying events that were taking place on different areas the battlefield at approximately the same time. That is but a small flaw in an otherwise nearly perfect book.

The Maps of Gettysburg is without a doubt, an indispensable work on the Gettysburg Campaign. No library, Civil War historian or student of the war should be without a copy.

I have studied the battle of Gettysburg for years and have read most of the recommended autors such as Coddington, Phanz, Foote, Catton etc and I still had areas of the battle that were hard to comprehend the movements such as in the Wheatfield. When I bought and opened the Maps of Gettysburg I knew that this was the book that would clarify many murky areas. I have been to Gettysburg three times and plan to go again this Oct. 2007 and will have the book alongside of me in the car.
John M. Ryan

I recently spent a day at Gettysburg with my son and my father. We hired a Gettysburg guide to take us over to explore the fighting that took place at Culp's Hill since many people don't focus on this important part of the battlefield. In preparation for our trip I ordered the revised color edition of The Maps of Gettysburg by Bradley Gottfried. In short order, I was able to understand the tactical importance of controlling this hill after reading the brief narratives and then eye-balling the troop movements displayed on the maps. If you want to quickly gain an understanding of what took place just about anywhere and during any given moment at Gettysburg then this book is indispensable. The well designed color maps are on the right facing page while the battle narrative is on the left facing page. I found this design very user friendly; especially since you don't have to flip through pages to find a map that matches the narrative [This is a pet-peeve of mine with too many poorly designed military history books]. The maps show unit movements down to regimental and battery level. This hard-back is well built and at about 384 pages it is hefty, so if you bring it out in the field, make sure you have some way to protect it. The book also has an Order of Battle and endnotes so sources can be tracked down if needed. This book is the best thing out there for serious battlefield students and those who want to decipher a complex three day battle.
John J. Fox III
author, The Confederate Alamo [2010],
Red Clay to Richmond [2004]
[...]

If you have ever read a book detailing a battle such as Gettysburg, you may have found yourself wanting more maps than such books typically provide. This book is a great compliment to works like Pfanz's books on the first and second day. The major phases of the battle, to include the approach of the armies, and the retreat of the CS forces, are depicted. The battle segments show the postions and movements of the forces down to the regimental level, with accompanying text on the left, and the maps on the right. There are as many maps for each part of the battle as it takes to depict them.

There are a few typos in the text (a formation is said to have faced in one direction when the accompanying map shows them facing in another), and the symbols depicting the different types of fencing are shown in different scales on the symbol key vs. the map itself. Reading the symbol key requires a magnifying glass. Something to correct in the next edition.

These small things aside, this is a very handy work to have. If you ever visit the battlefield, I would take this along.

I am a frequent visitor to Gettysburg, and an amateur student of the battle. The maps are so complete that they almost provide a stop-action pictorial account of the battle.I must compliment Mr.Gottfried on the immense task he has undertaken. I can't fault his work, though I did note differences from other accounts. However, the battle itself must be faulted. The accounts of the soldiers and the official reports of the battle do not confirm each other in many cases, and historians of those days failed to reconcile the reports of those days and could never compile authoritative and complete maps of the troop movements. Mr. Gottfried has chosen paths through these thickets, but of necessity they must be arbitrary in many instances. His written summaries that accompany the maps are excellent, but they too must be arbitrary to a degree, and a single page may not suffice to fully explain the actions pictured on the related map. Still, his book provides a superb account of the troop movements and will accompany me on many future vists to the battlefield

Let's face it, grognards can never get enough maps. Even small engagements need lots of maps to understand, alongside the text. This book is incredible: the maps are clear and well marked, the text is quite good and is well written. If you had this book alone you would have a better grasp on the battle than the small minority of people. I wish it had times on it, that's my only gripe, and of course that it was bigger and had more maps. We always need more maps.