Stand Firm Ye Boys from Maine: The 20th Maine and the Gettysburg Campaign (Paperback)

by Thomas A. Desjardin (Author) "Who's fault is it?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Little Round Top, Big Round Top, Joshua Chamberlain (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An excellent book--moving and pwoerful, with a strong narrative line and interesting analysis based on exhaustive research."--Dr. James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom


Product Description
Fought amid rocks and trees, in thick blinding smoke, and under exceedingly stressful conditions, the battle for the southern slope of Little Round Top on July 2, 1863 stands among the most famous and crucial military actions in American history, one of the key engagements that led to the North's victory at Gettysburg.
In this powerfully narrated history, Maine historian Tom Desjardin tells the story of the 20th Maine Regiment, the soldiers who fought and won the battle of Little Round Top. This engaging work is the culmination of years of detailed research on the experiences of the soldiers in that regiment, telling the complete story of the unit in the Gettysburg Campaign, from June 21 through July 10, 1863. Desjardin uses more than seventy first-hand accounts to tell the story of this campaign in critical detail. He brings the personal experiences of the soldiers to life, relating the story from both sides and revealing the actions and feelings of the men from Alabama who tried, in vain, to seize Little Round Top. Indeed, ranging from the lowest ranking private to the highest officers, this book explores the terrible experiences of war and their tragic effect. Following the regiment through the campaign enables readers to understand fully the soldiers' feelings towards the enemy, towards citizens of both North and South, and towards the commanders of the two armies. In addition, this book traces the development of the legend of Gettysburg, as veterans of the fight struggle to remember, grasp, and memorialize their part in the largest battle ever fought on the continent.
With a new preface and undated maps and illustrations, Stand Fast Ye Boys of Maine offers a compelling account of one of the most crucial small engagements of the Civil War.
"An excellent book--moving and powerful, with a strong narrative line and interesting analysis based on exhaustive research."
--James M. McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Later Printing edition (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195140826
• ISBN-13: 978-0195140828
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #109,977 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > History > United States > Civil War > Regimental Histories
  #13 in	Books > History > United States > State & Local > Maine
  #18 in	Books > History > United States > Civil War > Campaigns > Gettysburg

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Teacher Reviews "Stand Firm Ye Boys From Maine", February 12, 2001

By	k somers (Maine) - See all my reviews

We take our heroes very seriously in the State of Maine. Major General (and Governor) Joshua Chamberlain appears on everything from t-shirts to beer bottles; he has become nearly mythical in our eyes. "Stand Firm" provides an honest account of the 20th Maine regiment in the Battle of Gettysburg; it is grounded in thorough research and reflects careful analysis by its author. It is very readable, with maps and notes included to promote greater understanding of the information. I offer it to my high school students for both the content and as an example of the process of analyzing historical information for accuracy, bias, etc. Mr. Desjardin took on the myth, and allowed Joshua Chamberlain to be seen as he should be; a decent man in a difficult situation. (The hard cover edition of this book has earned the honor of being the only one never returned to me from the many books I have shared with students over the past 13 years!)

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow. A great find!, May 28, 2001

By	RevWarReader "RevWarReader" (Washington, D.C. USA) - See all my reviews

When I saw this at our local bookstore I thought it was brand new since I am a big Gettysburg fan and hadn't seen it before. Turns out it was originally published in 1995 by a small press in Pennsylvania or somewhere and was only available in a few places, Then [someone else] got hold of it and now it is everywhere. It is a really great book, more balanced and objective than ANY Civil War book I've read, and even though it exposes a lot of myths about Joshua Chamberlain and his men, you will still end up admiring them, only now for the truth, not the myth. Reads like a novel and has some great detailed appendixes with lists of participants, wounded, etc. Outstanding!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Combines good research with good writing for a great book., December 13, 2003

By	B. Morris (Overland Park, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book isn't one that would catch your eye in a bookstore. It's barely 200 pages long and at first looks like any number of books one will find related to Gettysburg and the Civil War. The difference is while there are a lot of good historians out there who are good researchers, few of them are as talented at writing as Tom Desjardin.

The 20th Maine is perhaps the most famous regiment that fought at Gettysburg and it's commander Lawrence Chamberlain is perhaps the most famous Union officer after Grant thanks in part to the book 'Killer Angels' and the film 'Gettysburg'. Unfortunately however there are a lot of myths surrounding both Chamberlain and the 20th Maine. This book cuts through the myths that the book and film have helped perpetuate without trying to tear down Chamberlain like some in recent years have tried to do. In the end the truth is just as facinating as the myths, if not more so.