num_pages: 505
description: FINALIST 2009 ARMY HISTORICAL FOUNDATION DISTINGUISHED BOOK AWARDWINNER 2009 THE BACHELDER-CODDINGTON LITERARY AWARD GIVEN BY THE ROBERT E. LEE CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLE OF CENTRAL NEW JERSEYWINNER 2009 GETTYSBURG ROUND TABLES DISTINGUISHED BOOK AWARDWinner of The Bachelder-Coddington Literary Award 2009 given by the Robert E. Lee Civil War Round Table of Central New Jersey. Now available in paperback 'Sickles at Gettysburg: The Controversial Civil War General Who Committed Murder Abandoned Little Round Top and Declared Himself the Hero of Gettysburg' by licensed battlefield guide James Hessler is the most deeply-researched full-length biography to appear on this remarkable American icon. And it is long overdue.No individual who fought at Gettysburg was more controversial both personally and professionally than Major General Daniel E. Sickles. By 1863 Sickles was notorious as a disgraced former Congressman who murdered his wifes lover on the streets of Washington and used Americas first temporary insanity defense to escape justice. With his political career in ruins Sickles used his connections with President Lincoln to obtain a prominent command in the Army of the Potomacs Third Corpsdespite having no military experience. At Gettysburg he openly disobeyed orders in one of the most controversial decisions in military history.No single action dictated the battlefield strategies of George Meade and Robert E. Lee more than Sickles unauthorized advance to the Peach Orchard and the mythic defense of Little Round Top might have occurred quite differently were it not for General Sickles. Fighting heroically Sickles lost his leg on the field and thereafter worked to remove General Meade from command of the army. Sickles spent the remainder of his checkered life declaring himself the true hero of Gettysburg.Although he nearly lost the battle Sickles was one of the earliest guardians of the battlefield when he returned to Congress created Gettysburg National Military Park and helped preserve the field for future generations. But Dan Sickles was never far from scandal. He was eventually removed from the New York Monument Commission and nearly went to jail for misappropriation of funds.Hesslers critically acclaimed biography is a balanced and entertaining account of Sickles colorful life. Civil War enthusiasts who want to understand General Sickles scandalous life Gettysburgs battlefield strategies the in-fighting within the Army of the Potomac and the development of todays National Park will find Sickles at Gettysburg a must-read.REVIEWS: The few other Sickles biographies available will now take a back seat to Hesslers powerful and evocative study of the man the general and the legacy of the Gettysburg battlefield that old Dan left America. I highly recommend this book. J. David Petruzzi co-author of Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuarts Controversial Ride to Gettysburg (2006) and with Steve Stanley The Complete Gettysburg Guide (2009)This book is a breath of fresh airit is an objective thorough and readable examination of the controversial general. Hessler avoids getting bogged down in extreme reactions typically seen in others who write on this subject. Sue Boardman Licensed Battlefield Guide GNMP; Leadership Program Coordinator Gettysburg Foundation; and author of The Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama: A History and GuideAbout the Author: James A. Hessler works in the financial services industry and is a Licensed Battlefield Guide at Gettysburg National Military Park.
language: English
title: Sickles at Gettysburg: The Controversial Civil War General Who Committed Murder, Abandoned Little Round Top, and Declared Himself the Hero of Gettysburg
publisher: Savas Beatie