The Illustrated Gettysburg Reader: An Eyewitness History of the Civil War’s Greatest Battle
July 2013 marks the 150th anniversary of the greatest battle fought on American soil, so one can expect an avalanche of books, articles, and essays that “celebrate” an anniversary that should more properly be mourned. The photographs provided here are still striking, but most have been seen before. What gives this work power, intimacy, and poignancy is the collection of eyewitness accounts that proceed chronologically from the prelude to the three-day battle that altered the course of the Civil War. A British military observer describes Robert E. Lee in reverential terms, noting his dignity and the devotion of his soldiers. Lee himself writes a letter justifying his risky invasion of the North. A Union soldier speculates that Southern independence might be inevitable. Confederate General James Longstreet recalls his efforts to dissuade Lee from the frontal attack on the Union center. Finally, the climactic charge led by George Pickett is described from multiple perspectives. This is an excellent addition to Civil War collections. --Jay Freeman