Gettysburg
by: Stephen Sears
Reviewed by: Ralph Bender, MBA, CFP®
Medal Rating: Silver Medal
Stephen Sears gives a solid account of one of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War.
I didn’t know that Meade got thrust into the Union command just days before the battle that everyone knew was going to happen. No one wanted the job, but when duty called, George Meade responded. And he did it well, using his self-doubt to become “situationally aware.” He dug into the details, relied heavily on his subordinates’ opinions and decision-making, and therefore made mostly fortunate battlefield decisions. Conversely, Lee, who’d consistently defeated the Union army, attacked despite the lack of intelligence from JEB Stuart and over the objections of Longstreet.
The story is thick with all the unit names and where they came from, which Civil War fans will love but can be a lot to keep track of. The paperback edition’s maps helped make sense of the many battles that took place from July 1 to 3; I couldn’t read them on the Kindle Paperwhite (often my favorite reading platform).
It’s a common belief that Lincoln, while pleased with the victory, was displeased with Meade for his inability to pursue and destroy Lee’s army before they escaped across the Potomac River back into Virginia. There’s much more to that story and it is worthy reading.