Beneath a Northern Sky: A Short History of the Gettysburg Campaign (The American Crisis Series: Books on the Civil War Era)

By Steven E. Woodworth

Book Overview

Of all the places and events in this nation's history, Gettysburg may well be the name best known to Americans. Millions flock each year to the little town in south-central Pennsylvania where more than 135 years ago the largest, bloodiest, and most dramatic battle of the Civil War raged across the now-peaceful hills and meadows. The subject of an epic movie and a best-selling work of fiction, the battle continues to fascinate Americans. Indeed, for most Americans, Gettysburg is the Civil War.

In Beneath a Northern Sky, eminent Civil War historian Steven E. Woodworth offers a balanced and thorough overview of the entire battle, its drama, and its meaning.From Lee's decision to take his heretofore successful Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac and into Pennsylvania to the withdrawal of the battle-battered Confederate's back across the river into Virginia, Woodworth paints a vivid picture of this pivotal campaign. In this day-by-day account, he describes the fierce fighting that left 48,000 men dead or wounded at sites that have now become famous: Little Round Top, Cemetery Ridge, Devil's Den. This new book provides a realistic sequence of events surrounding the legendary Pickett's Charge, detailing the Confederate's magnificent display of courage and the Union's stalwart, rock-hard defense. Woodworth describes the strategic and tactical decision making and shows how infighting and disagreements among the leaders on both sides impacted the campaign. He details the mind set and morale of the soldiers, revealing how--surprisingly--Union leaders did not take advantage of their troops' high spirits after their victory to finish off the retreating Confederates.

Instead of focusing on only one aspect of the Gettysburg Campaign as most other books do, Beneath a Northern Sky tells the tale of the entire battle in a richly detailed but swiftly moving narrative. This new approach to a defining battle is sure to fascinate Civil War buffs and all those interested in the rich history of the United States.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0842029338
• ISBN13: 9780842029339
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 241 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.9" x 0.7" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Short and to the Point, but. . . .

If you really want to know about the Battle of Gettysburg, pick the following authors: Trudeau, Coddington, and Sears--not Woodworth. They provide much more detail of the battle and give a much more complex perspective. However, for those readers who want a short and to the point introduction to the battle, this book serves a useful purpose. Its brevity serves a positive function--even as it means that this cannot be a definitive book on the great battle. Key issues are described; the author writes well. There is not a whole lot here that is new; the standard anecdotes are retold--albeit nicely. Still, for the Civil War novice who would like an accessible and easy read on Gettysburg, this book can do the trick.

good quick book

Woodworth's Beneath A Northern Sky is an excellent book that gets to the point quickly, but keeps you well informed of the strategies and tactics used during this campaign. For those of you who are sick of reading long, drawn out books on Gettysburg that just say the same thing over and over, Beneath a Northern Sky is an excellent book that is a short, but well written book on the Civil War battle that everyone and their mother knows about.