From Library Journal
With these two books, American Heritage continues its tradition of captivating historical storytelling through readable narratives and hundreds of illustrations of contemporary paintings, photographs, and maps many in color. The New History of the Civil War is a reissue of the second edition, published by Viking in 1996, which updated the highly acclaimed classic The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War (1960). Edited by McPherson (George Henry Davis Professor of American History, Princeton), it retains the style of the late Catton, known for award-winning histories that engage readers in understanding why Northerners and Southerners became passionately embroiled in America's deadliest war. What Catton did for the war generally, Symonds (history, U.S. Naval Academy) does for the Battle of Gettysburg, a monumental clash that marked the turning point of the war. Symonds focuses his narrative on the drama of battle, which lasted for three long days. Civil War aficionados and the curious will enjoy both books. Recommended for public and high school libraries, though libraries facing tight book budgets should stick with the New History of the Civil War for its panoramic coverage of the Civil War. Charles L. Lumpkins, Pennsylvania State Univ., State Coll. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This lavishly illustrated chronicle of the battle of Gettysburg in July 1863 begins with a letter from Brigadier General John D. Imboden of the Confederate Army, who was in charge of a wagon train of wounded and dying soldiers. "During this one night I realized more of the horrors of war than I had in all the two preceding years," he wrote. His letter vividly sets the tone of the book, which describes the three-day battle, the deadliest in American history. Symonds, author of six previous Civil War books, explains the military strategy of both sides, from Chancellorsville, Virginia, in May, where the sequence of events led to the battle, to General Robert E. Lee's escape across the Potomac River. Symonds draws on letters, diaries, and memoirs to complement his incisive text. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description

This stunning narrative of the epic Battle of Gettysburg begins with the clash of Union and Confederate armies at Chancellorsville, which set the stage for Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the North, and concludes with Lee's retreat through Pennsylvania and his escape across the Potomac. Craig L. Symonds masterfully recounts the events of the three days in July when two armies struggled in a virtual death grip across a dozen square miles of rolling Pennsylvania countryside.

Symonds captures the grand sweep of this pivotal battle by detailing the military strategy of both sides, including the Confederate decision to invade the North, the cat-and-mouse game in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and, finally, the terrible clash of arms on the hills and fields of Gettysburg. The book also draws upon firsthand accounts from the front lines, humanizing the individual soldiers of the Blue and Gray who fought for their lives, their homes, and for one another.

Richly illustrated with nearly three hundred photographs, color paintings, and illustrations, and with a wealth of letters, diaries, and memoirs accompanying the text, this is the story of Gettysburg as it has never been told before.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Gettysburg is widely considered the pivotal battle of the Civil War. It was also the deadliest, and that grim reality is reflected in this American Heritage look at Gettysburg, written by noted historian Craig L. Symonds. This is an encyclopedic and intensely visual historical work that richly deserves its place in the American Heritage Civil War series, which is legendary among Civil War buffs for its volumes by Bruce Catton and James McPherson.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Gettysburg was the deadliest battle of the deadliest war in American history. More Americans fell during those thre days in July 1863 than in any other battle in any other war before or since, and its place has been lodged in the firmament of history as the defining moment of our nation's most dramatic conflict.

Now, in the classic tradition of the widely praised The American Heritage New History of the Civil War by Bruce Catton and James McPherson and American Heritage New Hitory of World War II by Stephen E. Ambrose and C. L. Sulzberger, comes a beautiful, lavishly illustrated history of Gettysburg, written by acclaimed historian Craig L. Symonds. It offers a stirring narrative that captures the personalities and decisions of the generals in command and the struggles of the soldiers on both sides of the battlefield. Filled with hundreds of stunning color photographs, drawings, and maps, as well as a score of focused essays and eyewitness accounts, this is a book taht breathes new life into the battle that helped decide the fate of America.

SYNOPSIS

Exceptional illustrations, color maps, and a portfolio of Gettysburg battlefield monuments complement this account of events culminating in the bloodiest battle of the Civil War (and of any American War) fought in July 1863. Symonds (history, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis) captures leaders' personalities, decisions, and soldiers' struggles from Chancellorsville and Lee's second invasion of the North to his dramatic escape across the Potomac and Pickett's Charge (shown reenacted on its 50th anniversary). Slightly oversize at 9.25x11".

Annotation © Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

FROM THE CRITICS

James M. McPherson

Why another book about Gettysburg? The reader will find out immediately by opening these pages and scanning the lucid narrative and superb illustrations. Both are unmatched in drama and richness. Even those who know much about Gettysburg will be unable to put this book down; newcomers will become hooked on the Civil War.

Library Journal