Gettysburg - (Civil War America) by Harry W Pfanz (Paperback)

About the Book

Gettysburg--Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill

Book Synopsis

In this companion to his celebrated earlier book, Gettysburg -- The Second Day, Harry Pfanz provides the first definitive account of the fighting between the Army of the Potomac and Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill -- two of the most critical engagements fought at Gettysburg on 2 and 3 July 1863. Pfanz provides detailed tactical accounts of each stage of the contest and explores the interactions between -- and decisions made by -- generals on both sides. In particular, he illuminates Confederate lieutenant general Richard S. Ewell's controversial decision not to attack Cemetery Hill after the initial southern victory on 1 July. Pfanz also explores other salient features of the fighting, including the Confederate occupation of the town of Gettysburg, the skirmishing in the south end of town and in front of the hills, the use of breastworks on Culp's Hill, and the small but decisive fight between Union cavalry and the Stonewall Brigade.

Review Quotes

A definitive reconstruction of the fighting in a sector which has been neglected by historians. . . . A book that Civil War buffs and scholars will greet with enthusiasm. ("Publishers Weekly")

A meticulous examination of the desperate engagements that over the course of the three days swept up and down the rough slopes of these two hills, the strategic anchors of the Union right flank. ("New York Times Book Review")

Authoritative, exhaustive, and interesting. ("Journal of American History")

Civil War enthusiasts should clear a space on their bookshelf for "Gettysburg--Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill" and place it next to the author's first work. ("Blue and Gray")

Rich with astute judgments about officers on each side, clearly written, and graced with excellent maps, Pfanz's book is tactical history at its finest. ("Civil War")

About the Author

Harry W. Pfanz (1921-2015) is author of Gettysburg -- The First Day and Gettysburg -- The Second Day. A lieutenant, field artillery, during World War II, he served for ten years as a historian at Gettysburg National Military Park and retired from the position of Chief Historian of the National Park Service in 1981.