Product Description

TRAVEL THROUGH A PIVOTAL TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY

Jeff Shaara, America’s premier Civil War novelist, gives a remarkable guided tour of the ten Civil War battlefields every American should visit: Shiloh, Antietam, Fredericksburg/Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, New Market, Chickamauga, the Wilderness/Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg/Appomattox. Shaara explores the history, the people, and the places that capture the true meaning and magnitude of the conflict and provides

• engaging narratives of the war’s crucial battles
• intriguing historical footnotes about each site
• photographs of the locations–then and now
• detailed maps of the battle scenes
• fascinating sidebars with related points of interest

From Antietam to Gettysburg to Vicksburg, and to the many poignant destinations in between, Jeff Shaara’s Civil War Battlefields is the ideal guide for casual tourists and Civil War enthusiasts alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #83116 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-25
• Released on: 2006-04-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From AudioFile
Shaara explores eight spots he believes are essential destinations for historically minded Americans. Chronologically, from Shiloh to Appomattox, he explains what happened at each Civil War battlefield and why it was important, and then takes listeners on a tour of the area. This last is the weak part of an otherwise excellent audio as the listener does not necessarily have a map for referral. Robertson Dean does his best to make listeners see the many momentous events -- Picketts Charge at Gettysburg, for example. He has a Cronkite-like sincerity that gives way to emotion when he describes the scene at Lincolns Gettysburg Address or the carnage at Antietam. This valuable listening experience should spark interest in visiting these sites and learning more about this pivotal event. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Shaara is the author of two "nonfiction novels" that completed the Civil War trilogy begun by his late father, Michael, with the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Killer Angels (2001). Here Shaara provides a guide to 10 of the most significant Civil War battlefields. He begins with the first great bloodletting at Shiloh, and he concludes with Petersburg, a sustained seige with World War I-style trench warfare. Shaara superbly provides context for the actual battles by describing the physical settings as well as the military environment that precipitated the battles. Shaara is at his best, however, in describing the ebb and flow of the fighting. He describes in vivid--and often necessarily gruesome--detail episodes like the death of Albert Johnston at Shiloh, the famed charge of the 20th Maine at Gettysburg, and the machinelike mowing down of Union troops at Cold Harbor. The text is amply supported by maps and photos. This is an informative and moving examination of "hallowed ground" that will appeal to both scholars and Civil War buffs, especially those planning to visit these sites. Jay Freeman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Thoughtful, informative
This is an interesting treatment of Civil War battlefields, providing background, tour information, and the author's perspectives. The chapters on each battle are the right length, and the graphics are very helpful. A very worthwhile purchase.

If only they had used this book in high school..
... I would have been interested in history sooner. It answers one of the most commonly asked questions a bored high schooler asks: "Why should I care about this?". Example, Antietam led to the Emancipation Proclamation being signed when did.

I've read most of Shaara's work but this really brings the battle fields home in a way that is spooky. His descriptions are vivid since they juxtapose the way it was in 1864 with current scenery and instructs you to drive down this lane; park here; go down this road till you hit the fence and face north west. Your are standing where a general stood. Creepy and amazing.

Someday, I taking this book on a road trip with me.

an excellent travel companion
I purchased this book in 2007 just before embarking on a mammoth civil war battlefield tour. I found it an excellent quick refresher course on the history of the battles. I found that reading the section specific to the following days battlefield exploration made it much easier to plan and understand what I was seeing. Gettysburg, Petersburg, Fredericksburg, and Shiloh were all made far more enjoyable by this well written travelling companion.
I highly recommend this book to anyone considering exploring some of America's most hallowed ground.