So You Think You Know Gettysburg? The Stories Behind the Monuments and the Men Who Fought One of America’s Most Epic Battles
Gettysburg remains a favorite place for visit by tourists and Civil War aficionados. In fact, every year more than two million people visit the place where the largest battle of the Civil War was fought and where President Abraham Lincoln delivered his immortal address. Tourists cannot help but notice that the grounds are covered with monuments and statutes. Unfortunately there have been relatively few books published that explain the story of the monuments. The Gindlespergers’ book helps fill that gap. The first things that catch a reader’s attention are the tremendous photographs of the monuments that are discussed. The full-color photos help bring the text to life, allowing readers to experience the majesty of being there while reading about a particular monument. Not all of the monuments are described, but many of the frequently visited monuments are included. The battlefield itself is broken down into 10 sections, or chapters. A final chapter discusses markers, Civil War building plaques, hospitals and cannons, among other interesting things. The authors provide two or three paragraphs of information about each of the monuments included in the book. Often they give tidbits that are not readily apparent or known about the monuments. As examples of this, readers learn who Penelope is and where she’s buried in a sidewalk in town, who is depicted in the Civil War Women’s Memorial, and who is the only enlisted man to have a monument at Gettysburg. In addition to a photograph, a map of the area, and a description of the monument, the authors have included the GPS coordinates for the monuments. This is a great book for people with an interest in Gettysburg. It can be used at home by people wishing to visit the battlefield from a distance. It is also a valuable aid to enhance the overall experience the monuments provide to battlefield visitors. Reviewer: Jay Jorgensen Jay Jorgensen has written several books about Gettysburg, including Gettysburg’s Bloody Wheatfield. He is a Superior Court Judge in New Jersey.
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Photographs, maps, 188 pp., 2010, John F. Blair,