Through Blood and Fire at Gettysburg

Rating:
Summary: Excellent primary source on key battle of Civil War...
Review: ...BLOOD & FIRE...is an historical gem. A treasure of sentiment; courage and spiritual grandeur that General...at time of the Battle of Gettsyburg, Colonel...Joshua L.Chamberlain conveys in this brief account of defense of the Army of the Potomac's flank at Little Round Top on July 2,1863. This superbly appointed booklet...scarcely more than a pamphlet...contains not only Chamberlain's personal description of what many historians regard as THE crucial engagement of the decisive battle of the Civil War, but pictures of battleground milestones, and combatant officers. Additonally,the appendix comprises a photocopy of Chamberlain's handwritten account of the battle to HQ,dated July 6,1863.

Modern readers may be perturbed at the rhetorical style of Chamberlain which by contemporary standards is florid and unappologetically dramatic. Yet recall Joshua Chamberlain was one of the most educated(as well as decorated: Congressional Medal of Honor)officers this nation has ever fielded. When he acclaims soldiers at Gettsyburg,UNFORGOTTEN SONS OF GOD(p.28)!there is no irony or hyperbole intended. This is grateful, guileless praise of an officer exalting brother heroes. A letter written to Chamberlain...by a Confederate combatant of the 15th Alabama Regiment which assaulted Little Round Top on July 2...is astonishing(p.21).The former rebel soldier simply states that he COULD HAVE SHOT CHAMBERLAIN TWICE during the battle but spared him: "I rested my gun on the rock and took steady aim. I started to pull the trigger but some ...notion stopped me.Then I got ashamed of my weakness and went through the same motions again. I had you,perfectly certain. But that same ... something shut right down on me.I couldn't pull the trigger, and gave it up--that is,your life. I am glad of it now, and hope you are...Yours truly"

"Through BLOOD & FIRE at Gettsyburg" by one of America's greatest soldiers,educators and national leaders,is a remarkable document that profoundly says much about the kind of men; heroism and spiritual gratitude and dependancy that sustained and fortified this nation.It must,indeed,astonish...if not shame...many. Particularly those who would hide behind, or affect cynical sophistication about sentiment and character.[Pulitzer Prize winning Civil War historian, James McPherson's FOR CAUSE & COMRADES(1997)draws on letters and diaries of 1076 Civil War soldiers. This scholarship substantiates and affirms what Joshua Chamberlain,perhaps,more radically, astutely,and "sacredly" professes in BLOOD & FIRE]. This work is recommended to all readers who would try to understand and value the sacrifice of the soldiers who fought The American Civil War.

Rating:
Summary: Invaluable reference, and well-told to boot
Review: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain did history a great favor by recording the events that happened on Little Round Top during the second day of the battle of Gettysburg. Thanks to him we have an eyewitness account of the 20th Maine's valiant defense of the left flank of the Union army. Rich with rhetoric, this account is packed with emotion and feeling.

The narrative is very short, only 29 pages, but there are many pictures and an appendix that make it well worth the money. Many well-known histories have drawn on Chamberlain's account of this part of the battle, and Michael Shaara's novel even quotes some of Chamberlain's lines. This primary source is highly recommended for anyone interested in the civil war, not just the die-hard historian.

Rating:
Summary: Invaluable reference, and well-told to boot
Review: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain did history a great favor by recording the events that happened on Little Round Top during the second day of the battle of Gettysburg. Thanks to him we have an eyewitness account of the 20th Maine's valiant defense of the left flank of the Union army. Rich with rhetoric, this account is packed with emotion and feeling.

The narrative is very short, only 29 pages, but there are many pictures and an appendix that make it well worth the money. Many well-known histories have drawn on Chamberlain's account of this part of the battle, and Michael Shaara's novel even quotes some of Chamberlain's lines. This primary source is highly recommended for anyone interested in the civil war, not just the die-hard historian.

Rating:
Summary: MY KIDS LOVED IT.
Review: THIS BOOK IS A GOOD READ FOR ALL AGES. TAKES YOU THROUGH ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONFLICTS IN THE MOST IMPORTANT BATTLE IN U.S. HISTORY. EASY TO READ.

Rating:
Summary: This book captures the fear and emotion of Little Round Top
Review: This book is based on the actual report written by Joshua Chamberlain after Gettysburg. It is full of photos and maps which helps to clarify positions and movements on the battlefield. Chamberlain's account are full of excellent insight and illustrations.

Rating:
Summary: Up-close and Personal
Review: Though at times difficult to read due to the flowery style of Chamberlain's rhetoric, this book is an exciting insight into the thoughts, feelings and experiences of someone who lived through the Battle of Gettysburg. This is more than an account of the battle, this is a window into the emotions and motives of why these men were willing to risk their lives for an ideal.