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Rating: 
Summary: Visit Gettysburg from the comfort of your home!
Review: Every visitor to Gettysburg has wished that they could capture the sights, sounds and history of this landmark battlefield. Now, through the miracle of "Virtual Gettysburg," you can relive your visit (or plan your first trip) from the comfort of your home computer. Everyone from the casual Civil War student to the ardent historian will find something to love about this product. The overview of the three days of battle, combined with the narrative by Licensed Gettysburg Battlefield Guide Gary Kross, gives one an outstanding perspective of this engagement that turned the tide of the Civil War. Add in the ability to take virtual tours of 21 different battlefield areas, complete with 99 different 360-degree photo panoramas that are so clear and crisp they transport you right onto the battlefield. There's text of every monument and marker, complete with detailed maps and a compass showing their positions at the park. And don't forget the photos of the key players, as well as vintage photos of the battlefield. My favorite aspect of this virtual tour is the recreation of the Gettysburg Address by famed Lincoln re-enactor James Getty. Watching him give that historic speech, and then having his image morph into the actual photograph of Lincoln at the dedication of the National Cemetery truly transports you back to 1863. I can tell you there's no product out there that gives you the history of this battle with the quality and depth of "Virtual Gettysburg." It's a marvelous opportunity to see this hallowed ground, and explore all the sites it would take you years of touring to discover.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Virtual
Review: I am so amazed with this software. Every time I go back, there is something new to see. The details of the battlefield are phenomenal, more than I ever even wanted to know! The best part for me is the 3-D panoramas. I've never been to the actual battlefield, but with the all the 100 or so panoramas that I can interact with, looking in any direction, I feel like I've been there. Now, if they can only develop some 3-D "virtual" glasses for this product. . .
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: I purchased Virtual Gettysburg the day it was released. This is the most incredible software I have ever seen. Not only can you take a guided tour of the Gettysburg battlefield, you can view the terrain for 360 degree circle from where you are standing. Gary Kross does an excellent job in narrating the tour, telling stories and making the battle come alive. You can also select an area in the distance and zoom in on what is there. Also, the monuments are indexed so you can find what you are looking for very quickly. The software is easy to use and very friendly, so you can be touring the battlefield in no time. I would recommend this software to anyone who is even slightly interested in the Civil War. I have always found that you can not fully understand the battle unless you walk the battlefield. This product allows you to do that from the comfort of your own home, what a concept!!! Well done Stephen Recker, when can we expect our next battlefield tour???
Rating:
Summary: Better than 5 stars!
Review: If you carry Gettysburg in your heart, and live more than a days drive away, Virtual Gettysburg is a must have of the highest order. The 360 degree visuals alone are worth the price, and the commentary by Licensed Battlefield Guide Gary Kross is spellbinding. All of the monuments are presented, as are easy to use interactive maps and many historic photos. I find something new every time. The CD's and guide will be with me each future time I'm able to visit Gettysburg. Stephen Recker has produced a fascinating new presentation of history. I only wish something like this had been available when my sons were studying The Civil War - then they wouldn't even think of asking "Mom, WHY do you have all these books?" Stephen's work is a gateway that will bring many new enthusiasts to the Civil War community. No school should be without it, nor should the home of any of us who understand Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's: "In great deed something abides.
On great fields, something stays.
Forms change and pass, bodies disappear
But spirits linger
To consecrate the ground for the vision-place of the Soul.
And reverent men and women from afar
And generations that know us not and we know not of,
Shall come here to ponder and to dream
And the power of the vision shall pass into their souls."
Rating:
Summary: Better than 5 stars!
Review: If you carry Gettysburg in your heart, and live more than a days drive away, Virtual Gettysburg is a must have of the highest order. The 360 degree visuals alone are worth the price, and the commentary by Licensed Battlefield Guide Gary Kross is spellbinding. All of the monuments are presented, as are easy to use interactive maps and many historic photos. I find something new every time. The CD's and guide will be with me each future time I'm able to visit Gettysburg. Stephen Recker has produced a fascinating new presentation of history. I only wish something like this had been available when my sons were studying The Civil War - then they wouldn't even think of asking "Mom, WHY do you have all these books?" Stephen's work is a gateway that will bring many new enthusiasts to the Civil War community. No school should be without it, nor should the home of any of us who understand Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's: "In great deed something abides.
On great fields, something stays.
Forms change and pass, bodies disappear
But spirits linger
To consecrate the ground for the vision-place of the Soul.
And reverent men and women from afar
And generations that know us not and we know not of,
Shall come here to ponder and to dream
And the power of the vision shall pass into their souls."
Rating:
Summary: Exploring Virtual Gettysburg Was Fun
Review: My fifth grader was learning about Gettysburg and this seemed like an excellent learning tool. WOW were we surprised. It was easy to navigate and it made you feel like you were really there. My younger children also enjoyed it, especially watching Lincoln give the Gettysburg address. My son brought it to school and the teacher said it was very helpful to the entire class.
Virtual Gettysburg made history so interesting that now my son wants to be an historian. I would recommend this to anyone interested in this part of history. Parents, and teachers alike.
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Summary: Put aside all preconceptions
Review: Put aside all preconceptions. Recker's Virtual Gettysburg (VG) is something new. It's not a game. It's not a book. It's history, but it's not literature. It's not about a thing; it is the thing. The virtual reality crowd used to talk about "presence"-the feeling of being somewhere. VG conveys a sense of the battle's place and the time, not simply as a gee-whiz sensation, but as a fully informed chunk of history. At the most obvious level, VG is an expert narrative illustrated by quick time movies.
There are a slew of movies, enough to navigate the entire battlefield. There's also encyclopedia of monuments, maps and period photos. It's a daunting amount of information, and a wonderful supplement to any of the standard narratives. I'm not a historian. I have read the standard texts (Catton, Nevin, Freeman, Foote, etc) and been to the battlefield. But since getting a copy of VG, I've have a far more vivid sense of the place, the stakes, the decisions, the situation and the courage of the men who fought there. These are the very things that make the civil war a subject worthy of study and contemplation. Recker's VG have made these things more vivid. It may not be too much of a reach to say that VG is a peek into the future at a new type of history.
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Summary: Great tool for educators
Review: This great product allows educators to personalize their tours of Gettysburg. In our leadership training, we have selected those individual leaders from Virtual Gettysburg, clicked on the CD tours which feature them, and let the program take over from there. Great visuals, giving panoramas of the battlefield, and terrific commentary. We were able to conduct a virtual tour of Gettysburg with a group in Florida, and they felt like they were on-site. Kudos to Stephen Recker!
Rating:
Summary: Kevin Thomas
Review: This software is a must have for anyone that has a love for this park and it,s history.
from the novice to the veteran civil war buff alike.
the work that went in to this project is well worth the asking price .just load the disc and your in Gettysburg .
HATS OFF TO MR. RECKER WHAT A PIECE OF WORK!!
I got this as a gift for christmas and I do not think I will tire of it anytime soon.
THANKS AGAIN AND HOPE TO SEE VIRTUAL ANTIETAM COMING SOON..
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