No other military engagement in American history has captured the attention of historians and the imagination of the American public as much as the three day Battle of Gettysburg in July, 1863. Occurring simultaneously with the fall of Vicksburg, Gettysburg marked both the high point of Confederate hopes, and the turning point that led to eventual Union victory.This compact but comprehensive volume provides both a narrative history and a cartographic display of the Battle of Gettysburg that makes the events of the engagement both vivid and comprehensible. From the moment the Confederacy determined to launch an invasion into the North, to Lee's retreat across the Potomac into Virginia, the strategic and tactical movements of both armies are portrayed in twenty-four full-page, three-color maps accompanied by a page of explanatory text keyed to the maps. Introductory essays to each section place the events in context and introduce the major characters: the proud Robert E. Lee, who believed his army was invincible; the tempestuous George Gordon Meade, who gained command of the Union army only days before the battle; the vainglorious professional George Pickett, and the valiant amateur Joshua Chamberlain. Here is a book that clarifies the complex, and yet offers insight and context to the amateur or professional student of Civil War history. Read Less