Gettysburg Battlefield Guide: Culp's Hill & Cemetery Hill in the American Civil War - Perfect for History Buffs & Battlefield Tourists

Harry Pfanz is easily one of the most recognized names when it comes to knowledge on the battle of Gettysburg. Pfanz, the former Chief Historian of the National Park Service, has also written two outstanding books on the battle, Gettysburg: The First Day and Gettysburg: The Second Day. These books are simply mandatory reading for anyone trying to gain an understanding of the importance of the most definitive battle of the American Civil War, and this book offers terrific insight into why July 2nd is ultimately what decided Gettysburg. This work sets the scene perfectly for the second day, giving the reader an enormous amount of information as to why July 2nd represented the best opportunity for the South to achieve ultimate victory at the battle, as well as possibly the war.The second day of the battle of Gettysburg is easily the most impressive and important day of the three-day struggle in south-central Pennsylvania. Places like the Devil’s Den, Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and the Wheat Field are cemented in the American psyche, and the sheer mention of their name remunerates the reader with scenes of blatant tenacity and bloodcurdling horror. However, other places like Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill encompassed just about as much carnage and importance as these aforementioned locations. Pfanz does these places justice by meticulously recounting the actions on the evening of July 2nd, 1863, and the consequences they had on the battle at large.This book covers every minute aspect of the action at Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill on July 2nd, 1863. Most impressively it showcases how porous the southern leadership from the top down was on July 2nd, while also showcasing the terrible performance of Pendleton’s artillery wing during the engagement. Pfanz offers a scything assessment of every southern leader’s performance during the battle, and it really made me rethink my how different the battle could have been, had July 2nd been a more concerted effort on the part of Lee and his lieutenants.Pfanz’s retelling of the intrepid assault by Harry Hays’ Louisianans and Isaac Avery’s North Carolina Brigade on the evening of July 2nd, is simply the best telling of this attack I have ever read. Why these locations remain relatively unknown is a mystery to me, and after reading this book, it has become moreso. The actions taken on the northern end of the Union defenses was as tenacious and bitter as anything at the Wheatfield or Peach Orchard, and could have reaped immense rewards for Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia, had these efforts been better exploited by men like Jubal Early and Robert Rodes.While Pfanz takes little time pointing the finger at anyone particular, the reader is made aware, and remains well aware that there were fundamental problems with southern command during the Gettysburg campaign. These issues that are brought to light by Pfanz makes the reader openly question how different this campaign could have been had the southern command structure been handled more efficiently in July of 1863. While this question will remain lost to history, Pfanz’s work does its best to answer whatever questions one may have about the action on Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill.Pfanz’s work is as close to essential on Gettysburg as anything I have ever read before. The book offers immense, and sometimes inundating details about the battle and the men who waged it, but it never lets the reader forget that this battle was more of street brawl than a boxing match. I challenge anyone to read over the actions on Culp’s Hill and East Cemetery Hill and not be totally confused as to unit locations and performances. It simply, at times, leaves you needing time to digest all of the research. While this, in itself, may be off-putting to less-than-serious students of the battle, I was fascinated by Pfanz’s research and knowledge, and I gained a much more focused understanding of the second day at Gettysburg.I recommend this work for anyone that is in need of a better understanding of the battle of Gettysburg. This book, along with Pfanz’s other books on the battle, are simply must own for fans and scholars alike. I bought the set for my dad for Father’s Day and liked them so much I got myself a set, too. No serious student of the battle of Gettysburg should be without Pfanz’s essential works on July 1st and 2nd, and I only wish he would have done one on the 3rd of July as well. I guess we will never see that book, but here is to hoping Harry would consider it