Confrontation at Gettysburg: A Nation Saved, A Cause Lost

by John Hoptak

Gettysburg is America's most famous battle. Fought on the first three days of July 1863, it was one of the largest and by far the bloodiest of the Civil War. Yet the importance of this great conflagration cannot be measured in numbers alone, for Gettysburg also represented a pivotal moment in the war. The battle ended General Robert E. Lee's second invasion of Union soil, and never again did a Confederate army reach that far north. Join historian John Hoptak as he narrates the fierce action between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the Union Army of the Potomac at such places as McPherson's Ridge, the Railroad Cut, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, Devil's Den, Little Round Top and on Culp's and Cemetery Hills.

Genres: Civil War, History

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2012

Reviews

[Stephen Morrissey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you searching for an accessible overview to the Battle of Gettysburg? John Hoptak serves up a splendid, detailed, and straightforward account of America's most famous battle in "Confrontation at Gettysburg." From the fighting on Day 1 north of the town, to the fierce fighting around Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill to the north and the Peach Orchard, Devil's Den, the Wheatfield and Little Round Top on Day 2, and culminating on Day 3 with Pickett's, Pettigrew's and Trimble's ill-starred charge to Cemetery Ridge, Hoptak teases out the main points of the battle, reducing the movements to accessible prose and capturing a bit of the hellish conditions endured by both the blue and the grey.

Hoptak's book may not be the definitive account, nor the most prosaic, but it is solid and fair in its accounting for the battle, and why Americans should be thankful for the services of Meade, Hancock, Warren, Sykes, Chamberlain and the countless privates who withstood death and destruction to protect the Union.

[Bob Spangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the Battle of Gettysburg and a primer for a recent tour of the battlefield lead by my good friend Eric Wittenberg. I enjoyed the stories on the retreat from Gettysburg and better understanding the background on Carlisle PA prior and during the battle. It really enhanced my time on the battlefield having the knowledge going in.

Thanks Eric for the recommendation.

[Mark Luongo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that comes highly recommended and lives up to all expectations. Thanks Larry Korcyk!
Each chapter starts with an overview and proceeds with detail for each day. Chapters are included on the days preceding the battle as well as the aftermath. I particularly liked the "Chapter Notes" which recommends further reading, I've added a number of books to my library based on those recommendations.
A good book for all levels of interest in the Gettysburg campaign. In my case, the narrative unfolded in my mind's eye as the author describes the action on various parts of the battlefield. Maybe I'm finally learning something.

[George Hancock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the Civil War Sesquicentennial series
an excellent account of the Gettysburg campaign