Into the Fight: Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg

by John Michael Priest

Challenging conventional views, stretching the minds of Civil War enthusiasts and scholars as only John Michael Priest can, Into the Fight is both a scholarly and a revisionist interpretation of the most famous charge in American history. Using a wide array of sources, ranging from the monuments on the Gettysburg battlefield to the accounts of the participants themselves, Priest here rewrites the conventional thinking about this unusually emotional, yet serious, moment in our Civil War. Starting with a fresh point of view, and with no axes to grind, Into the Fight challenges all interested in that stunning moment in history to rethink their assumptions. Worthwhile for its use of soldiers’ accounts, valuable for its forcing the reader to rethink the common assumptions about the charge, critics may disagree with this research, but they cannot ignore it.

Genres: Civil War

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I will be in Gettysburg next weekend, so it was quite timely for me to read this well-researched, well-written book. This book tells of the gory horrors we, as Americans, committed against each other. If more people would read books of this nature, we would not be so quick to be so-called "proud" of "Confederate Heritage". No offense meant, just my opinion.

[Greg Noonan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is a seriously good book. Thoroughly and painstakingly researched, Priest has come up with what would probably have to be the definitive account of Pickett's ill-fated attack on July 3, 1863.
The book takes the reader through each portion of the battlefield at various times of the day and through the use of letters and diaries from the men there on the day, recounts their thoughts and misgivings and describes the placements of regiments and guns in almost forensic fashion.
Priest is also very particular in telling us how bodies of men moved about the battlefield once the shooting started, how the Confederate attack started to fall apart almost from the beginning and how Union reinforcements and artillery were quickly able to thin the Confederate lines from the flanks as well as the front. Such was the intensity of Federal fire, many Rebels did not even cross the Emmitsburg Rd.
Although more likely written for folks who already know something about the battle or the American Civil War, John Michael Priest has made another valuable contribution to the already large stable of Civil War books.

[Britt · Rating 2 out of 5]

After your mind finds a flow, this book is actually pretty good. It took me until about the middle to feel the pace pick up though. All in all, some very good information and plenty of great human interest stories.