Stars in Their Courses: The Gettysburg Campaign (UNABRIDGED)

Rating:
Summary: A True Page Turner
Review: Shelby Foote's Stars in their Courses crackles with an intensity and fire from the first page to the last. Foote's narrative puts the reader squarely on the front lines as the fate of a nation hangs in the balance. From Lee's fateful decision to begin the Northern campaign, to his retreat from the bloody fields of Pennsylvania, the reader is inexorably drawn deeper and deeper into the story, even though the final outcome is already known.

What makes Foote's writing even more compelling is his subtle "what if" writing, where the reader can quickly infer the explosive differences a few decisions (i.e. Lee's hesitation on the 1st day to charge what were still weakened Union forces, Meade's failure to go after a bloodied and weakened Confederate force in the aftermath of the Gettysburg retreat) could have made to the ultimate outcome of the battle and the war.

Some critics of Foote have complained of his 'southern bias' but I found Foote more than willing to lay the ultimate blame for the Southern failure at the deified feet of RE Lee. Personally, I think Meade never got his due in history for his aggressive, bold, and calculating decision making during these three days (particularly in light of the fact that he had just taken over full command) while Lee, worshipped in the South, is always excused as having inferior supplies, troop numbers, etc ... The fact is, that at Gettysburg, the terrain was about as equal as it was in all the war and Lee came up short.

The pages literally fly by and you will be happy to cite and refer it to your friends for years to come. A great read.

Rating:
Summary: Great look at the Battle of Gettysburg!
Review: Stars In Their Courses is an excellent book covering the Gettysburg Campaign. Taken completely from Foote's Civil War Trilogy, the book presents a balanced view of the battle. Foote's writing is always easy to read and understand and at times brief in coverage. For a reader looking for great information I would suggest reading a book devoted to a particular day of fighting during the campaign as this book covers the basics and seldom dives into any hour-by-hour detail. For the advanced historian it may seem a bit too brief but for the novice Civil War reader it is an excellent book. Foote likes to present the battle from both sides of the army and explain Lee's and Meade's thoughts or strategies that help explain the how the battle and final outcome evolved. Shelby Foote is probably one of the best authors on the subject and I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to gain further knowledge and insight into the Battle of Gettysburg.

Rating:
Summary: The perfect companion book to "Killer Angels"
Review: The first Civil War book I ever read (not counting Stephen Crane's "Red Badge Of Courage" which I read back in the 10th grade), was Michael Shaara's "Killer Angels," an excellent book, moving and informative though somewhat discursive and lacking in as much battle detail as the reader may ultimately desire to know. That was by design as Shaara was seeking to show us the interior lives of the officers who fought at Gettysburg. In this sense "Killer Angels" is more like a novel than a history. "Stars In Their Courses" is a much more richly detailed - and not novelistic (though certainly not lacking in drama) - book, a book whose historical context is more fully exposed: each of the terrible interlocking events of those three days is exploded on the page so that we get a fuller appreciation of the totality of that battle, the "high-water mark of the Confederacy."

I encourage anyone who is interested in furthering their understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg, or of simply reading a great book about the turning point in America's most devastating war, to read this book. And make sure, while you're at it, to also read "Killer Angels." Side by side these book give a fascinating view of three bloody days in the fields and woods of Pennsylvania.

As an addendum, I would like to say that, while this book is more straightforward and less like a novel than KA, it is during the reading of Pickett's Charge from this book that both my wife and I broke down in tears.

EKW

Rating:
Summary: Great Story Well Told
Review: This book is actually a single chapter from Foote's three volume narrative history of the Civil War. It is the central chapter from the central volume, and the tale it contains represents the high water mark of the Confederacy.

To say that Foote has a way with words is an understatement. Here is a completely compelling story of a campaign that was a defining moment of the war. In the course of less than 300 pages, Foote provides a powerful tale told in such subtle strokes that you become part of history without being aware of being pulled into it.

There are lots of other works about Gettysburg. Most are longer, none are so well told.

I read most of this book while we were on a family outing to the Gettysburg battlefield last year. It put the battle in complete context. The combination of reading this brilliant account and seeing firsthand how geography shaped the battle was priceless.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent account of Gettysburg
Review: This book, distilled from Foote's excellent three part Narrative History of the Civil War, is the single best account of Gettysburg to my knowledge. (Incidentally, the copy I listened to was the unabridged version, and the descriptions here at Amazon seem to differ as to whether this is an abridged or unabridged work so be careful).

Foote is a master storyteller, and listening to the gripping account of the battle in his clear, conversational voice made the words come alive for me, reminding me why I liked Ken Burns' documentary so much. For many, like myself, who own and have read Foote's masterful trilogy, perhaps there is not much new here that cannot be found by picking up the appropriate portions of his second larger volume. However, by listening to the audio version of Stars in their Courses, you can re-immerse yourself in the Gettysburg campaign, and listen to this excellent account of the battle, as well as the events leading up to it, to and from work in the author's own voice.

There are a few odd details, like Foote's strange insertion of battle drums on a couple of occasions, which is startling after listening to hours of him speaking. Foote doesn't tell you when the side is over or when to change tapes, so you are always waiting for a minute or two to see whether the tape has indeed ended or a new subject begun. Also, since this is taken out of a larger work, occasionally we are introduced to characters that have been more presented, with biographical data, earlier in the Narrative History but not here. It helps to have a passing understanding of many of the key figures in the battle, but it is not essential to enjoying the work as a whole. Overall, these are trifling objections, and this audio book, at least in its unabridged format, is about as good as it gets.

Rating:
Summary: A fine addition to the account of Gettysburg
Review: This is taken from the three volume Civil War set that Mr. Foote has won wide acclaim for. Mr. Foote writes not only this work but all of his works in an elogant, easy to read prose that makes it a delight to read. He is accurate in detail, yet takes the time to give eye witness accounts to the carnage of Gettysburg. Having been to Gettysburg National Battlefield I must say it is very sobering to the thought of the destruction that happened during those three days of early July 1863. From the opening shots that started this battle to the end at Pickett's Charge, Mr. Foote gives the reader fascinating detail of the Generals who were in command down to the foot soldiers who fought and shed their blood. This is another fine addition to the works already written about Gettysburg. If you are impressed by this book, then by all means read his three volume set of the Civil War. You will not be dissapointed!