Hallowed Ground : A Walk at Gettysburg

Rating:
Summary: Battlefield of Freedom
Review: For the last two years, I've been planning various trips to the United States, trips that will focus (in addition to the more regular tourist attractions) on historical events and places which interest me, chiefly ones connected with the American War of Independence, the Ante-Bellum South, the US Civil War, and the Civil Rights Movement. The trip keeps getting postponed and altered, but I hope to go around April-May, and one place I will certainly visit is the best known of America's Civil War battlefields, the greatest defeat of Robert E. Lee, and the place where the Union was (arguably) saved: Gettysburg.

James McPherson, distinguished scholar of the Civil War and Pulitzer Price winning author of 'Battle Cry of Freedom' is an ideal tour guide for Gettysburg, and "Hallowed Ground: A Walk in Gettysburg" describes his tour.

As usual, McPherson's prose is effortless and delightful. McPherson explains well the battle events, from the points of view of generals and privates, both Federal and Confederate. He discusses various historical controversies, and the post CW commemorations, which sometimes served purposes which were not entirely historical. McPherson also draws on his own scholarship, notably on his book 'For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War' to explain various aspects of the fighting, and especially the courage of soldiers, such as those in Pickett's charge, who fought uphill against a screen of fire and died in the thousands.

When McPherson reaches the end of the tour in the Confederacy's high water mark - the furthest places where Pickett's men reached - you get a clear understanding of the structure of the battle in Gettysburg, and in the role of key divisions and men, from Custer and Chamberlain to Lee, Longstreet and Meade.

Although both entertaining and insightful, McPherson's book has several weaknesses. Firstly, from a value for money point of view, it is short and expensive. It contains only four maps and no photographs.

The maps are not very clear, and I (an admitted novice in Gettysburg geography) often struggled to understand where several places were. The map of downtown Gettysburg is almost entirely useless, and there is no map of the tour itself!

Although McPherson is as insightful and interesting as I've come to expect of him, he recycles himself a bit, repeating anecdotes and quotations that appear in his other works. Also, relatively little attention was paid to the history of Gettysburg in the 140 years since the battle. Stories of later events are anecdotal, with no attempt to structure or put things into context. The book contains neither endnotes nor a bibliography, so the reader cannot use this book as a jump point for further studies (Unlike McPherson's 'Battle Cry of Freedom', which contains one of the best bibliographical essays I've ever encountered).

Finally, from a practical point of view, 'Hallowed Ground' contains absolutely zero "getting there and around" information. We are not even given an estimate for how long the tour of Gettysburg should last. Is it doable in a full day? Two?

I genuinely enjoyed 'Hallowed Ground', and I understand Gettysburg much better after having read it, and if you're interested in the American Civil War, this is a worthy addition to your book collection.

Rating:
Summary: Essential Even For the Gettysburg Expert
Review: It is rare to find an informative, entertaining, and concise travelogue on any destination, much less one as important as Gettysburg. But, Hallowed Ground is a welcome exception to that situation. McPherson uses his experiences and research to provide the reader with a comprehensive look at both the battlefield and the battle. The anecdotes he offers add a depth to the text that is surprising given its brevity. That he provides this depth with a dash of humor only enhances satisfaction with the book. In fact, my only regret is that I didn't have this book when I toured Gettysburg. Consequently, it is easy for me to say that Hallowed Ground is a worthy addition to any Civil War buff's library, and a necessary companion for any Gettysburg visitor.

Rating:
Summary: Great travel writing, great history
Review: James McPherson is certainly one of the best, if not the best, contemporary Civil War historians. This book is far from a scholarly work, however, and is rather a mixture of travel writing and history lesson. This Princeton professor writes this book as if he were giving a tour of the battlefield, and reading this short work is something like sitting in on one of his lectures. It is personable, intimate, and emotionally charged, and through McPherson's commentary on the battlefield, along with reminiscences of his visits to Gettysburg, it is possible to see what drives this man to do the work that he does.

As travel writing, this is a great book, full of vivid descriptions of the site and packed with historical observations, anecdotes, and information on how the site has changed through the years. More valuable than that, however, is the history lesson McPherson gives. I have studied the Civil War to some extent, and am fairly familiar with the battle of Gettysburg, yet I found many things in this book of which I had never heard. McPherson dispels several popular myths of the place, and tells a number of stories, both of great generals and lowly privates, which enrich the overall experience.

I have always wanted to visit Gettysburg. The remarkable event that took place there is worth my time to visit. But this book has significantly heightened my appreciation of the area, and of the tremendous sacrifice made there by men on both sides, and now I will make a walk at Gettysburg one of my top travel priorities.

Rating:
Summary: Review of Hallowed Ground
Review: James McPherson is no stranger to the American Civil War in general and the battle of Gettysburg specifically; his book on the war, Battle Cry of Freedom, won the Pulitzer Prize, and he has led many guided tours and walks of Gettysburg in the past. Hallowed Ground, in essence, is a short but compelling combination of both: a history of the battle and a walk/guided tour, worked into a small hardback book a little over 140 pages in length.

Mr. McPherson's narrative takes the reader through a walking tour of the battlefield from the beginning of the battle on July 1, 1863 and sequentially leads the reader from one section of the battle to the next, nearly sequentially as they happened on the battlefield. Occasionally there is a slight detour to other geographic or historic areas of note. At the same time, Mr. McPherson describes how that part of the battle took place, pointing out specific locations where there is a statue or interpretive marker and why it's there.

Other odds and bits, like frequent Gettysburg myths, mentioned include the one about statue's hooves and the fate of the rider, or the ever-persistent "fought because of shoes" idea. Strangely enough, Mr. McPherson seems to take offense to various monuments and other events that, while providing stirring examples of Union and Confederate veteran unified nationalism, seemingly forgot what the war was all about in the first place. Such criticisms seem out of place given the context of the book.

Book-ending the description of the battle and the guided battlefield tour is an account of the creation of the park itself, and some of the geographic changes that have occurred since 1863. At the end is Lincoln's poignant Gettysburg Address. Three maps detail the major locations and movements of forces during each day of the battle, but there is no map depicting the tour itself or even the location of park buildings, or how the battlefield stands today. There is no index or bibliography, though Hallowed Ground really doesn't need them.

Finally, Mr. McPherson's tone is readable and very down-to-earth, and even inserts a joke or two, even a bad pun, which may seem a bit strange but doesn't really feel out of place.

A few small criticisms aside, Mr. McPherson's newest work on Gettysburg accomplishes what it set out to do: provide a short history and tour of the battlefield, cover all the high points, and entertain the reader, all of which he more than adequately accomplishes.

Rating:
Summary: The Physical and Spiritual Geography of Gettysburg
Review: James McPherson's "Hallowed Ground" provides an admirably concise history of the most famous battle of the Civil War, and offers an excellent tour of that well-known, highly revered field. He takes the reader on a step-by-step journey across space and time, explaining why the battle was fought on this spot, what happened, what the ground looked like then, and what it looks like today. If you've ever been to Gettsyburg, this book will surely help to reinforce and unlock your memories; and it's certainly the next best thing to an actual visit if you've never been there. McPherson's gifts as a historian and a storyteller also help the reader to understand why this battle has claimed such a prominent place in the hearts and memories of generations of Americans. It's a lot to offer in 140 pages, but McPherson delivers on all he promises--and more.

Rating:
Summary: A very pleasant tour of the battlefield
Review: WARNING!!! This book is not intended to be an in depth study of the battle. It is intended to give you a guided tour of the battlefield. It succeeds quite nicely in doing this. I really enjoyed it very much. I know a lot about the battle and have been there a couple of times and next time I go, I will defenitly be taking this book along for the ride. If you have never been to the battlefield this is a good book to read and then go on a tour yourself. Of course that's just my opnion, I could be wrong.

Rating:
Summary: A great tour book of the battlefield
Review: Well-written. Interesting. Nice amount of details. I've been to the battlefield twice and read numerous histories and taken one class so I have no problem visualizing the battlefield in my mind. This would be an excellent addition for any visitor to the battlefield. The chapters are short enough that a thoughtful tourist would have no problem reading them as he/she stood there.

It is a bit pricy for its size ($16.00 retail, I got it for $11.00 here at Amazon.com which is still quite a bit for a 140 page small hardback book) but perhaps they'll come out with a paperback. Even if they don't, I know I've seen similarly-priced tourbooks that weren't as well-written.

It would have helped to have pictures to help orient the tourist, but this would necessitate editing of the book if the Parks Department begins the restoration projects McPherson mentions (and hopes for). These include removing woods that have grown up since the battle and restoring fences and orchards that have been removed.

I own a number of McPherson's books. I'll be glad to put this one on the shelf with the others. Whenever I can convince my wife to let me return to Gettysburg (she gets bored after a couple of hours, I could spend days), I'll bring it along, that's for sure!