Rating: 
Summary: Hard to Put Down, Well Worth the Read.
Review: As a long time student of the history of the Civil War (and with a long commute which provides a good chance to read) I was pleased to come across this new study of the battle of Gettysburg. It is a superb book and I was so hooked into the narrative that I missed my stop. It now holds a place of honor in my library. It is one of the best one volume history's of any Civil War Battle - right up there with Coddington's seminal work on the Battle of Gettysburg, Sears' Landscape Turned Red, and Cozen's Western Theater studies. It is comprehensive, in that it covers all aspects of the battle, and yet readable. It also takes the time to consider and question certain "myths" that have been passed on about the Battle of Gettysburg. One particularly nice feature are the numerous maps showing the chronological progression of the battle. In sum, this is a great introduction to the Battle of Gettysburg and also provides a good comprehensive overview for those of us that have read a good deal more on this subject. (This is an easy five stars... and I am a pretty critical guy that doesn't often give a book five stars...)
Rating: 
Summary: Gripping, Terrific Narrative of how Gettysburg Unfolded
Review: Day by day, hour by hour.
I was honored to host and have lunch with Noah Andre Trudeau a couple of years ago when he was doing a short tour to promote "Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage". Over a Quizno sandwich lunch we talked briefly about Cavalry operations at Gettysburg, of missed opportunities, of the personalities, and of some of the myths about the battle (Lee muttering "It's All My Fault", Chamberlain may have been heroic at Little Round Top, but it just wasn't the 20th Maine nor did fixed bayonets save the day). I had promised Trudeau then that I would review his book - a couple of years later, I'm keeping that promise on the bargain edition!
Trudeau's account is a solid one because he chooses to mix analysis, which could be a turn-off with a gripping narrative that manages to take the reader to the various dramas taking place on the battlefield without making his or her head spin. He also starts his book with how the Gettysburg campaign unfolded - and yes, Lee wasn't as much interested in taking Washington, D.C. as wracking havoc in Pennsylvania and Maryland, and upsetting the Union home front so that the people of the North would demand an end to war. He also covers the "first" occupation of Gettysburg, when Confederate Cavalry and Infantry under Jubal Early routed the small groups of militia and cavalry under the brave Captain Robert Bell, and entered the town several days before the actual battle (I wish he had mention what became of Bell and his horsemen, who fought a courageous fight against overwhelming odds).
Trudeau also argues that once the battle commenced, Lee's strategy was a sound one, but that he should have relied more on Longstreet whom history portrayed as a culprit but if his advice on turning the Union flank had been followed, as Newt Gingrich and other alternative history writers have suggested, the battle may very well have ended in a Southern victory. Trudeau is also sympathetic to Daniel Sickles, stating that Sickles decision to move forward out of the hilly ground by the Round Tops was also a sound strategic one, as he had expected Union reserves to move in behind and occupy the Round Tops once he moved his corps forwarded. The reasons why it did not happen, and why disaster struck Sickles' corps are generally answered.
Trudeau also covers in gripping detail the Cavalry actions of the third day while Pickett's charge is unfolding, but not just Custer versus Stuart at Rummel's Farm, but the piecemail, reckless assaults by "Kilcavalry" Kilpatrick and Wesley Merritt by the side of the Round Tops. If Merritt and Kilpatrick had succeeded, the Confederate flank would have been turned just as Pickett had been repulsed, and an orderly retreat would have turned into a rout, and perhaps even a Confederate surrender. That was not to be.
The maps keep the narrative alive, but honestly, illustrations, photos, paintings would have been appreciated, and fact I even asked him why there weren't any - to which he responded that most of the other works had already included them. That might be so, but there is always something to be said for the visual as it keeps a historical work in focus. Still deserving of four stars for the strong narrative, new insights about men like Lee, Sickles, and Chamberlain, and great (hour by hour) maps.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Campaign History
Review: I know literally hundreds of books have been written narrating the Gettysburg Campaign, and there's probably no need for anymore of them, but I really liked this book. Noah Andre Trudeau has a masterful writing style, and does plenty of research. The maps were some of the best I've ever seen. The man who created these maps has not created any for any other Civil War book I've seen. I wish he would! The only thing missing were any photographs. I have not read Coddington's work on Gettysburg, but I have read Sears', and must say Trudeau's book is the best work on Gettysburg I've ever seen. Of course, if you especially like the Gettyburg Campaign, you should purchase this book. I would recommend it to any military history buff.
Rating:
Summary: Great Single Volume Overview
Review: I'm glad to see some positive reviews for Noah Trudeau's work. I found the maps far more helpful than those found (or not found!) in so many books. The reader will even find Lowe's "Balloon Surveillance" on one--a nice touch. Cavalry gets the best coverage I've run across and a lot is explained about this branch of the army: what Stuart was attempting and avoiding, whether Lee was really "blind" without him, how prisoners really slowed Stuart down, etc. A must read if only to understand how cav did influence the outcome. I don't claim this replaces Pfanz & Coddington but is much easier to digest, especially the big picture so often lost in the details.
Rating:
Summary: A good history of the battle
Review: I'm still looking for the perfect book on the battle of Gettysburg. This book ranks high on accuracy and detail, but lower on readability. The narrative is choppy, moving quickly but not too smoothly from one area of the battlefield to another. Many maps help the reader but -- although I hate to complain about an author who recognizes the value of maps -- there is a shortage of "big picture" illustrations and narrative. Gettysburg is so important that it deserves a magisterial prose which Trudeau can't summon up. I applaud Trudeau for his insights that Generals Ewell (Confederate) and Howard (Union) were not as incompetent as often portrayed and Trudeau also leavens a bit the ascendant reputation of Joshua Chamberlain whose Maine troops anchored the vulnerable left flank of the Union army. Trudeau strengthens in my mind the view that this battle was badly mismanaged by Robert E. Lee. This book doesn't measure up in intensity to Shelby Foote's lengthy description of the battle of Gettysburg in volume two of his monumental work, "The Civil War." It also falls a bit short in quality of Coddington's scholarly study. But Trudeau is well worth reading and his book deserves a prominent place on the bookshelf of literature about Gettysburg.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: If you wisht to read a book on Gettysburg that is very detailed, has excellent maps,(over 50), and is written in a way that will keep you turning the pages, than this is it. Though I have visited the Gettysburg battlefield a few times, now I can go back truely understanding the events that transpired there.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: In judging all civil war campaign books (and obviously Gettysburg specific) I believe for most people, the standard is Coddington. At least as far as the one volume treatments go. IMO, Trudeau's book is as close to Codd's and in many cases even better. I have read about 25 ACW books so far this year (yes you read that correctly) and so far, this ranks in the top 3. Here are my reasons: 1) Publishers seem not to understand the importance of maps in complicated actions. You may now rest in peace. This book features map upon map, in timely locations, and showing you the pertinent action. True, a couple of them are almost microscopic, but I will not fault for giving them to us. I'd rather use a magnifying glass, then turn the battle into a jumble beause of all the different units. Maps get 5* ++++ 2) Commentary. Very neutral and well paced. True it can be a bit dry, but I like the flow. I like the short sequences and jumping around from place to place to show you what exactly is going on at that very moment elsewhere. Codd's is more analytical, describing possible reasons, pros and cons, etc. for the movements, but there's nothing wrong with Trudeau's. A different, more generic style. Very friendly to newbies. More of a pure telling of what exactly happened and not so much why it happened. 3) Bibliography is tremendous. Although there are not specific notations (more of a general wrap up in the back of sources referenced for each chapter), in many cases, there are traditional footnote mentions to clarify terminology or what appear to be contradictions. Also, something I haven't seen elsewhere, during certain actions, he notes soldiers who won medal of honors for their service that day. In short, this is a must read for GB fans and I would highly recommend as your first campaign read (whether it be for GB or just in general). This should become the new standard on how to write (and map) a book on a civil war campaign. Coddington, for me, still holds the edge, but just barely because of its thought provoking prose style. I think both books work well together. To simplify, Coddington gives you more of the strategic/analytical blow by blow, Trudeau gives you a lot more detail, many regimental accounts.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book on a much-written-about battle
Review: Just when you think that you may have read enough on The three Days battles at Gettysburg, and are considering focusing on another campaign... Noah Andre Trudeau comes out with what I'd consider the best book on The Battle of Gettysburg since Coddington's "The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command". This book is both an excellent read if you want to "polish-up" on your Gettysburg knowledge. But I also found it to be full of new information, and some surprises which I had never read about before. I have read the afore mentioned book by Coddington, as well as all the books written by Harry Pfanz. Like these authors, Trudeau has followed through in his own work with the clarification of events and the dispelling the myths, which have surrounded the battle for many years. What I truly appreciate in books such as Trudeau's is the dismantling of the "invincibility" of The Army of Northern Virginia and its commanders, as well as the redemption of their much-beleaguered adversaries, The Army of the Potomac. Trudeau paints a clear picture of what happened at Gettysburg: The Confederate command signed its country's death warrant (in the "eastern theater" of the war) by launching an invasion into unfamiliar territory, while having just recently re-organized its army and placing untried leaders in positions of great responsibility. This, in the face of a Union Army prepared to defend it's own homes with the utmost resolve and tenacity, were the reasons for the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg. Trudeau tells the story of The Battle of Gettysburg through a smoothly-written text, full of human interest as well as facts. Each day is taken through a virtually hour-by-hour, blow-by-blow approach. I liked this very much, as Trudeau has made his transitions from each action, at each sector, at each battlefield as smoothly as I have ever experienced. If you are an avid Civil War "buff" with a particular interest in the three days battles at Gettysburg, this book is a must-own for you.
Rating:
Summary: Up Close and Personal at Gettysburg
Review: This book is a MUST for all Civil War buffs and particularly for those whose understanding of the three days of the battle that raged in and around this Pennsylvania town may be lost in a personal "fog of war". Trudeau masterfully sets forth the complex maneuvering prior to and during this monumental struggle. While accomplishing this feat quite nicely, he also is able to add all of the human vignettes that give the reader the sense of "being there". While Pfanz may give much more detailed military unit information, as well as minute details within units on the field, Trudeau ties it all together with a concern for the soldier, the harried commander, and the involved civilians which rivals any other description of the many facets of war I have read. The ebb and flow of the action is all there before you, painted in vivid and living colors as never before. If you are not a Civil War devotee, this book could easily make you into one!
Rating:
Summary: Curl up with a vivid retelling of this famous campaign
Review: This book would satisfy anyone familiar with the broad arc of this famous campaign, but who want a vivid and fresh retelling. Using rich historical detail Trudeau explains the motivations of the Union and Confederate leaders in embarking on the campaign. He explains the maneuvering of the armies in the field prior to their collision at Gettysburg. You realize how this battle escaped Lee's control almost from the very beginning, how Lee's corps and division commanders failed him by planning and executing poorly, and how Lee failed them with discretionary orders.
Trudeau uses lively and colorful prose to reveal the real-time fog of war when the armies fatefully meet. He makes good use of written accounts and anecdotes left by participants. His writing style makes the reader a witness to unfolding events on both sides and he uses effective communication tools such as maps and clocks that place actions within a chronological context. If you aren't somewhat familiar with the battle, this style might be challenging. One of Trudeau's effective devices is relating before-action vignettes on each side that sketch out the fate of regiments, informed by hindsight. He also provides the times and places of individual actions that warranted receipt of Congressional Medals of Honor.
Weaknesses are few. Photographs would have helped. The many maps are welcome, but often are too small to easily read and they can be hard to place within the larger area. The conventions Trudeau uses to show the beginning and end positions of individual corps during the maneuvering before the battle are confusing.
Trudeau's unique contribution to the Gettysburg literature, however, is his chronologically layered detail that communicates the sense of how this battle unfolded into a series of regimental and brigade actions dependent in time and place on unique elements of chance. He also pays attention to how the idiosyncratic aspects of topography, woods, tree lines, buildings, and fences affect the struggles of individual regiments involved in desperate fighting. You peel into detail that shows this great battle as small units involved in separate firefights on small swaths of ground. It is a story full of irony, ego, weakness, courage, and fallibility that Trudeau recounts with the eye of a good storyteller.
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