Firestorm at Gettysburg: Civilian Voices June-November 1863

by Jim Slade and John Alexander

Book Overview

In this book, the civilians who lived through the battle of Gettysburg recount this pivotal event in the American Civil War in their own words. The eyewitness accounts, spanning from June 15, 1863, through Lincoln's address in November of that year to the throngs gathered to open the national cemetery on the battlefield, are compelling tales told by those literally trapped inside the lines of the two great, warring armies. Many of the leading characters...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764306189
• ISBN13: 9780764306181
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 2.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.8" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

A Personal Look at the Lives of Civilian Gettysburg 1863

After reading the good and bad reviews of this book I felt I had to add my two cents, for what it's worth. This is a very personal look at what was certainly a very nerve-wracking time for the poor folks living in the town of Gettysburg during the period of the Rebel invasion of late June / early July 1863. While the soldiers were fighting in the nearby fields, the civilian citizens were in the midst of their own invasion - first the Rebels, then the Yanks, then the leftovers of the dead and wounded. What makes this book so intriguing is that it is almost exclusively in the words of those who were there, either taken from the diaries and journals of the citizens, or from the newspaper accounts, or from the memories of some of the folks a few years after. This makes for very intimate reading that brings the reader face to face with not only the folks of Gettysburg but up close to the horror and 'excitement' that they felt. The photographs and lite biographies of many of the residents included help to bring it all home. In fact, this book would make a phenomenal movie (anybody listening out there?). The reason I did not give this book a score of five was because of the typos and some of the misinformation written by messrs. Slade and Alexander. But, don't let that stop you from purchasing it - there are not that many mistakes (not that I condone these mistakes). Knowing that the majority of the words herein are the first hand accounts of the actual eyewitnesses of the insanity (and it WAS insane!) of the town of Gettysburg while the majority of soldiers fought only a short distance away on the battlefields should make any Civil War history buff crave a book such as this (as well as "Days of Uncertainty and Dread" - another Gettysburg civilian book that goes hand in hand with "Firestorm"). Through "Firestorm at Gettysburg: Civilian Voices," the citizens of Gettysburg deservedly live once again. Well worth the money.

A very human story, most compelling

This tremendous book provides a compelling account of the events that transpired during the battle and beyond in the most human of terms. Never mind the military maneuvers, the body counts, and other minutia so entrancing to some. Here are real accounts of real people acting heroically to protect those they love and the wounded thrust upon them. Never before has such a story been told about Gettysburg. The day by day recounting, allowing each person to relate what they saw and felt is amazing. I only wish more "professional" historians wrote this well. This is a must read for everyone who really wants to know what happened at Gettysburg.

Entertaining, interesting, and worthwhile. . .?

If I had read first reader's review (above) I'm sure I would have been less likely to begin reading, much less finish, this book. But for all of the inconsistencies, mistakes, and other problems, this is an entertaining, usually interesting, and often moving book presented in a contemporary, TV-like style. I suppose the multitude of (mainly) amateur historians and Civil War buffs will find the scholarship sloppy but, frankly, there are very few Bruce Catton's and James McPherson's out there who have the rare capability of making sense out of the chaos of war while mainiging high literary and academic standards. Oh, well. The Civil War is a passion that many have staked out as their speciality, resulting in people who guard their area of "expertise" like a junkyard dog. I'm reminded of the cliche that they can't see the forest for the trees. And I believe that is the case here. Authors Slade and Alexander have (like most amateur history students) brought their love and fasination for Gettysburg and tried to see it from the vantage point of those who lived there, the average man, woman, and child. We read of the impending battle in the diaries and letters and follow events -- some humorous, some tragic, some mundane -- but all compelling -- through to the anticlimactic ending and beyond. I especially enjoyed the juxtapositioning of the photos with the text exerpts, putting faces with the voices, so to speak. So much history, especially that associated with the Civil War, is badly written, narrowly focused, trivial, grossly sentimental, and, well, the criticism could go for as long some of those endless tomes that crowd the shelves of your neighborhood bookstore. This book deserves to be on those shelves, but, perhaps not next to Bruce Catton!

You really get the sensation of being there.

If you want to know what it was like to be a civilian in the 19th century and live through a full blown battle, this is the book to read. It is written truly from the civilian perspective based on letters and diaries of Gettysburg citizens. When you finish the book, you feel as though you know these people. I intend to bring this book along on my next trip to Gettysburg and look up the locations of the homes and businesses as they are described with precise detail. The photographs are outstanding and complement the text very well. Many of them I have never seen before.My congratulations to the authors on a fine contribution to Civil War and 19th Century history.