Review of "Gettysburg, A Souvenir of the National Park"

Review of

Gettysburg, A Souvenir of the National Park

Five out of five stars

 Given the immense differences in resources in men and material, it was never really possible for the Confederate States to achieve a decisive military victory over the Union forces. The best that the Confederacy could hope for was to reach a stalemate where the Lincoln administration would agree to a peace treaty that would accept the existence of the second American nation. Two years into the American Civil War, the battle of Gettysburg was decisive, not in the sense of a great victory, but from that point on, the lack of an outright victory meant that Lee and the other Confederate commanders were from that point on generally on the defensive.

 This pamphlet is a description of the national park that was created at the site of this titanic battle between armies of men from the same country. It is very well put together, with colorful images of the statues, monuments and the terrain of the area. Looking at pictures from behind a statue on the high ground, it is easy to understand why being in possession of a hill was of such military advantage.

 No pamphlet can provide in-depth coverage of such a decisive event, yet this one contains enough so that the reader understands why the Battle of Gettysburg made the conclusion of the war inevitable.