DEATH OF A NATION: The Story of Lee and His Men at Gettysburg

by Clifford Dowdey ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 18, 1958

So minutely researched is this graphic analysis of the Battle of Gettysburg, that it reads as though Clifford Dowdey had lived through each hour of the grim three days himself. Not only is this virtually a blow by blow recording, but a closeup of the men, the thinking and emotions that went into the decisions, the breakdowns of personality that contributed to the disaster. Though Lee- humble in his desire to act for the good of the morale of his ""clan""- blamed himself for the failure, the third day occurred because of Ewell's failure on the first and Longstreet's on the second, within the pattern made necessary by Stuart's failure to provide the reconnaissance which was the cavalry's first responsibility. Dowdey has not only portrayed Lee's lieutenants, their strengths and their weaknesses, under normal conditions and under stress, but he has woven the whole story into a brilliant and often moving analysis of the attempt at invasion, its culmination in an unsought battle, the improvisation necessitated by its chanciness on both sides, and its place in the history of the War between the States. He has approached the controversial issues with singular objectivity, weighed the evidence, and presented it in such a way that the advocates of one side or the other will find their arguments challenged. It is an absorbing book, even for those who feel saturated with Civil War documentation.

Pub Date: May 18, 1958

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1958

Categories: NONFICTION