There were over 600 artillery pieces at Gettysburg. The guns were managed and operated by over 14;000 men. In three days over 50;000 rounds were fired. What impact did artillery have on this famous battle? How efficiently were the guns used? What were the strengths and weaknesses on each side? "Civil War Artillery At Gettysburg" answers these questions and many more. Using accessible descriptions; this work details the state of the art of this "long arm" as it existed at the time of the battle. It is an informative overview of field artillery in general while using the battle of Gettysburg to illustrate artillery technology. For it was Gettysburg when the artillery branch of both armies had matured to the point where its organization would stay relatively unchanged for the remainder of the war. Both armies prior to Gettysburg had neither the same mix of guns nor; more importantly; the same structure of organization as it did at this battle. The effects were telling. "This book is an artillery 'buff's' delight...The work meticulously examines the forming of the respective artillery arms of the two armies; the organization; artillery technology; guns; equipment and animals constituting that arm; ammunition; artillery operations; the artillerymen and; finally; actions of the guns on July 2 and 3....The work is perfect for someone seeking more data than found in most general histories of the battle...Nicely illustrated to supplement the text; the succinctly written technical details of ballistics; projectile composition and impact of technology for battlefield lethality will prove similarly useful and exciting for anyone captivated by the guns of Gettysburg." Book review by B. F. Cooling; The Civil War Courier "Rather than being a dull treatise; 'Artillery at Gettysburg'...proves to be an engaging book... Cole explains the benefits and liabilities of each piece of artiillery....His use of photographs; diagrams; and maps are excellent and integrate seamlessly into the text....Not only does it explain why events unfolded the way they did ; it helps explain how they unfolded." Book review by Maj. James Gates; USAF; Military Review "No other modern book on Civil War artillery of this size is as detailed...as this book is generally...The author's broad approach to the whole subject of artillery tactics shine when he compares and contrasts several artillery incidents at Gettysburg that better explain what was going on at the time....This book is essential for all those interested in Civil War artillery; 19th century artillery; or just the battle of Gettysburg. Highly recommended." Book review by Peter A. Frandsen; The Artilleryman "I found Civil War Artillery at Gettysburg to be an informative and well written account of the 'long-arm' at Gettysburg. The book is very well-illustrated with maps and photos throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to our readers." Book review by James N. Vogler; Jr.; Editor-in-Chief; Confederate Veteran Philip Cole was born and raised in Gettysburg and currently resides near there. He is a U.S. Navy veteran and graduate of Penn State University. Cole is a licensed battlefield guide at Gettysburg National Military Park.
#658902 in Books 2015-12-14 #File Name: 09713852541662 pages
Review
62 of 66 people found the following review helpful. To an enthusiast or collector this book is well worth the investment.By Dave SchranckThis book is highly researched and well thought-out and when you add up and evaluate all of the parts of this book; it’s a most impressive effort but that’s to be expected when you consider the dedication of Mr Lawrence along with the deep pool of experience and support of the Dupuy organization.The book begins with a bountiful Prolog/Prehistory (roughly 350 pages) It includes war history as well as immediate pre battle conditions; preparations and assessments of both sides for the upcoming operation. This preface mentions Kharkov and Stalingrad but also Leningrad and Moscow as well as a myriad of other topics not directly related to Operation Citadel. I found these topics interesting though some weren't essential to Operation Citadel. One topic of interest concerns: Did Germany have a chance to defeat Russia. Despite the German kill ratios being higher than the enemy's; the reserve pool of draftees for the Soviets were too large and the Red Army would be able to outlast the Germans in this extended war. In other words could the Germans bleed the Soviets white before they had to surrender. Not earth shattering material but still an interesting discussion.The next nearly 1;000 pages covers Operation Citadel on the southern salient and the subsequent Soviet counter offensive. The time is from early July to mid August when the Soviets recovered all lost ground. The battle history is delivered chronologically in two; three or four day chucks. Its not as precise as daily coverage but it makes for a smoother; easier to follow dialog. The battlefield was broken up by German Corps sector with activity of the 48th PzC leading the narrative; followed by the SS in the center and ending with the 3rd PzC on the right flank. This may sound surprising when discussing a book of such dimensions but while the operational narrative was very interesting; effective and covered equally from both sides; it was not exhaustively complete. There is still material that can be found in other high quality books that could still expand your horizons.Besides the smooth delivery of battle history; Mr Lawrence inserted hundreds of timely; well chosen quotes to supplement his commentary. Though most of the quotes were operational in nature; it made the narrative seem more personal. It will allow the reader to understand that the officers of middle to upper ranks and some enlisted men had a pretty good understanding of the circumstances occurring in their sector. These comments delivered some of the analysis that supplemented the author's commentary as the battle progressed.The air war is also given good coverage in both text and data tables.The next major segment to consider will be Maps. There are many black and white maps spread out throughout the book; they appear to be original war maps. Some German and some Soviet. With a little time the German maps were pretty well deciphered but the Russian language maps were more difficult to study. The author also provided a few fold out maps that were twice the size of the other maps and were easier to read. For me the difficulty in reading some of these maps clearly brought down the effectiveness of this section but this may not be an issue for others. Another issue to consider is that these maps are not fully populated which also brings down their utility a little. Having more unit designations on the maps could clearly help the reader follow the narrative and analysis.The next major category to consider is the vast array of statistical tables. I didn't count them but scattered throughout the book there are probably 200 data tables. Some tables are used as summaries for individual battles while the remaining tables which are housed in the Appendix are generally overall campaign summaries. There is tremendous amount of information here and even if the US Army gathered some of it post war; it must have taken Mr Lawrence a lot of time to gather; organize and resurrect this data into these nifty tables. These tables could clearly be helpful to researchers.The Appendix just mention is roughly 350 pages and contains more than tables. I also enjoyed the sections on commander profiles and even if you're well read on the war; there probably will be some nuggets of interesting information you can learn on your favorite officers. Following these profiles are many portraits of officers on both sides. You get to see the portraits of the names that are so frequently mentioned. Its another way of personalizing this battle.There are other photos to study. There are war time aerial photos of the battle sites as well as present day photos of the terrain; both types were useful in understanding what the Germans had to contend with in reaching the Psel River area as well as seeing how the Soviets were able to stop the advance. Other battlefield photos are included to round out the visual aspect. Some of the photos are grainy.There is also a large Bibliography; Footnotes and a useful Index if further study is desired.I enjoyed reading this definitive edition a great deal and fully appreciate the effort Mr Lawrence has made in writing such a thoughtful book and strongly recommend it to all enthusiasts of the Campaign.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A lot of great info that brings fresh insight to this conflictBy RobertThe book is definitely for the Kursk enthusiast. Extremely well written and informative. The author gives a very detailed account of the build up; the preparation; and the battle itself. I've read a lot that's out there on this battle and this is the ONE to read! A lot of great info that brings fresh insight to this conflict.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy R. P. MyersVery comprehensive book; and very; very thick!
