Meade at Gettysburg: A Study in Command

by Kent Masterson Brown Narrated by Shawn Compton

Overview

Although he took command of the Army of the Potomac only three days before the first shots were fired at Gettysburg, Union general George G. Meade guided his forces to victory in the Civil War's most pivotal battle. Commentators often dismiss Meade when discussing the great leaders of the Civil War. But in this long-anticipated book, Kent Masterson Brown draws on an expansive archive to reappraise Meade's leadership during the Battle of Gettysburg. Using Meade's published and unpublished papers along with a variety of other sources, Brown highlights how Meade's rapid advance of the army to Gettysburg on July 1, his tactical control and coordination of the army in the desperate fighting on July 2, and his determination to hold his positions on July 3 insured victory.



Brown argues that supply deficiencies, brought about by the army's unexpected need to advance to Gettysburg, were crippling. In spite of that, Meade pursued Lee's retreating army rapidly, and his decision not to blindly attack Lee's formidable defenses near Williamsport on July 13 was entirely correct in spite of subsequent harsh criticism. Combining compelling narrative with incisive analysis, this finely rendered work deepens our understanding of the Army of the Potomac as well as the machinations of the Gettysburg Campaign, restoring Meade to his rightful place in the Gettysburg narrative.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An instructive book about Civil War generalship that will engage and inform anyone interested in the dynamics of command from the perspective of those in charge."—Library Journal



In this meticulously researched new book, a Civil War expert presents a refreshingly complex view of the matter – and rises to Meade's defense."—Christian Science Monitor's Top 10 Books of June



Brown's book is the most thorough and authoritative study of Meade's generalship to appear in a generation, edging out even John Gregory Selby's excellent 2018 book "Meade: The Price of Command, 1863-1865" – but that command, at its moment of crisis, is still intensely up for debate."—Steve Donoghue, Christian Science Monitor



Meade at Gettysburg is an important contribution to Civil War literature...Brown's mastery of manuscript and published primary materials is immediately evident..His narrative recounts in astonishing granularity Meade's command decisions and those of his principal subordinates across the course of the campaign."—Civil War Book Review



Meticulously researched and masterfully written." —Civil War Monitor's Best Civil War Books of 2021



Brown breaks new ground on a topic that is well-trodden…dissected the summer of 1863 in a masterful fashion and offers a new interpretation of the event by focusing on the actions and decisions [of Meade]." – Pennsylvania Heritage



Brown is a good storyteller. His prose is engaging, and the book is difficult to put down."—Emerging Civil War

Library Journal

04/02/2021

Historian Brown (Retreat from Gettysburg) takes on the highly contested scholarship about the generalship of George Gordon Meade (officer in the Union Army during the U.S. Civil War)at and after the Battle of Gettysburg. Much of the existing scholarship casts Meade as a reluctant fighter who was slow to follow up his victory at Gettysburg with a vigorous pursuit of Robert E. Lee's defeated Confederate Army. Relying heavily on a close rereading of military records, soldiers' diaries and memoirs, and Meade's revealing letters to his wife, Brown argues that Meade was an astute general in terms of both operational and tactical command. He makes the case for Meade by giving much attention to the importance of supply and logistics in the Union Army and Meade's methods for managing his officer corps. With rich detail, Brown writes that shortages in food and ammunition informed Meade's command decisions. He also points to Meade's savvy about the strategic importance of military intelligence and positioning of his troops and resources, on the battlefield and in the larger context of the Civil War. Brown provides an almost moment-by-moment account of the fighting, which reveals the constant complications and complexity of leading and managing a large army. VERDICT An instructive book about Civil War generalship that will engage and inform anyone interested in the dynamics of command from the perspective of those in charge.—Randall M. Miller, St. Joseph's Univ., Philadelphia

Product Details

BN ID:	2940176990393
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	11/30/2021
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	907,581

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