This volume, written by H. W. Pfanz, is published by The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 1993, hardbound, 507 pages, ISBN # 0-8078-2118-7.

Back in 1987, H. W. Pfanz published Gettysburg, The Second Day, a book that others and myself consider to be a standard by which to judge other Civil War books. The 1987 volume described the actions between the Union and Confederate forces in the area of the Peach Orchard and the Round Tops on July 2, 1863. The 1993 volume should join the earlier one's status as a standard of excellence.

As one can tell from the title, this new volume on the battle of Gettysburg focuses on the actions related to the defense of Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill by the Union army and the attempts by the Confederate army to take them.However, other actions of the battle are discussed in sufficient details to allow the uninformed reader to understand how the action on the northeastern flank of the armies related to the whole battle. As a matter of fact, the first five chapters (about seventy pages) are devoted to the actions of July 1, so one understands how Culp's and Cemetery Hills were chosen as rally points if the advanced Union line was forced to retreat.

The middle chapters describe how the armies moved through the town on July 1 and the skirmishing between the Union and Confederates in the town and its immediate environment. However, the meat of the book (almost 200 pages) describes the efforts of the Confederates to wrestle the hill tops from their Union defenders on July 2 and 3, 1863. One of the skills that Pfanz possesses is the ability to organize and present a large assault as a series of interrelated smaller battles that can be readily digested. This ability of Pfanz's was quite evident in the 1987 text and is present again in the new volume. In fact, the confused nature of a battle on wooded hillsides interrupted by nightfall surely must have challenged Pfanz's organizational skills during the development of this narrative.

The book is 507 pages, with 376 pages of text and the remainder being appendices or indexes. There are also numerous photographs. One of the strong features of this book (that is shared by the earlier volume) are the maps. They contain scales, contours and topography features so that one can instantly translate the maps into one's own miniature battlefield. The order of battle is not sufficient for scenario development. I guess you can't have everything in one volume. All in all, for the Civil War aficionado and the Gettysburg expert, Gettysburg, Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill is a must buy!

Other Reviews:

Figure: 10mm GHQ "Rebellion" Range
Book: The Cavalry: A Tactical Study (9 June-14 July 1863)
Rules: J.E.B.!

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