A powerful graphic history of one of the most iconic events in American history, the Battle of Gettysburg, which is widely recognised as the turning point of the American Civil War.
The Battle of Gettysburg is a landmark event in United States history. Widely recognised as the Civil War's turning point, it accounted for the most casualties of any battle during the war and spelled the beginning of the end for the Confederacy. In this powerful graphic history, Wayne Vansant describes the history leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg, as well all of the major military events on July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, including the famous fight for Little Round Top on the second day and the death march known as Pickett's Charge on the third and final day.
He paints portraits of each army's leaders, such as Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, George Meade, and the then little-known Joshua Chamberlain. Vansant concludes a few months later at the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery in November, 1863, when Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most iconic speeches of all time, the Gettysburg Address. Gettysburg delivers one of the hallmark events of American history in an exciting and innovative format.
About the Author
Writer and artist Wayne Vansant (Mableton, GA) was the primary artist for Marvel's The 'Nam for more than five years. Since then he has written and/or illustrated many historically accurate graphic histories, including Antietam: The Fiery Trial (for the National Park Service) and The Vietnam War: A Graphic History. He recently published Normandy (Zenith Press, 2012), a graphic history of the allied invasion of D-Day.
Industry Reviews
"Gettysburg: The Graphic History" is a brilliant achievement. Writer/artist Wayne Vansant is at the top of his game with his graphic history of the battle known as "the high water mark of the Confederacy." Rich in drama, accurately detailed, this is a benchmark addition to the historiography of the bloodiest battle in the American Civil War. A powerful and well-told story, it is an excellent, accessible visual account for a younger audience or those unfamiliar with the battle that inspired President Abraham Lincoln's greatest speech, the Gettysburg Address. - Dwight Jon Zimmerman, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of "Lincoln's Last Days
Vansant presents a military history of the battle of Gettysburg in comic-book style, beginning with Robert E. Lee's motivation for attacking Pennsylvania and concluding with Abraham Lincoln's reflections on the battle in his short memorial address. The artwork has a casual simplicity, with scratchy, brisk lines and muted tones.
Almost no attempt is made to make moments melodramatic or spectacular. The severity of the depiction of bloodshed increases somewhat as the battles get more fraught, but the primary goal is not to show war as either glory or hell. Instead the focus is to give a visual impression of the physical scope of the battlefields and to put human faces to some of the division commanders.
The first goal is effectively accomplished; the maps with the changing positions of the relative forces show the complexity of the ground and the increasing intensity as the battle progresses. The section about crossing an open mile to Cemetery Ridge works especially well. However, the capsule introductions to the various commanders are less elucidating. Each man is given a close-up drawing and a single biographical detail, but not usually something that would increase understanding of how he commanded.
The many men who died under their commands are given even shorter shrift. The readable narrative breaks down the military actions and decisions leading up to and during the battle, but the accompanying visuals do little to either illuminate or re-create the actual experience or to humanize the participants. - "School Library Journal"
