Gettysburg

This is an alternate-history type of book by Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. Unlike the WWII book Pearl Harbor that Gingrich was also the co-author, this one does not wait till almost two-thirds of the book is done before revealing the major change.

In this case, during the battle of Gettysburg, Lee changes his mind. Instead of, on the second day, going ahead with any kind of direct attack on the Union lines, he decides to undertake a bold, almost desperate move, and to move his army around the Union positions and take over a major Union supply depot. It's a believable change, and one whose consequences are excellently followed by the authors of this book.

The battle scenes are incredibly vivid; this isn't a book for ultra-sensitive readers. All the events seem possible. The true horror of war is brought out in the descriptions of the various battles.

Also brought out is Lee's commitment to the South and his desire to end the war as soon as possible, with a “climatic battle” if possible (much as the Japanese thought they could end WWII with one single decisive battle against the U.S.)

The book also shows just how incompetent many of the generals and other so-called leaders were, and how one decision made different can change the entire face of a war.

I definitely look forward to reading the next book in this series.

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