Meade: Victor of Gettysburg

"Meade: Victor of Gettysburg," by Richard A. Sauers, is a short (121 plus xv pages) biography of the man described on the book's dust jacket as "one of the Civil War's most underrated leaders." The book features three maps, a chronology of Meade's life, black-and-white photographs, endnotes citing Sauers' sources, and a short bibliographic essay that covers biographies of Meade and original source material about him. The book covers the whole span of Meade's life, including his early military career, work as a civil engineer, reentry into the Army, Mexican War service, work on lighthouses as a military engineer, and family life. The book focuses on Meade's role in the Civil War. Sauers covers his command technique, his planning and preparation for the pivotal battle at Gettysburg, his relationship with Ulysses S. Grant, and his relationships with the officers who served under his command. Particularly interesting are the accounts of controversy and conflict among Meade and the other Union generals, as well as of the stormy relations between Meade and the press. We also get a look at Meade's hot temper. Also significant are the many personal trials Meade endured during the Civil War--injury, illness, and a critical family crisis. Although at times the text is a bit dry, Sauers includes some elements that give nice human touches to the story, such as a brief account of Meade's reunion with Robert E. Lee after Lee's historic surrender. Sauers also discusses Meade's problematic relationship with history, and takes issue with other historians for their reliance on original sources that were hostile to Meade. Ultimately Sauers' own portrait of George Gordon Meade is that of a remarkable soldier and leader. This is a thought-provoking work of military biography.