The Fog of Gettysburg: The Myths and Mysteries of the Battle

In his 1832 masterpiece, Prussian soldier and military theorist Carl von Clausewitz wrote, "The great uncertainty of all data in war is a peculiar difficulty..." Well, even after the passage of almost 150 years, there is still a lot of fog surrounding the Battle of Gettysburg - misunderstanding, miscomprehension, and downright myths. This interesting book is not so much a narrative of the battle, so much as it is a series of articles about various myths and mysteries about the battle. Everything is covered here from "Who Was the First Casualty of the Battle?" to "How Has the Appearance of Gettysburg Changed over the Years?" not to mention articles on Africa-Americans living there at the time of the battle, and the people who fought it and why and how. Overall, I found this to be an interesting book on the subject. It's not for people who don't know much about the battle, as it is not intended as an introductory work on the subject. Instead, what it does is examine various questions that surround the battle, giving the reader a more in-depth understand of what happened and why. I really enjoyed this book, and I don't hesitate to recommend it.

Nothing new but entertaining As a student of the over analyzed and much written about battle at Gettysburg on July 1,2 and 3 of 1863, Mr. Allers' The Fog of Gettysburg is an entertaining read even if there is nothing really new. He writes in concise chapters on many of the myths and mysteries surrounding the battle but really introduces no new theories, but instead rehashes the old shop worn beliefs of how, who, and why of the battle. Again nothing new here, but a good central location of the many questions surrounding that complex battle. Some of the mysteries will never be answered and Mr. Allers acknowledges that, but still it is always interesting to review the whys and could-have-beens of America's most famous battle. A few maps would have been nice for the novice who might not be as familiar with that historic ground as the ardent Civil War buff. The thumbnail pictures were a nice touch. All and all interesting for the novice but again no new ideas here; could have been so much more but isn't.

The author of this book, Ken Allers, has taken the dreary task of reading history and made it a thing of the past. His writing style and quirky sense of humor lighten what is admittedly a very gloomy chapter of American history. Not only does he clear away the fogs and misconceptions which exist about this battle, he does it in a way which is both interesting and easily read in one sitting (should you be so inclined). I've had to purchase three extra copies as my original has been stolen (and returned with regret) by two brothers and a nephew!!