College help again!! (1 Viewer)

[BlakeWR85]

Sorry guys, I should've put this into my other post, but I'm also writing a paper on the Gettysburg Campaign, also a 20-pager So far I plan to use Bradley Gottfried's Maps of Gettysburg (I've read only part), Shelby Foote's Stars in their Courses, and Edwin Coddington's The Gettysburg Campaign, these two I've never read.

Are these good books to start with? What can I expect out of them? What other books should I refer to?

Once again, thanks for your help guys!

 

[BlakeWR85]

By the way, has anyone read Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men...by Eric Foner?
I'm re-doing a book review on it, it's kicking my rear-end
I'm trying to find the underlying theme and the arguments Foner makes, it's like pulling teeth

 

[lancer]

Sorry guys, I should've put this into my other post, but I'm also writing a paper on the Gettysburg Campaign, also a 20-pager So far I plan to use Bradley Gottfried's Maps of Gettysburg (I've read only part), Shelby Foote's Stars in their Courses, and Edwin Coddington's The Gettysburg Campaign, these two I've never read.

Are these good books to start with? What can I expect out of them? What other books should I refer to?

Once again, thanks for your help guys!

You have 2 essentials there in the Coddington and Gottfried. I would suggest Stephen Sear's "Gettysburg" and the 3 books by Harry Pfanz. He wrote one book dealing with the first day which is very good and two books dealing with all the actions on the second day which are considered the best. They are VERY detailed. For just one book, read Sears. It is very good and very readable. -- Al

 

[Terp152]

Sorry guys, I should've put this into my other post, but I'm also writing a paper on the Gettysburg Campaign, also a 20-pager So far I plan to use Bradley Gottfried's Maps of Gettysburg (I've read only part), Shelby Foote's Stars in their Courses, and Edwin Coddington's The Gettysburg Campaign, these two I've never read.

Are these good books to start with? What can I expect out of them? What other books should I refer to?

Once again, thanks for your help guys!

Coddington is great and SHelby Foote's Civil War narrative will give you a good overview including the polical insight of both Lincoln and Davis administrations. Warning, if you start the Civil War narrative you won't be able to stop until you've read all three volumes!

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Coddington is great and SHelby Foote's Civil War narrative will give you a good overview including the polical insight of both Lincoln and Davis administrations. Warning, if you start the Civil War narrative you won't be able to stop until you've read all three volumes!

Agreed...Shelby Foote's 3 volume narrative is exceptional, but it is massive. If you are serious about your studies, though, you will be glad you read all the essentials. Great idea posting here to get some opinions.

 

[BlakeWR85]

Update:
Met with my professor, here's the deal, he thought Foote had too much fiction, Gottfried wasn't reliable, and Coddington was ancient (he wants the most recent scholarship).

Al, you're the man, again, off his mass display of books, he pulled off Pfanz's books, and Sears' book, and Jeffery D. Wert's Gettysburg, Day Three.

I also picked up David G. Martin's Gettysburg July 1, mostly because I liked his regimental strengths and losses book.

Scarlett and Terp, thanks, I still plan to read the books despite the comment, but after this semester.

Terp, I appreciate some "neighborly" help (you Shelbyville, me Louisville).

 

[Terp152]

Update:
Met with my professor, here's the deal, he thought Foote had too much fiction, Gottfried wasn't reliable, and Coddington was ancient (he wants the most recent scholarship).

Al, you're the man, again, off his mass display of books, he pulled off Pfanz'sbooks, and Sears' book, and Jeffery D. Wert's Gettysburg, Day Three.

Scarlett and Terp, thanks, I still plan to read the books despite the comment, but after this semester.

Terp, I appreciate some "neighborly" help (you Shelbyville, me Louisville).

Your welcome. I read Coddington twice and think it still relevant but you have to go with your Prof's advice. I attended a NP Ranger's tour of Culps Hill after reading Pfanz's three books and asked him if he had read them as well. He replied that "they were indispensable in understanding the battle."