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The Fog of Gettysburg: The Myth and Mysteries of a Battle | 
 enlarge | Author: Kenneth L. Allers Jr.
Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $11.53
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Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 40083
Media: Paperback
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 6 x 0.8
ISBN: 1581826478
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.7349
EAN: 9781581826470
ASIN: 1581826478
Publication Date: November 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Pennsylvanians have a saying: "America was born in Philadelphia and saved at Gettysburg." In this way they acknowledge that Gettysburg was the defining battle of the Civil War. Many books have covered the battle of Gettysburg as whole--fiction and nonfiction. And even more have looked at the action in particular areas of the battlefield, at certain aspects of the conflict, or at the actions of various units or individuals. Until now no book has focused on the confusion of the battle and the many unanswered questions that continue to this day. The Fog of Gettysburg covers the myths, misunderstandings, and mysteries of the battle, the episodes that still provoke questions about what happened or why. Now readers will have a place to go to look for the answers to such questions as: - Were the people of Gettysburg unaware that a battle was brewing, or were they awaiting it?
- Was George Sandoe the first casualty of Gettysburg?
- Was Jennie Wade a Southern sympathizer?
- Why did the war start west of town instead of elsewhere?
- Was John F. Reynolds killed by a sharpshooter or by friendly fire?
- What were Robert E. Lee's exact orders to Jeb Stuart?
- Who gave the order to attack at sunrise on July 1?
- Did Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain win Gettysburg on July 2?
- Who ordered the flank attack on July 3?
- How did George A. Custer defeat Stuart?
- How many people actually died?
- How many civilians were killed?
- Who buried the Confederates?
The Fog of Gettysburg is divided into five sections, each with approximately ten episodes, covering the period leading up to the battle, the three days of battle (July 1-3, 1864), and the period following the battle. Containing four maps and more than twenty-five photographs, the book is a valuable resource for anyone who is fascinated by the issues about Gettysburg that continue to this day.
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| Customer Reviews:
 I was hoping for more... November 14, 2008
Cynthia K. Robertson (beverly, new jersey USA)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
On a recent trip to Gettysburg, I picked up The Fog of Gettysburg: The Myths and Mysteries of the Battle by Ken Allers, Junior. I was looking for a book that included more than just a play-by-play of the battle that I have read in dozens of other books. While The Fog of Gettysburg was interesting in spots, it was not what I expected and I was surprised at the number of errors it contained.
Allers tries to shed light on the many myths, mysteries and misunderstandings that have evolved over the Gettysburg Battle. Just a few of the topics he deals with include which state advanced the farthest during Pickett's Charge, why was A.P. Hill emotionally AWOL during the battle, was John Burns the true hero of Gettysburg, was the 20th Maine really the savior of the Round Tops, and did Brig. General Alexander Schimmelfennig really hide out in a pigsty during the battle? Each topic is a chapter consisting of 3-4 pages on average, so each question gets a rather superficial look.
A few errors that I saw consisted of typos--made instead of make. These are small but annoying. But there are also a few dealing with historical facts. Maryland was not a "slave state." Although slavery existed there, they never withdrew from the Union. Also, a chapter dealing with the cannonade bombardment before Pickett's Charge gives a number of reasons for the inaccuracy of the Confederate cannon fire. Allers mentions everything except for the one I have most read or heard about from Gettysburg guides, and that is the Confederates were using defective fuses. For many of these questions, we are no closer to understanding what really happened.
One aspect of The Fog that I did enjoy was the reason for the lack of information about the five calvary battles that were part of the Battle of Gettysburg. Three of the five took place outside what is now the main National Park Service area. Two of these battles took place on what was and is still private land. No monuments have been erected on these fields and they are closed to the public. These battles included large numbers of soldiers and were important in that the calvary engagements kept large numbers of troops from reinforcing the Confederate infantry in other locations--especially Culp's Hill.
The Fog was a good book to read after having just visited Gettysburg, but I was expecting a more serious study of this major battle in the Civil War.
 History made easy December 17, 2008
Jaye E. Kasper (Cedar Rapids, IA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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!!
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