A thorough, workman-like history of the campaign and battle. Although perhaps lacking in anecdotal details that make histories come alive, it was well-written and informative. I found it very easy to keep track of which forces were involved in which engagements, and which officers went with which commands. The maps were adequate.

Sears covered the officers in some depth, commenting on their performance and reputation. He was fairly hard on Lee and much more favorable toward Meade than some other historians have been. I tend to side with the Meade fans, primarily because he was just given command of the army three days before the battle when it was spread out over a hundred miles and in full pursuit of an enemy that had recently trounced it twice, at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.

If you are a big fan of the Civil War or wish to become one, you would enjoy this book. It isn’t for the casual fan, nor would I recommend it as the first Civil War book you read.