Stand to It and Give Them Hell: Gettysburg as the Soldiers Experienced it From Cemetery Ridge to Little Round Top, July 2, 1863

by John Michael Priest

This is unlike any other Gettysburg book you will ever read. Instead of a dry recitation of the facts, Stand to It and Give Them Hell: Gettysburg as the Soldiers Experienced it from Cemetery Ridge to Little Round Top, July 2, 1863 chronicles the desperate marching, fighting, command decisions, and suffering as depicted in the letters, memoirs, diaries, and postwar recollections of the men from both armies who struggled to control that hallowed ground. This invaluable methodology uses the words of those who lived these events to paint a rich tapestry of personal courage, cowardice, failures, and triumphs.

John Michael Priest, dubbed the Ernie Pyle of the Civil War soldier by legendary historian Edwin C. Bearss, wrote this book to help readers understand and experience, as closely as possible through the written word, the stress, exhaustion, suffering, and sheer terror of that fateful day in Pennsylvania. Readers of all interest levels will gain a deeper appreciation of the personal sacrifice made by privates and generals alike.

The hundreds of word portraits are supported by 58 detailed original maps, most on the regimental level. In addition to illustrating the tremendous troop congestion in the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, and Devil s Den, they accurately establish, by regiment or by company, the extent of the Federal skirmish line from Ziegler s Grove to the Slyder farm, and portray the final Confederate push against the Codori farm and the center of Cemetery Ridge, against which three Confederate divisions (in what is popularly known as Pickett s Charge) would unsuccessfully attack on the final day of fighting on July 3.

Stand to It and Give Them Hell is a book about combat as seen through the eyes of those who waged it. There is no glamour here, and no adventure. Nor are there accusations, axes to grind, or second-guessing from the comfort of an easy chair. Instead, Priest s most ambitious book offers the brutal, heart wrenching story of a slice of America s greatest battle as described by those who marched, fought, bled, and died there. These are their stories, and ones you will long remember."

Genres: Civil War, American Civil War, History, Nonfiction, War, American History, Military History

528 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2014

Reviews

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed look at the second day at Gettysburg. It especially views the work of the Army of the Potomac in repelling the efforts of the Army of Northern Virginia. There are many maps, but in Kindle format they are not as clear as a hardcover would be. I would say the narrative is fairly balanced, but it ends rather abruptly so there's no summation or real analysis.

It's an interesting book, but there are so many names, so many killed that it loses its impact after several chapters, which is too bad because they all were courageous soldiers who deserve to be remembered.

[Joe Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding history of the intense fighting at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863. Mike Priest gives a fascinating account of the intensive bloody battle on the fields of Gettysburg between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia. The author gives a time frame and location of all the fighting during the second day of the battle. Giving the soldiers and commanders history of the action. The regiments both north and south hammered away at each other all over the vicinity such as the Peach Orchard, the Round Tops, the Wheatfield and the other locations. The narrative of the action is captivating and you are right in the action of the troops that fought against each other. The author has superb end notes, citations and bibliography based on the soldiers account of the battle. It is an intense read that draws you in the battle and you feel that you are witnessing the charges, defense, artillery barrages, and the hand-to-hand fighting that took place.
It took years of great research from Mike Priest to write this book based on the soldiers accounts, hundreds of personal accounts, newspaper articles, manuscripts and memoirs from the soldiers of the AoP and the ANV and Mr. Priest has woven them together to make an outstanding account of the second day of fighting at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863.
Mr. Priest as noted before did an excellent job citing the resources for the book and this greatly enhances the accuracy of the soldiers accounts of the battle.
I can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone interested in the Battle of Gettysburg. It is a must read for the Civil War scholar, student, and historian and compliments the top books about the battle from the notable authors of the battle such as Coddington, Pfanz, Mingus, Petruzzi, Coco, and Wittenburg and other fine authors.
Mike Priest is called the "Ernie Pyle of the Civil War" by noted National Park Historian Emeritus Ed Bearss. After reading this fine book and the other great books by Mike Priest I definitely agree with Mr. Bearss. A truly outstanding account of the fighting on July 2, 1863 at Gettysburg. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very ambitious title that attempts to take the reader through a near minute-by-minute account of Longstreet’s attack on the second day, compiled almost entirely from first-hand accounts of the combatants. It makes for a very graphic (lots of very detailed injury descriptions) and gripping narrative. The reason I’m only giving it three stars is because the attempt doesn’t quite work. While the author does an excellent job of creating some chronological order amongst an incredibly chaotic sequence of events, ultimately it’s impossible to keep track of every name, and every vignette, and where they are on the battlefield at any given moment. I was able to track a lot of it, and the fascination with such a close look at the actual fighting in the moment it happened kept me reading, but even someone very familiar with the battlefield would have a difficult time parsing all of it. Eventually it just becomes numbing and you stop trying to orient yourself with every new account.

Recommended for serious students of the battle, and those who find contemporary accounts of soldiers on the ground compelling. But the average reader will probably find it overwhelming and/or too disorienting.

[George Polansky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. It takes you into the conflict.

[Michael Deighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very detailed account of the various divisions of troops on both sides & the actions they were involved in during the battle!

[Chris Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cracking good book. Richly detailed. Say what you will about Pickett’s Charge or the 20th Maine on Little Round Top, but the Battle of Gettysburg was won and lost in an afternoon of bloody slaughter in the wheat field, peach orchard and craggy rocks of three Pennsylvania farms. This account puts the reader in the ranks with the regiments, on the raggedy edge with the skirmish lines, and amongst the booming guns and splintered wood of artillery batteries.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Michael Priest once again presents us with a detailed account of the soldiers that experienced the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg in the southern portion of the battle. This book was readable with good anecdotes. The way Priest writes makes the battle come to life. However, I was disappointed he did not cover Culp's Hill. Yes, I know it covered the southern end of the battle, but Pap Greene, Ireland and those men at Culp's Hill deserve recognition for their bravery and actions against the Confederates. I also found the beginning of the book rather slow. Once the battle gets going, it becomes more engaging to read. I think his Antietam book is superior, but this is a good addition to have in your Gettysburg Civil War library. It should not be a starter book for people new to learning about the battle. Start with Sears or Trudeau. Then, continue with Pfanz and this book.

[Scott Fasnacht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Priest has given us a valuable addition to the Gettysburg historiography. His approach of putting you by the side of the heroes who faced off that day worked really well. I've not read anything quite like it. For those with a real interest in the tactical developments of that bloody day, the maps in this book are fantastic. I learned more about the action on Houck's Ridge and the troop placements of Ward's Brigade than in any other source I can recall. It's an easy book to read, well documented and beautifully illustrated. I'd highly recommend a copy for your bookshelf.

[Michael Lehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I liked this book, I think someone who is not familiar with the battle could get a little confused by all the jumping around. I did love all the maps Mr. Priest included