Hallowed Ground, James M. McPherson
Hallowed Ground, James M. McPherson
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Hallowed Ground
A Walk at Gettysburg

Author: James M. McPherson

Narrator: Grover Gardner

Unabridged: 2 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/05/2003


Synopsis

James M. McPherson, the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom, and arguably the finest Civil War historian in the world, walks us through the site of the bloodiest and perhaps most consequential battle ever fought by Americans: the Battle of Gettysburg.

The events that occurred at Gettysburg are etched into our collective memory, as they served to change the course of the Civil War and with it the course of history. More than any other place in the United States, Gettysburg is indeed hallowed ground. It’s no surprise that it is one of the nation’s most visited sites (nearly two million annual visitors), attracting tourists, military buffs, and students of American history.

McPherson, who has led countless tours of Gettysburg over the years, makes stops at Seminary Ridge, the Peach Orchard, Cemetery Hill, and Little Round Top, among other key locations. He reflects on the meaning of the battle, describes the events of those terrible three days in July 1863, and places the struggle in the greater context of American and world history. Along the way, he intersperses stories of his own encounters with the place over several decades, as well as debunking several popular myths about the battle itself.

What brought those 165,000 soldiers—75,000 Confederate, 90,000 Union—to Gettysburg? Why did they lock themselves in such a death grip across these once bucolic fields until 11,000 of them were killed or mortally wounded, another 29,000 were wounded and survived, and about 10,000 were “missing”—mostly captured? What was accomplished by all of this carnage? Join James M. McPherson on a walk across this hallowed ground as he be encompasses the depth of meaning and historical impact of a place that helped define the nation’s character.

“[I]n a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our power to add or detract.”
—President Abraham Lincoln

About The Author

James M. McPherson is a professor of history at Princeton University. He is the author of Battle Cry of Freedom, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, as well as other works on the Civil War, including Ordeal by Fire and Marching Toward Freedom.Grover Gardner’s narration career spans 25 years and over 550 audiobook titles. AudioFile magazine has called him one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and features him in their annual “Golden Voices” update. Publishers Weekly named him Audiobook Narrator of the Year for 2005. His recordings have garnered 18 Earphones Awards from AudioFile and an Audie Award from the Audio Publishers’ Association.


Reviews

Goodreads review by robin on July 05, 2024

A Walk Through Gettysburg James McPherson, America's leading Civil War historian, is an ideal guide to the Gettysburg Battlefield. In his short, eloquent book, "Hallowed Ground," it is almost as if Professor McPherson is at the reader's side accompanying the reader as a guide to the great battle that......more

Goodreads review by Lawyer on June 22, 2013

Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg, Three Days in July "More than any other place in the United States, this battlefield is indeed hallowed ground. Perhaps no word in the American language has greater historical resonance than Gettysburg. For some people Lexington and Concord, or Bunker Hill, o......more

Goodreads review by Jake on January 15, 2015

Hallowed Ground: A Walk at Gettysburg is about how the armies didn't want to fight at Gettysburg but went union soldiers saw confederate soldiers coming closer they stared to fire at them. It talked about where all the monuments are in Gettysburg. In the book it said what fights were won and what fi......more

Goodreads review by Nathan on May 28, 2017

As a result of reading quite a few books by the author [1], I have come to the understanding that James McPherson writes a great deal of short and topical books on various Civil War matters, and many of them are filled with a certain sense of wit as well as a highly critical attitude towards what he......more

Goodreads review by Jordan on January 15, 2025

"It is best to come here at dusk, as I do when I take students to Gettysburg, and listen to the call of mourning doves as we look out over the graves in this pastoral setting. It is then that we contemplate the real meaning of 'that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.' Getty......more