High Tide at Gettysburg by Glenn Tucker

High Tide at Gettysburg tells the story of the Army of Virginia from June 3, 1863, when they began the invasion of Pennsylvania, to July 13, when they crossed the Potomac. How near the South came to victory is clearly set forth in these pages. Had Lee destroyed Meade's forces, he could have easily taken Washington and Baltimore. He would have more than made up for the loss of Vicksburg to Grant's army on July 4. Glenn Tucker clearly sets out the background of the crucial battle so that the reader can fully appreciate its unfolding. Two great opposing forces faced each other. Their struggle for victory claimed the lives of nearly 50,000 men. Out of the sequence of events, emerge personality sketches of the major figures in the conflict. Tucker clears up many misunderstandings that have grown up around the battle: from the role of General Longstreet to the gallant penetration of Union lines by Pettigrew's and Trimble's divisions during Pickett's charge. Here indeed is an enduring picture of a key moment in history, the turning point of the Civil War.