Fight Like The Devil: The First Day At Gettysburg

Fight Like the Devil: The First Day at Gettysburg

Mackowski C, published by Savas Beatie (Casemate in the UK), paperback, 168pp, £8.99

This book deals with the first day of the battle of Gettysburg, so I probably should have read and reviewed it first! Again it is part battlefield guide and part history of the day’s fighting. However, the split is more in favour of the history, and the battlefield specific portion is less intrusive and at the end of each chapter.

The chapters themselves follow the ebb and flow of the fighting nicely, and give sufficient detail to allow them to be the basis of a series of linked scenarios without descending into too much button counting. The maps develop the ideas presented in the body of the text, and help keep things clear for the reader.

After the day is dealt with, there are a series of appendices which each address a separate theme that is often discussed about the battle, such as the role of Reynolds prior to his death or the whereabouts of Stuart’s Cavalry. Again, there is sufficient detail to engage without overwhelming. Finally there is an order of battle for the forces involved on that first day.

I would suggest that this book will appeal to most ACW wargamers, especially those who yearn to spend several club evenings refighting the battle.

Melvyn Jenkins-Welch