It baffles me that this book is not put on the same mantle that works by Pfanz, Sears, Coddington, or even Freeman are put on. Last Chance for Victory does an excellent job of examining Lee's actions during the Gettysburg campaign as well as defending many of the choices Lee made during those fateful days in the summer of 1863. Now I am well aware that defending Robert E Lee has become very unpopular within recent years and have even heard the book called nothing more than lost cause propaganda, but I fail to see it. The writers not only defend Lee and try to explain why he made the choices that were made, but also list Hancock and his army corp as one of the top reasons Lee failed in his attempt for victory at the small crossroads of Gettysburg. They also take the time to heap some praise on Meade, mainly for his localized counter attack on Culps Hill on July 3rd. The writers give praise where praise is do, and I find it hard to believe that the book is lost cause propaganda when so much praise is given to the Army of the Potomac.
Although the book breaks down Lee's actions on each of the three days in July, its strongest point is a list of seventeen reasons as to why the Army of Northern Virginia failed. In the coming days and weeks I hope to share these seventeen reasons with everyone and hope to get your feedback on what you, the people, think.
In closing I know this is a rather short post, but I just wanted to bring to everyone's attention Last Chance For Victory, and if your looking for a good read about Lee and the Battle of Gettysburg, then please add this excellent read to your collection.
Yours truly
Fred Brennan
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