Discovering Gettysburg: An Unconventional Introduction to the Greatest Little Town in America and the Monumental Battle that Made It Famous

Discovering Gettysburg blends travel memoir and Civil War history. Gettysburg is a small city in south central Pennsylvania whose name carries deep historical weight. For roughly half the year, its streets are quiet and businesses slow; for the other months, hundreds of thousands of visitors fill the town, which is also home to distinctive local characters. The city is defined by the Civil War battle fought there during the first days of July 1863, which resulted in more than 50,000 casualties. Monuments, guns, plaques, and the National Cemetery document this massive clash of armies and societies. Coleman explains that he did not fully grasp the battle's profound significance and its influence on American society until visiting in person. This travelogue takes readers to well-known and lesser-known locations on the battlefield and explores the historic town as it exists today, sharing facts and stories along the way. The book includes maps and caricatures by cartoonist Tim Hartman.