Writer and artist Wayne Vansant was the primary artist for Marvel's "The 'Nam "for more than five years. Since then, he has written and illustrated many historically accurate graphic histories, such as "The Hammer and the Anvil"; "The Vietnam War: A Graphic History"; "Normandy: A Graphic History of D-Day, The Allied Invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe" (Zenith Press, 2012); "Gettysburg: The Graphic History of America's Most Famous Battle and the Turning Point of the Civil War" (Zenith Press, 2013); "Grant vs. Lee: The Graphic History of the Civil War's Greatest Rivals During the Last Year of the War" (Zenith Press, 2013); "Bombing Nazi Germany: The Graphic History of the Allied Air Campaign That Defeated Hitler in World War II" (Zenith Press, 2013); and "The Red Baron: The Graphic History of Richthofen's Flying Circus and the Air War in WWI "(Zenith Press, 2014). He is currently working on "The Battle of the Bulge: A Graphic History of Allied Victory in the Ardennes, 1944-1945" (Zenith Press, 2014) for the 70th anniversary of the battle in December 2014.
"Gettysburg: The Graphic History" is a brilliant achievement.
Writer/artist Wayne Vansant is at the top of his game with his
graphic history of the battle known as "the high water mark of the
Confederacy." Rich in drama, accurately detailed, this is a
benchmark addition to the historiography of the bloodiest battle in
the American Civil War. A powerful and well-told story, it is an
excellent, accessible visual account for a younger audience or
those unfamiliar with the battle that inspired President Abraham
Lincoln's greatest speech, the Gettysburg Address. - Dwight Jon
Zimmerman, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of "Lincoln's
Last Days"
Vansant presents a military history of the battle of Gettysburg in
comic-book style, beginning with Robert E. Lee's motivation for
attacking Pennsylvania and concluding with Abraham Lincoln's
reflections on the battle in his short memorial address. The
artwork has a casual simplicity, with scratchy, brisk lines and
muted tones. Almost no attempt is made to make moments melodramatic
or spectacular. The severity of the depiction of bloodshed
increases somewhat as the battles get more fraught, but the primary
goal is not to show war as either glory or hell. Instead the focus
is to give a visual impression of the physical scope of the
battlefields and to put human faces to some of the division
commanders. The first goal is effectively accomplished; the maps
with the changing positions of the relative forces show the
complexity of the ground and the increasing intensity as the battle
progresses. The section about crossing an open mile to Cemetery
Ridge works especially well. However, the capsule introductions to
the various commanders are less elucidating. Each man is given a
close-up drawing and a single biographical detail, but not usually
something that would increase understanding of how he commanded.
The many men who died under their commands are given even shorter
shrift. The readable narrative breaks down the military actions and
decisions leading up to and during the battle, but the accompanying
visuals do little to either illuminate or re-create the actual
experience or to humanize the participants. - "School Library
Journal"
"In short, Vansant did his homework. The "Graphic History of
Gettysburg" is an excellent choice for introducing younger readers
to the battle, with information presented in an exciting manner
within a format they are more likely to accept. It is a worthwhile
read for anyone wanting an overview of the crisis at the
crossroads. And for old grognards like myself, it can remind us of
why we got interested in history in the first place." -
"ArmchairGeneral.com"
"Now a new and factual telling of the Civil War's greatest battle
is available in graphic format. The Graphic History of Gettysburg:
America's Most famous Battle and the Turning Point of the Civil War
literally draws the picture of the three days in July 1863 when the
Confederacy lost its last chance for outright victory over the
Union. The illustrations are clear and while a small amount of
bloodshed is depicted, it is limited and not too graphic. Overall
the book is well written. Younger readers would benefit from
reading this with a parent or grandparent who can explain where
needed. This book's greatest strength may be its ability to allow
loved ones to share a few hours together." - "Military Heritage
Magazine"
"The book provides a nice visual summary of the Battle of
Gettysburg for almost any reader. The quality of the illustrations
is quite good for a work of this type and price, and no slight is
intended by describing the style as "top-quality comic book art on
slick paper." You wouldn't expect to find fine art in nearly a
hundred pages of color drawings for well under twenty dollars." -
"National Parks Traveler""Overall I enjoy Graphic novels because
kids like Graphic novel. I like books that get kids reading and a
book like this one with actual facts in it is even better. I
enjoyed reading the book and I know teens will too." - "Outnumbered
3 to 1 Blog"
"Vansant makes you feel as if you are walking alongside of leaders,
both little known and well known. He explores little-known Joshua
Chamberlain, and famous icons like Robert E. Lee. He also
introduces the reader to James Longstreet and George Meade. If all
you know about Gettysburg is Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address,
it's time to learn what the turning point of the Civil War was all
about. The book is paperback, and presents 96 pages of 400 colorful
cartoon-like illustrations of The Battle of Gettysburg." -
"Examiner.com"
"When the Gettysburg graphic novel arrived, Mister Man picked it up
and walked away. He promised my mom that they were going to read it
together, but the next day he apologized because he'd read the
whole thing already. He loved it, and he continues to pick it up to
read through it again because it appeals to him. Finally I had my
turn to read it, and it was fascinating. The graphic novel follows
the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg, including the lead up
to the long battle and finishes with the dedication of the
soldier's national cemetery at Gettysburg and the text of Lincoln's
famous address. The detail included in the graphic novel is far
more than I ever learned about the Battle of Gettysburg - including
in my AP history classes. It is a lot to absorb, and I probably
need to read it a few more times to fully follow who was where when
and why, but that didn't stop me from getting the majority of the
information in it." - "5MinutesForMom.com"
"While Vansant's graphic history contains fewer than 100 pages of
artwork and words, it packs an astonishing density of information
into those pages. (Vansant also got a workout in male facial
topiary with the many, variously styled beards he had to draw for
this book.) From the first shot fired by Union Lt. Marcellus E.
Jones, through the Battle of Little Round Top and Pickett's Charge,
Vansant draws and annotates battle scenes as well as in-camp
strategizing and also stops periodically to provide maps of the
engagements." - "Milwaukee Journal Sentinel"
"The Graphic History of Gettysburg is a colorfully illustrated
presentation written in a clear, fast-moving style. It examines the
campaign from the events prior to the battle to an overview of the
three-day struggle. Accurate drawings of the corps and division
commanders of both armies and easy-to-follow maps supplement the
text.For the most part, the text is factual; the few errors do not
detract from the book's overall appeal or effectiveness. This book
is an excellent introduction to the battle for young readers and
neophytes. Its fascinating and refreshing format make it fun
reading for others interested in Civil War history.In short,
Vansant did his homework. The Graphic History of Gettysburg is an
excellent choice for introducing younger readers to the battle,
with information presented in an exciting manner within a format
they are more likely to accept. It is a worthwhile read for anyone
wanting an overview of the crisis at the crossroads. And for old
grognards like myself, it can remind us of why we got interested in
history in the first place." - "ArmchairGeneral.com"
"This book is an excellent introduction to the battle for young
readers and neophytes. Its fascinating and refreshing format make
it fun reading for others interested in Civil War history." -
"Civil War News magazine"
"This colorful, 96-page graphic novel has way more text than most
examples of the genre, the better to communicate the complicated
history of the war." - "Intelligencer Journal"
"Overall I enjoy Graphic novels because kids like Graphic novel. I
like books that get kids reading and a book like this one with
actual facts in it is even better. I enjoyed reading the book and I
know teens will too." - "Outnumbered 3 to 1 Blog"
"Vansant makes you feel as if you are walking alongside of leaders,
both little known and well known. He explores little-known Joshua
Chamberlain, and famous icons like Robert E. Lee. He also
introduces the reader to James Longstreet and George Meade. If all
you know about Gettysburg is Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address,
it's time to learn what the turning point of the Civil War was all
about. The book is paperback, and presents 96 pages of 400 colorful
cartoon-like illustrations of The Battle of Gettysburg." -
"Examiner.com"
"When the Gettysburg graphic novel arrived, Mister Man picked it up
and walked away. He promised my mom that they were going to read it
together, but the next day he apologized because he'd read the
whole thing already. He loved it, and he continues to pick it up to
read through it again because it appeals to him. Finally I had my
turn to read it, and it was fascinating. The graphic novel follows
the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg, including the lead up
to the long battle and finishes with the dedication of the
soldier's national cemetery at Gettysburg and the text of Lincoln's
famous address. The detail included in the graphic novel is far
more than I ever learned about the Battle of Gettysburg - including
in my AP history classes. It is a lot to absorb, and I probably
need to read it a few more times to fully follow who was where when
and why, but that didn't stop me from getting the majority of the
information in it." - "5MinutesForMom.com"
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