The introduction - Why Gettysburg Matters - by James M. McPherson, emeritus professor of U.S. History at Princeton University, examines how the battle at Gettysburg, with all its intricacies, actually caused the nation to become more cohesive; and a Prologue by historical novelist Jeff Shaara (Gods and Generals) offers a hypothetical fictional view of the events transpiring at Pickett's Charge.
'Gettysburg' is divided into into five sections:
- The Road to Gettysburg
- July 1, 1863
- July 2, 1863
- July 3, 1863 and
- Gettysburg in Memory
And within these sections are extensive profiles of key players Robert E. Lee, J.E.B. Stuart, George G. Meade, Joshua L. Chamberlain and James Longstreet written by historians, scholars and TIME editors.'Gettysburg' is bursting with authentic photographs provided by famed 19th century photographer/ Civil War documentarian Mathew Brady, long identified as being the father of photojournalism.
One of the book's highlights is a reproduction of the six-panel Gettysburg cyclorama of Pickett's Charge created by French artist Paul Philippoteaux. Cycloramas, created on a grand scale, were very popular during the 19th century. The original cyclorama, which was exhibited in Chicago, is said to have been 22 feet high with a circumference of 276 feet.