The book tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg, attempting to present both a factual retelling of events as well as the emotional experience of living it. The book introduces the armies and individuals, the events leading up to the battle, and the action on a day-by-day, moment-by-moment basis. Using scenes that show the interactions of some of the men involved, you see the problems faced and decisions made, as well as the personal and individual reactions to those decisions. Aside from these surface things, the book also conveys the reality of war, with its losses and tragedies, and the motivations and deep emotions of the men there
The book starts with a Foreword that gives details of the armies and people involved. Four main chronological sections cover the days of Monday, June 29, 1863, through Friday, July 3, 1863, with the text alternating between the viewpoints of various Union and Confederate participants. An Afterword tells the reader what happens to several of the key characters. With the exception of the Foreword, which is written in the present tense, the entire book is written in the third person, past tense.
Each chapter within a section is from a different person's viewpoint, though the overall viewpoint of the novel is omniscient. Even though a chapter is written from one commander's perspective, the author still allows you to see what some of the other characters in those scenes are thinking. Also, you are able to watch that particular commander from outside himself as a spectator would.
