To Antietam Creek

The Maryland Campaign of September 1862

By: D. Scott Hartwig

Narrated by: Danny Holt

A richly detailed account of the hard-fought campaign that led to Antietam Creek and changed the course of the Civil War. In early September 1862, thousands of Union soldiers huddled within the defenses of Washington, disorganized and discouraged from their recent defeat at Second Manassas.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee then led his tough and confident Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland in a bold gamble to force a showdown that could win Southern independence.

The future of the Union hung in the balance. The campaign that followed lasted only two weeks, but it changed the course of the Civil War.

D. Scott Hartwig delivers a riveting first installment of a two-volume study of the campaign and climactic battle. It takes the listener from the controversial return of George B. McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac through the Confederate invasion, the siege and capture of Harpers Ferry, the daylong Battle of South Mountain, and, ultimately, to the eve of the great and terrible Battle of Antietam.

©2012 John Hopkins University Press (P)2024 Life Sounds Co.

Outstanding work on the Maryland campaign

Exceptionally researched and written in such a way that it easily takes you to September 1863. This a great book!!

The most masterful telling of a pivotal campaign

To Antietam Creek, along with its counterpart I Dread the Thought of the Place, are D. Scott Hartwig’s magnum opus. Utterly monumental in scope and achievement, this work never becomes tedious or tiresome. Hartwig knows that history is made up of the experiences of individual people, and his account of the Maryland Campaign of 1862 is illustrated beautifully with on-the-ground human accounts and testimonies. The text itself is flawless. My only quibble is with the audio book narrator. There are consistent mispronunciations that indicate an unfamiliarity with the subject matter (“adjutant” was a constant and glaring error that pricked up the ears of any consumer of military history). To the narrator’s credit, however, his tone and expression are excellent. A peppering of mispronunciations aside, this was an excellent, epic listen that greatly enriched my understanding of one of the war’s critical turning points.

Learn how to pronounce military terms please!!

I'm not finished with this book yet but I am very impressed by the scholarship and level of detail. There is a big however, the narrator needs to learn how to pronounce military terms. I whince everytime he says adjutant as "ad ju dent" it should be pronounced "ajəd(ə)nt". This is not some obscure military term but one that is quite common. This not unique to this narrator it is something that I have come across in several military history books on audible. If you are going to narrate a military history book take the time to learn how to pronounce military terms. End of rant

Narration not the best

This is an excellent detailed book about the start of Lee’s Maryland campaign. The narrator though mispronounces military terms that became annoyingly like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Great buildup to the battle of Antietam

The author provides extensive research of 2 great armies prior to the battle of Antietam. His approach made it enjoyable to learn about this campaign. It brought many of the key commanders to life. I truly recommend this book.