New Book Explores Gettysburg through Unique Storytelling and Illustrations

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. - July 27, 2017 - PRLog -- Savas Beatie recently announced the release of Discovering Gettysburg: An Unconventional Introduction to the Greatest Little Town in America and the Monumental Battle that Made It Famous, by author W. Stephen Coleman and illustrated by Tim Hartman. The reader will visit a host of famous and off-the-beaten-path places on the battlefield, explore the historic town of Gettysburg as it is today, and chat with some of the town's fascinating "resources."

Does any other single word in any language invoke so much passion and angst, enthusiasm and sadness, as do those ten letters? But what IS Gettysburg, exactly?

Of course, Gettysburg is a small charming city nestled in south-central Pennsylvania, but in so many ways it beggars description. For about half the year its streets are mainly empty, its businesses quiet, the weather cold and blustery. For the other months, however, the place literally teems with hundreds of thousands of visitors, bustling streets and shops, and more than a handful of unique larger-than-life characters whose fan base spans the globe.

And then there is the battle—the event—of the Civil War. The battle that raged there during the first days of July 1863 at the price of more than 50,000 casualties decided much (just how much depending upon who you believe) and forever stamped that place with its passion and angst and enthusiasm and its lingering, forever sadness. Its monuments and guns and plaques tell the story of the colossal clash of arms and societies, just as its National Cemetery bears silent witness to at least part of the cost of that bloody event.

Christopher Gwinn praises the work saying, "Insightful, occasionally humorous, and often deeply personal, Discovering Gettysburg is sure to entrance the novice and expert alike. Stephen Coleman has provided an eminently readable work that gets us a little closer to understanding why Americans are so captivated and fascinated by the Battle of Gettysburg. It is well worth the read."

"Discovering Gettysburg is a snapshot in time of a timeless subject," said Coleman. "Accessibility is the key to its fresh approach: direct and informal in its writing style, and filled with unique illustrations and maps, we introduce you to the famous battle and that hallowed ground over which it was fought, while examining modern Gettysburg, and the people who live there."

Hartman states, "My job, as illustrator, is to introduce the reader to the faces of those who sacrificed so much to fight the Battle, and to those who continue to keep its legacy alive."

About the Author: Stephen Coleman has spent most of his adult life as a professor of theater at the University of Pittsburgh. A specialist in Shakespeare, acting, directing, and stage combat, he taught for more than 30 years and practiced his craft on stage and screen, including roles in Silence of the Lambs, where he had the pleasure of being literally defaced by the epicurean Hannibal Lecter and in the PBS Series The War That Made America, where as the ill-fated General Braddock he was shot from the back of a horse. It was only after he retired that he discovered a new interest: The Civil War, and especially, Gettysburg.

About the Illustrator: Tim Hartman is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has been professionally acting, singing, writing, cartooning, and storytelling since 1982. Though known primarily for his work on the stage, including nearly 300 plays and musicals, including appearances on Broadway in A Tale of Two Cities and the Tony nominated Finian's Rainbow, Tim's favorite job is performing his own brand of stand-up comedy storytelling for children and family audiences. He is also an award-winning political cartoonist and illustrator whose work has appeared widely in newspapers.

About Savas Beatie LLC: Savas Beatie is an award-winning independent publishing company specializing in military and general history titles distributed worldwide.  To read more about this selection, please visit: http://www.savasbeatie.com/books/book_page.php?bookVAR=Di...