Of course! I saw it came out and am really looking forward to reading it.

I haven't heard of the book, but the author's name sounds familiar. I'll have to look into it!

Yeah, totally understandable. If you aren't into the tactical side of things with not just Gettysburg, but the whole US Civil War, that kinda just leaves you with the cultural parts which as interesting as it is as far as how far we've come medical-wise, it's still terrifying to constantly read about.

Are you looking for a general history of PA or a by topic kind of thing? For example, I'm sure plenty of people would say "Killer Angels" by Jeff Shaara is a great rundown of Gettysburg albeit a still slightly fictional account.

Curious about Indigenous history in the colonial period? I haven't read it yet and I assume it's on the slower side, but "Covered by Night" by Nicole Eustace sounds intriguing! "Path Lit by Lightning" by David Maraniss is quite chunky, but also covers an indigenous topic-that being Jim Thorpe. I haven't gotten into that one yet, but have heard good things-one being that it isn't a typical dry history book.

If you dig environmental history, I quite enjoyed "The Johnstown Flood" by the late David McCullough. It's tragic and written at a good pace, especially for being written by an esteemed historian.

Medical history? Gotta toss it in, "Dr. Mütters Marvels" by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz. This was another one written at a decent pace and gives a rundown of Philadelphia's own Thomas Dent Mütter, whose name is lent to the curious medical museum in that city.

"Sandlot Seasons" by Rob Ruck is about sport in black Pittsburgh. I am not one to be interested in sports unfortunately so I cannot vouch for it BUT it can go hand in hand with the play "Fences" which is about the same topic.

On the topic of plays, if you can manage reading them, "Sweat" by Lynn Nottage is a rundown of the downfall of industry in Reading, PA. I saw it performed once and oof. Shakespeare would blush at that tragedy. If you want to understand how industry leaving a once booming city affects the people, it's a pretty solid description.

In the end, you'll find a TON of Gettysburg books and a TON of the Arcadia Press "Images of America" books. They're fine if you just want old pics. Unfortunately though, other than textbooks, I've got nothing for a general history of Pennsylvania. I'd recommend just looking at the Wikipedia page and getting the general schtick. Then look up topics from that that interest you.

Also, a pointer from a historian, the less dry history books are usually written by journalists. That's my general rule of thumb.

(Sorry for formatting/spelling. I'm on mobile. CHEERS)