The Killer Angels
By Michael Shaara
Published: 1974
Genre: Historical fiction
Info: Michael Shaara started out as a short story writer, contributing mainly to the genre of sci-fi. He wrote The Killer Angels after a family vacation in Gettysburg, piecing the story together largely from letters and written records belonging to the actual soldiers. His son (Jeff Shaara) later wrote the prequels Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure.
Synopsis: This novel spans the days leading up to and of the Battle of Gettysburg, from June 29, 1863 to July 3, 1863. It focuses largely on several of the leaders: Lee and Longstreet from the Confederate side, Chamberlain and Buford from the Union side. Several chapters are devoted to each man, detailing his past and following him through the uncertainties and fervor of the battle. The reader can watch as the strategies of the two sides take shape and come to a culmination; however, this novel is really about the men. It's about their loyalties, their loves, their fears, and their beliefs--everything they carry into battle. Shaara adds drama to the scene, but he does not obscure the humanity of the individuals with the glaze of heroism. General Lee is depicted as a man who is feeling his age, grimly pushing forth despite the injuries he has sustained, but he is revived, the weariness lifted, as they begin the trek to Gettysburg. In stark constrast, there is George Pickett--young, joyous, and brimming with life. The war becomes more than simple strife between countrymen. By stepping into each man's shoes, the reader experiences the heartbreak, the blood, and the tears.
Analysis: The Gettysburg events are told simply but effectively by Shaara. His short and sweet syntax sets the proper mood without entangling the reader in superfluous text. The dominating subject-predicate structure lends itself to a recounting of a dramatic, desperate time, and all of the reader's senses are engaged by this account. From the weary marching of the soldiers to the grimy, unglamorous life on the battlefield, the reader experiences it all. Shaara's characterizations of the men are evinced by their thoughts. For example, Buford is a sardonic, jaded man, and Harrison is a quirky, self-important spy. Also worthy of notice is Shaara's use of striking imagery and dry wit, seen in passages such as:
Recommendation: I believe this would be enjoyable for those with an interest in history and a good story. The book is fast-paced and interesting; the characters are colorful and very real. It's like Animorphs for adults! You have the troubled leaders, the comic relief, and the outsider passing judgment. It's not bad for school reading!
