I had been a huge fan of the movie Gettysburg since I first saw it in a college dorm room in the mid-1990s. However, I had never heard of The Killer Angels or Michael Shaara. After watching the movie on DVD 10 years later, I finally realized the screenplay for Gettysburg was based on that book when I was reading the small print on the screen. I then went out and bought a copy.
The Killer Angels is a superior fictional novel on the battle of the Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The book covers the span from the initial days leading up to the battle to just after Picketts charge at the end of the battle. Shaara tells the story of the battle through the eyes of the major figures of the battle, General Longstreet and General Lee of the Confederate Army, Colonel Chamberlain of the US Army, and a handful of other people, so the story is mostly told in first person from multiple points of view. This offers a very unique perspective of the battle.
The writing in the novel is absolutely first rate. The writing abilities of Mr. Shaara make you feel like you are in the middle of the battle. You can almost smell the sulphury smoke of the cannon fire, feel the heat of the hot July day, hear the bullets whizzing overhead, and feel the anguish of the people on both sides to think they are fighting a hopeless battle. The attention to detail in the character dialogues really make the reader feel like the are listening to the people 2 feet away. The writing in this book is poetically beautiful.
There are only two negatives I can think of about the book. First, I thought that some of the chapters seemed to be a little long. Not terribly excessive, but a bit long with no good place to stop. Second, while I wound not call it a strong negative, the book is almost word for word exactly the same as the movie Gettysburg. If you have seen the movie, you have pretty much read the book.
Personally, I think this book should be mandatory reading at the high school level. Just like the movie Gettysburg, the book really shows the intricacies of war from the perspective of the people who fought it. There really is not a lot of focus on the blood and guts portion of the battle. If you are interested in book on war or the military, or if you are interested in a good action book, this is a must read. Overall, one of the best books I have read.
The Killer Angels is a superior fictional novel on the battle of the Gettysburg during the American Civil War. The book covers the span from the initial days leading up to the battle to just after Picketts charge at the end of the battle. Shaara tells the story of the battle through the eyes of the major figures of the battle, General Longstreet and General Lee of the Confederate Army, Colonel Chamberlain of the US Army, and a handful of other people, so the story is mostly told in first person from multiple points of view. This offers a very unique perspective of the battle.
The writing in the novel is absolutely first rate. The writing abilities of Mr. Shaara make you feel like you are in the middle of the battle. You can almost smell the sulphury smoke of the cannon fire, feel the heat of the hot July day, hear the bullets whizzing overhead, and feel the anguish of the people on both sides to think they are fighting a hopeless battle. The attention to detail in the character dialogues really make the reader feel like the are listening to the people 2 feet away. The writing in this book is poetically beautiful.
There are only two negatives I can think of about the book. First, I thought that some of the chapters seemed to be a little long. Not terribly excessive, but a bit long with no good place to stop. Second, while I wound not call it a strong negative, the book is almost word for word exactly the same as the movie Gettysburg. If you have seen the movie, you have pretty much read the book.
Personally, I think this book should be mandatory reading at the high school level. Just like the movie Gettysburg, the book really shows the intricacies of war from the perspective of the people who fought it. There really is not a lot of focus on the blood and guts portion of the battle. If you are interested in book on war or the military, or if you are interested in a good action book, this is a must read. Overall, one of the best books I have read.
