Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels is a historical novel set during the Civil War, focusing on the Battle of Gettysburg. This decisive and historic battle has since determined the course of events in American history, leading to the eventual abolition of slavery and demise of the Confederacy. In fact, with its direct references to actual events and people, The Killer Angels blurs the line between fiction and non-fiction. The narrative is told from the perspectives of Generals Lee and Longstreet of the Confederate Army and Colonel Chamberlain of the Union Army. Without taking sides or offering any kind of moral or opinionated argument, Shaara simple shows what each side was considering, what their values were at the time, what was expected of them as leaders, and their political motives. Shifting back and forth permits a broad and balanced perspective that focuses on the types of decisions military leaders make, their reasoning and strategies, and their different leadership styles. Most readers will know the events in The Killer Angels, albeit the author has changed some details changed for effect. Nevertheless, the main trajectory of the war is true to fact, with the Union's skillful tactics outwitting the South and making for one of the most...
There are indeed times at which the South appeared poised to win the battle but they ultimately succumb, and this historic event is provided nuance and personal effect to a degree often absent in history textbooks.
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (1993) gives a detailed account of the Battle of Gettysburg -- the war that lured the dueling North and South to the tiny town of Gettysburg and was the first step in splitting the Union. Shaara gives his readers a view of the Battle of Gettysburg as seen by generals and men who were at the heart of the battle. "The Killer Angels" is a
Killer Angels: A Novel by Michael Shaara. Specifically it will contain a summary and analysis of the book. "The Killer Angels" is a work of fiction that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975. It tells the story of the Battle of Gettysburg from the viewpoints of two of the generals fighting there -- Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet. Shaara says he wrote the book because he wanted people
On July 3, Generals Lee and Longstreet continue to face-off, creating strife within their own troops. The political problems that Lee and Longstreet embody are mirrors for the brother-fighting-brother theme that is central to any civil war. Thus, Shaara presents another paradox of war: when is it reasonable to fight and kill one's bretheren? Also, Lee is in charge of the Confederate Army but General Longstreet still has a
Clearly General Lee is fed up with the lack of intelligence; "I know nothing," he is thinking; Lee believed he could depend on the troops but "…can you count on the generals?" (173). On July 1, when all this activity began Lee ordered General Ewell to "take" the Powell Hill. Lee did say in the novel that Ewell should take the hill if it is "practicable" to do so
General Norman Schwarzkopf General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr. was born in Trenton, New Jersey on August 22 in the year 1934. He was named after his father, who was a West Point graduate and a decorated veteran of the Armed Forces, much like the younger Schwarzkopf has now become. General Schwarzkopf himself graduated from West Point in 1956 and has become one of our generation's most brilliant military leaders. He retired
Gettysburg The Civil War was a battle that tore the United States into two dividing loyalties and families across the states. That it is a scar that still rankles the North and South cannot be doubted and yet, one event during the war is remembered over all others -- the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle took place for three days and yet, even today we see almost 1.3 million people visit
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