The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War by Michael Shaara Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War
Book Review: "You Are There"
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always enjoyed the study of the Civil War, more the men and women involved than the statistics or weaponry and such. The Killer Angels explores Gettysburg through the eyes of the men that were there, the tragedies that could have been avoided, the devastation on both sides. I particularly enjoyed the sub-sub plot of the relationship between brothers Joshua and Tom Chamberlain; Colonel chamberlain finds himself wondering why he won't let his brother call him by his first name in front of the others but he will plug a gap in the line with him on Little Round Top. It adds a very human, personal touch to the story, of what it must have felt like wondering what was happening to your family members, some of which were not on the same side you were. My favorite character of all was Buster Kilrain-what a good friend and philosopher. It was hard to imagine Pickett's Charge- all those men being picked off like ducks in a row, and General Longstreet unjustly taking the bl! ame for it. So please, if you want to read this book, and can disregard the "it's so boring" reviews given by several high school students, you won't regret the experience.Book Review: 'KIller' Is An Angel of a Book.
Summary: 5 Stars
'Killer' is an Angel of a Book By: Nick Hadsel-Mares The book Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is a masterpiece that everybody should read. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel is the story of Gettysburg told in a way that is clear concise, and incredibly readable. The Killer Angels is a classic that belongs on the shelf of every home. When I first picked up the book, I was daunted by the size of it. Three hundred and forty five pages in length is a little long but I wanted to read It because I knew next to nothing about Gettysburg. This book satisfied my every need for knowledge. It told about things from how the cannons worked to the lives of the soldiers. The book was descriptive in everything that it talked about. The genre of this book is an interesting one. It uses both historical information and fiction. This doesn't really make very much sense because history is real and you can't change it. If you think about it, just about all historical stories are fiction. They are because nobody knows the exact dialogue passed between people and so they have to make up words that they could have said. This genre is a good one because it appeals to lot of different people. It appeals to adventure readers because the story line is very intriguing and the characters are very interesting. It is also appealing to people who read war history because this book is a very detailed representation of the Battle of Gettysburg. The Killer Angels book structure is different from any other structure that I have seen. In the first few pages, they give you a short biography on each of the opposing side's commanders. I found that I was continually referring back to this information, but after a while I got everybody's names. There were the confusing names like Ewell and Early, but I got these names after a short while. The chapters were structured in a very easily readable way that went by the three days of the Battle of Gettysburg. At the beginning of each chapter, it said the name of the commander and the rest of the chapter was from that side's perspective. Every chapter it switched back and forth so you got a real idea of both sides perspectives. Even though the perspective changed every chapter I did not find it hard at all to see what is going on. Probably one of the best features of the book is the side switching idea. Even though it switches sides, the book remains in real time, which means, for example that at the end of a southern general's chapter his troops are charging up a hill. Then a new chapter begins with a Union general defending the hill from the invaders. This way of telling a story brings the reader right into the battle so that the reader can fully understand what is going on. This book is a must read for anybody interested in a historical book with great storytelling qualities.Book Review: 10 stars...one of the all-time greats!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Killer Angels launched me on a rampage of reading Civil War novels. It is simply one of the finest books I've ever read, and I've read thousands of books. Michael Shaara made the characters come alive and transported me back in time...I was really THERE. His unique use of inner dialog was very effective. He often used incomplete sentences to depict their thoughts. Ingenious. The battle scenes made my heart speed up, and the attention to detail was phenomenal. The story was told from multiple perspectives and moved back and forth from North to South. This was executed flawlessly to the point that I couldn't stand for either side to lose...proof to me that the author accomplished his writing goal. What more can I say without gushing?Book Review: A Beautiful Piece of Writing As Well
Summary: 5 Stars
At times in this wonderful novel the author's narrative approaches the realm of poetry--sometimes I had to read a line several times, so great was its beauty. Don't let the word "poetry" turn you off, however. This is not a ponderous, pedantic novel. It is an absorbing, rich read and a painless source of detailed knowledge about the Battle of Gettysburg.Book Review: A Constitution Calamadity
Summary: 5 Stars
Michael Shaara has a wonderful style of writing combining a tremendous amount of feeling, imagery, and context in each sentence. Shaara provides a sequence of maps, events, and timelines leading to Gettysburg final conflict at Cemetry Ridge. Northern industrial taxation on manufactured goods situated a constitutional division of sovereignty destroying a united union leading to a bloody war. Jeff Shaara book, "God and Generals" provides an amazing story of faith and exploitation of vulnerablity in the right flank of the union leading to a massive retreat by Hookers men and a 10,000 men charge by rebel Longstreet. Lee realized the opportunity could not be passed and it was not accidental that God had led them to such a valley. "Gods and Generals" would highlight the victory for General Jackson who was shot in the arm, had his arm amputated, and later died of pneumonia.
In "Killer Angels", Michael Shaara, the father author, continues the story. The battle to know God's will would be settle on the battle field by the killer angels who are the fighting soldiers. Union General Hancock would signal the first turning point by defeating the confederates at Devils Hill by leading a bannotte charge down the hill and causing the rebels to turn and run. The saddest tradegy foresaw the inevitable defeat of the confederate army as General Lee ignored all alternates to a direct assault. Lee believed a charge of 15,000 confederate men focused at a single point on cemetry ridge, Gettsburg could break the union formation and once split pour over into Washington. Longstreet knew that Lee had decided and there was no turning back, no time left, no alternatives to the right flank, nothing. Longstreet and four other Generals would walk the mile distance to the stone wall with Armistad reaching the wall to later die with the knowledge his friend Hancock might also die. Longstreet would realize it would not be God who sent the men up the hill. The carnage of men lying dieing in the field, bloated horse with terrible sink, exploded trees, deep trenches, and the irony of such beautiful country characterized the writings but in no way diminished the terrible tradegy of brother killing brother in a war that last over 10 years. The civil war is repulsive event in American history: so much carnage, destruction of property, damaged relationship, and suffering. I pray that war never returns to this country again like it did in the Civil war. Both side lost too much.