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: A great, enjoyable novel.
Summary: 5 Stars
I am in the 10th grade, and I first read The Killer Angels in the 8th. I have since read it twice more, and it is one of the best novels I have ever read, and THE best historical and civil war novel I have read. Shaara moves from character to character so you can see the minds of the men on both sides, and you are torn between wanting one side or the other to win. I highly recommend this book, and when you're done with it, watch the movie Gettysburg, based on this book.Book Review: A heart-rending study in leadership
Summary: 5 Stars
Although a Civil War buff since junior high school, I did not discover this marvel until attending the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College, where it was required reading. I was not the only student who read it in one sitting. It also caused some of the most lively discussions, debates, and arguments our class engaged in throughout the course. The most compelling thing about the book was Mr. Sharra's ability to draw one completely into the characters' thoughts and emotions. It was also a concise and riveting look at commanders' relationships with other commanders and the soldiers they would send and/or lead into battle. If you are only interested in gory battle scenes, this book is not for you. Although the battle descriptions will make you feel as if you are a participant (one can almost feel the ground trembling under the largest artillery barrage ever conducted in North America), the real story is about the individuals. It is, easily, the best historical novel I have ever read. If it doesn't make you want to run out and become a Civil War reenactor, or at least read Jeff Shaara's prequel, then you need to borrow Commander Data's emotion chip. Now, where's that hoop skirt pattern?Book Review: A humanized look at the Civil War's greatest battle.
Summary: 5 Stars
Some literary critics take offense to the phrase "historical novel." After all, they claim, all novels fit into a historical context. (Obviously they've forgotten about futuristic science fiction.) These critics think it presumptuous for a writer to create dialogue for the the likes of Robert E. Lee, James Longstreet, and Lawrence Chamberlain. Because the world will never know what exactly was yelled, cried, and whispered on the battlefield of Gettysburg, the pessimists feel history is being distorted. Author Michael Shaara does not distort history. He brings history to life.
Recently, I wondered what I disliked most about going to school. I decided the long reading assignments from boring, impersonal textbooks were the reasons I most detested nine months out of the year. "The Killer Angels" should be required reading for anyone studying American history and the Civil War. Instead of mere facts and figures, Shaara shows us what it must have been like to fight on that hilly Pennsylvanian countryside.
I'd like to write about the structure of this book; the way it was ingeniously organized by Shaara. Readers will frequently turn back to the Foreword. The descriptive information given makes it easy for the reader to remember who's who. The maps by Don Pitcher are marvelous. Uncluttered and informative, the maps appear in just the right places: they do not disrupt the flow of reading. Best of all, when Shaara gets into his best description (that of the third day of the battle) no maps appear. The reader can focus on the words, freeing the imagination.
The characters are what make this novel so good. I say characters, but in reality they are historical figures shown in all their honor, courage, shortcomings, and fraility. General Rober E. Lee, for example, is shown as a dualistic man torn between God and "winning the war for Virginia." The most refreshing thing about the book is its objectivity through Shaara's obvious extensive research.
Lawrence Chamberlain and James Longstreet will undoubtedly speak loudest to most readers. They both ponder the Cause of the war, and through their words, readers too will try to understans why the war and its bloodiest battle were necessary. In the past, history had not been one of my interests, but after reading this novel, I feel compelled to learn as much about the North and South as I can while I search for another great "10" of literature.
Book Review: A little too realistic
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't think that I really agree with all of the reviews about this story.
1) I agree it is very factual. All of the events and descriptions takes the reader to the battlefield. It reads more like a play-by-play of Gettysburg than a fictional novel.
2) The military leaders come to life during the read. Lee, Chamberlain, and Longstreet are all heroes; each with their own failings.
I did enjoy the story, however the plot was the battle of Gettysburg itself, rather than a fictional story set during the Battle of Gettysburg.
I would recommend this story for fans of authentic historical battle descriptions. I would not recommend this book for somebody who is looking for "Historical Fiction".
Book Review: A look into the lives of soliders
Summary: 4 Stars
I went to Gettysburg in person last year. I knew the story of the battle, but I didn't know all of the details. It would have been so much more rewading to go their after reading this book. It was writen so well, that every place mentioned came alive. You feel like you know the charecters because their thoughts and actions are so vivid. If I was to go their now I could stand on one of the many monumental places I could think "I know what happened here and I know who did what and what they might have been feeling at the time." The only problem was that it seemed that on the first day whenever there was action going on it would switch to a charecter who was out of the action, but only on the first day. This is truly how historical fiction is supposed to be written!