Michael Shaara
Killer Angels (1974)
Author: Michael Shaara
Genre: Historical
Plot Summary:
Killer Angels is a fictionalized account of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War, on which the movie Gettysburg is based. While all the historical events and military facts are strictly researched and accurate, the personalities and interaction of the historical characeters are the inventions of the author. A lone scout brings word to the Army of the South that the Union Army is nearby and is stretched perilously thin. Robert E. Lee and his officers decide that this opportunity is too good to pass up; if they strike quickly, they could divide the Union Army and wipe it out, ending the war. Lee gives orders to one of his officers to scout ahead to Gettysburg, but to under no circumstances engage the enemy forces until they can accurately gauge their size and strength. The officer gets sucked into a battle, however, alerting the Union Army to the presence of a host of enemies. The Union digs in to defend Gettysburg, desperately hoping reinforcements arrive before they are driven from the town, which contains some of the best land for defending in the country. The battle rages for three days, back and forth, until the Union is able to narrowly defeat the South in what proves to be the decisive battle of the Civil War.
Geographical Setting: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Time Period: Summer 1863
Series: book 2 is Shaara's contribution to a multi-author Civil War trilogy
Appeal Characteristics:
The story frequently changes viewpoints, so that we see the epic battle from many perspectives, including that of General Robert E. Lee. All of the details of the battle, including troop movements, supply problems, staffing issues, and other minutiae are included in the narrative, making the book educational as well as entertaining. The throrough research of the customs of the time period give the reader a feeling of immersion in a bygone age. The novel is also paced very well; balancing slow, leisurely bits of dialogue or introspection with fast, action-packed scenes of warfare.
Read-alikes: Alexandr Solzhenitsyn's The First Circle is a detailed, polyphonic, sweeping historical of the Soviet prison camps; Jeff Shaara's Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure serve as a prequel and a sequel, respectively; Kirk Mitchell's Fredericksburg presents more close-ups of actual Civil War soldiers; and James Filegar's Fathers, Sons, and Brothers tells the detailed story of the 20th Maine Infantry Regiment, which features promintently in Killer Angels, but from a common soldier's perspective instead of an officer's.
Red Flags: Aside from frequent violence (it is a Civil War book, after all), there is only mild swearing and drinking.
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