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Summary: The historical novel that made history
Review: The ¡°Killer Angel's,¡± Jeff Shaara's compelling character-driven narrative of Gettysburg, the battle that decided the Civil War and the fate of the United States of America, belongs to a very small and select group: literary military history novels. Yes, this is a work of fine literature. Shaara delivers a compelling set of characters, Longstreet, the general cursed to see things clearly; Chamberlain, the professor who finds his love of battle equals his love of the classics; and Lo Armistead, a fierce general who is almost too sensitive for war. As a history, the work has refocused, for good or bad, the narrative of Gettysburg for our generation. How many historical novels can you say that about? For me, Shaara's greatest accomplishment was the deft way he answered for the thorny question of why they fought, from Union Generals to the barefoot Confederate enlisted men from Texas. For some it was a simple professional obligation; they are soldiers and there is a fight to be fought. Some Southern foot soldiers insisted they were fighting for their "rats," though they were not able to articulate these rights to the Yankees when they were captured. But the Union men are not immune from Shaara¡¯s razor-sharp sense of irony. Some of the boys in blue were outright racists. In one scene, they meet a runaway slave that has been shot by a good woman of Pennsylvania for the crime of walking down the street. Yet, despite all this, Shaara does not judge the men on either side too harshly and one comes away feeling that those on both sides died for noble reasons. The book is a work of remarkable economy. It was able to fit a laundry list of characters and a complex three-day battle into just over 300 pages. For some, especially hardcore Civil War buffs who feel Shaara gave short shrift to certain key players, this is a an unforgivable shortcoming. Still, the book never pretends to be the final word on those fateful days in July that decided the course of American history. It does, however, succeed marvelously in its aim: capturing the human side of this extraordinary and tragic and glorious event.
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Summary: Simply Phenomenal!
Review: I love The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane as well as Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden, but I place The Killer Angels at the top of my war novel list. ...The vivid descriptions of battle, the candid emotions of the soldiers and generals, the emptiness of defeat intertwined with the elation of victory are all so aptly described by Michael Shaara in this Pulitzer Prize winner. I felt as if I were alive right there in Gettysburg as an omnipresent bystander witnessing the greatest and most momentous battle ever fought on American soil. Thanks to the amazing character development and extraordinary description and dialogue, I came to know the heroic Joshua Chamberlain, the intrepid George Pickett, the indecisive Richard Ewell, the gruff James Longstreet, and of course the revered Robert E. Lee - just to name a few. A must read for anyone even remotely interested in The Civil War or just war or history in general. Simply phenomenal.
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Summary: Maybe one of the top 5 Civil War Books
Review: I read this book about 20 years ago, and have seen the movie "Gettysburg" that was based on it. It would hard for me to think of any book about war that I regard more highly. Michael Sharra is masterful in describing the unfolding of the battle, and what many of the main characters such as Lee, Longstreet, and Chamberlain might have though and said. Even more, his story telling skills are compelling. This book is hard to put down. When I read Longstreet's "From Manassas to Appomatox," this book provided a vivid context. I recommend The Killer Angels to anyone who wants to know more about the battle of Gettysburg. I have visited the Gettysburg battlefield several times, and I can tell you, having read this book made the experience incredibly meaningful and vivid. It is simply one of the ten or so best books I've ever read.
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Summary: Just do it
Review: This is one you just need to read.
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Summary: Historical storytelling at it's finest!
Review: This book represents American historical storytelling at it's finest. An absolultely divine page-turner; one of the most profound insights on the Civil War I have read. This book presents history in a compelling manner that is easy to read but still encapsulates the thoughts and emotions comprising the American Civil War. It is beautifully divided into chapters aptly named after the officers they portray. Each character's experiences jump through the reader to give him an understanding of the common themes of the North and the South. Common themes including the reasoning behind the war, specifically slavery or state's rights and family against family, and friend against friend are presented in manner that exonerates the humanity of both points of view. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in American history, military history, American philosophy, or just interesting reading.
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Summary: Magnificent Histry Brought to Life
Review: I read this book as a requirement for a college class and boy am I glad they required it. It is a fabulous fictional work on the civil war and any history buff can enjoy it completely.
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Summary: A look into the lives of soliders
Review: 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!
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Summary: The Gettysburg soap opera
Review: A gripping and easy-to-read tale of war and the men who fight. Lee's monstrous ego is pitted against the incompetent bureaucracy of the Union high command. In addition to its entertainment value, I understand it is surprisingly accurate -- a truly rare combination.
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Summary: Simple yet somehow sublime
Review: This is history alive. You're reading about the most great and terrible day American soil has ever seen and you're in the thick of it for the long haul. Even if history lessons bore you, Shaara's narrative is elegant and beautiful. It reads more like poetry, I mean come on, it won the Pulitzer Prize. You root for the bad guys, Lo Amristead to reunite with Winfield Hancock, you root for the bad guys, Longstreet not to get in trouble and suffer the pangs of controversy because it wasn't his fault, you root for the bad guys because you want to see the pompous windbag that is the brilliant General George Pickett ride into a victorious glory, instead of the horrible and crippling defeat at the hands of the superior Union army. You root for Chamberlain, this simple religious man and school teacher to sweep the enemy back and save the day. It's action packed and adnventurous and you simply can't put it down. It is superbly moving and just gut wrenchingly emotional. It is the most unconventional of story tellings thrown on top of a history lesson ever.
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Summary: Superb
Review: I am not a Civil War buff, although I was aware on a certain level of the significance of the battle at Gettysburg. This Pulitzer Prize winning historical novel has changed that for me. I was so engrossed in the novel that when I finished, I immediately began looking for other sources on the battle, and on the war in general. This novel takes you right into the middle of the battle and into the minds of some of the major historical figures on hand (not the least of which is Robert E. Lee). I was thoroughly engrossed and completely captivated by this rich historical fiction.
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