The Battle of Gettysburg had the most deaths of any other battle in America. Robert E. Lee said it was largely his fault that the battle went so terribly. What would it be like to be at the actual battle? To hear the officers barking commands...to smell the heavy smoke of musket fire? Michael Shaara wrote his first Civil War novel, The Killer Angels, and left a legacy that his son would take up and continue.
SUMMARY
In America, before the Civil War, there was a belief system called transcendentalism. Famous followers of these beliefs were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Louisa May Alcott (author of Little Women). It stated that there was an "Oversoul," which meant that humans had the power of nature and the universe in their soul (and that all people are basically good). In this way, man was depicted as a type of "angel." The transcendentalists believed in a general god, but he had nothing to do with the world. When the Civil War came, these beliefs were dashed when it was seen how terrible man could really be. The bloodiness and horror of the War Between the States caused people to see that people were not as good as they had thought. During the book, a character says that if man is an angel, he must be a killer angel.
The actual story is the days leading up to and during the Battle of Gettysburg. At the end, a brief future of each of the characters is given. The main characters are Joshua Chamberlain and James Longstreet, though Lee has some chapters of his own (as do other officers).
A spy named Harrison provides vital information about Union movements to General Longstreet. The book continues through the story, showing the emotional thoughts, actions, and deeds of both Union and Confederate officers.
The book concludes with the end of Gettysburg and the Confederate retreat.
CONTENT
Since The Killer Angel is a novel about the Civil War (specifically Gettysburg) there is a good degree of battlefield violence. There are deaths and losses described on both sides of the battle, although much of the book is the thoughts of the officers.
There is quite a bit of language throughout the story. D*** and h*** appear most often, but I do also remember the Lord's name being misused one or more times. There are other swear words (too many to name). I think this is the biggest problem with the book.
The Killer Angels is an extremely well-written novel (minus the language, of course). I was definitely impressed with the way Shaara depicted the army officers, especially Chamberlain. I also liked how the author depicted Robert Lee, leader of the Confederate army. Most people see him as a stoic, flawless man. Lee himself said he was largely to blame for the tragedy that was Gettysburg. There is a tension shown between Longstreet (who wishes to leave Gettysburg) and Lee (who decides to stay and fight).
This is an excellent tale of one of our nation's most crucial battles. Though the novel includes language, it has good insight into the Civil War and what it caused.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Number of pages: 370-380 (depending on edition)
Author of book: Michael Shaara
Published in: 1974
Primary audience: Teens, Adults
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