Book Review: The Killers Angels by Michael Shaara

After reading "The Killers Angels" by the late Michael Shaara, it's easy to see why the novel of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) during the American Civil War won the coveted Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975.

During what is probably his most well-known work, Shaara takes the reader not only to the famous battle, but right smack dab in the middle of it. By telling the story through the eyes of the men who fought in it, Shaara lets the reader into the minds of great soldiers such as the North's Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and John Buford and the South's Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet, among several others.

Perhaps the greatest feat of the book is that, along with living the battle through the eyes of the commanders, readers also get to feel what it was like to be a regular solider during the battle. While reading, one can almost hear the bullets exploding around them or smell the smoke filling the air.

The account of the infamous assault known as Pickett's Charge, which took place July 3, 1863, is probably the most stirring part of the book. In a masterful display of literature, Shaara takes the reader into the pack of rebels charging Cemetery Ridge, while also taking the reader onto the ridge and into the minds of the brave men defending the heights. While there is no way of really knowing what these men were thinking during this scary and difficult time, Shaara's words may be the closest to really feeling what they were going through.

Though the book is a novel and considered fiction, the story is based on facts and gives an accurate account of the battle that many agree turned the tide of the war to the North's favor. While there are hundreds of non-fiction works about the Battle of Gettysburg, "The Killer Angels" has to be considered one of the best starting places for anyone interested in reading about the battle. Though all the details of troop movements and all that goes into fighting a battle are not discussed thoroughly, Shaara does a great job of explaining to the reader what is happening, and most important, why and how it is happening.

It's also a great book for anyone that just enjoys writing at its best. Its non-stop action makes for a fast read and it's a book that is truly hard to put down.

By combining superb writing with one of the greatest stories in American, and perhaps world history, Shaara has created a masterpiece that is the standard of excellence for historical novels.