The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War (Civil War Trilogy)

Read as part of my 'Tour of the United States', the book for Pennsylvania. The title is a slightly odd one, more reminiscent of a zombie novel, or at least something out of Doctor Who (I think those are actually Weeping Angels!), but there's nothing odd about the book itself, a fictionalised narrative of the Battle of Gettysburg, told mainly from the perspective of General Robert E. Lee and his second-in-command, James Longstreet, but including other 'lesser' players too, not least Joshua Chamberlain, a college professor turned regimental commander on the Union side, and right at the heart of the action on days 2 and 3. By fictionalising the narrative, Shaara was able to take the historically factual aspects (I gather he was pretty show more rigorous on this front, with mainly just some compression of time and removal of minor characters in places), and bolt on his own interpretations, particularly enabling the inclusion of internal feelings, perceptions and conversations of the characters. The result is a superb evocation of battle and the men fighting it that goes way beyond a straightforward account, really demonstrating a strength of fiction. I was gripped, and can well see why it won the Pulitzer. This is not a book that features on many 'US Tours', but it should. I also spent quite a bit of time on Google Earth whilst reading, exploring relevant parts of the Gettysburg area as much as that will allow, but it's actually somewhere I'd now love to visit and learn further. I read James MacPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom a few years ago in an attempt to strengthen a Brit's shaky knowledge of this period of history, but think I need to go and have a reread - or maybe tackle Shelby Foote's trilogy at long last (it's been sat waiting for me long enough!).I also have Foote's novel of Shiloh on my list for one of the other states (Tennessee) as a possible choice, and it would be interesting to compare. show less

The Killer Angels is probably one of the best historical novels about the U.S. Civil War. It is certainly the best historical novel about the Battle of Gettysburg, which it details from Lee's initial decision to turn East and move his army towards Washington D.C. in his second invasion of the Union, to the aftermath immediately following the breaking of the ill-fated Pickett's Charge. In between, the largest land battle to ever take place on the North American continent took place, and the result sealed the fate of the Confederacy. The novel also spawned the Ted Turner movie Gettysburg, which is both quite good and remarkably faithful to the book, although as a result it is really long.

Although this book is listed as the middle book in show more a trilogy, the other two books (Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure) were written years after this one by Michael Shaara's son Jeff Shaara following the elder Shaara's death. Unfortunately, Jeff is not quite as good a novelist as his father, so there is a danger that someone reading them in "order" will read Gods and Generals and decide not to continue the series. That would be a mistake. This novel is masterfully executed and stands head and shoulders above the other two novels in the trilogy.

While some historians consider the Battle of Gettysburg the pivotal moment in the U.S. Civil War, after reading Bruce Catton's excellent three volume history of the war (The Coming Fury, Terrible Swift Sword, and Never Call Retreat), I have come to the conclusion that it was instead the last desperate gasp of a defeated nation - a huge gamble against long odds that had little hope of success. This view seems to be borne out by the characterizations in The Killer Angels. The one dominant feeling one gets from most of the Confederate characters is a feeling of exhaustion. The soldiers are tired, Lee is tired, his minuscule staff is tired, and Shaara conveys this feeling perfectly. The lone exception to this is the exuberant General Pickett and the prodigal J.E.B. Stuart, but Pickett's exuberance against this background of overall malaise the rest of the Confederates seem to share makes his confidence seem even more misplaced and Stuart's energy seem juvenile. On the other hand, many on the Union side are exhausted by their travails during the unfolding events, but few of them have to deal with the relentless pace of the battle day after day.

The novel is told from a shifting limited third person viewpoint, jumping from person to person as the events of the battle move about. This storytelling style allows Shaara to give the reader a comprehensive view of the battle, while also giving insight into the decisions and difficulties each of the featured individuals would have faced. Reading the novel and knowing the history of the events of late June and early July 1863, one gets a sense of impending doom as a tired Lee lacking reliable intelligence about his enemy and relying on faulty assumptions and erroneous information works to convince himself that the incredibly stupid is actually the correct choice.

The novel makes clear two things. The first is that the Confederacy was already on its last legs, even though the war would drag on for almost two more years. As noted before, the Confederates portrayed in the novel seem almost universally exhausted, but they are also clearly also lacking in basic supplies and outmanned by their opponent. The second is that placing too much faith in a single leader can exalt a military organization, but only so long as that leader makes the correct choices. When such a leader is wrong, or places his trust in subordinates who are unequal to the tasks given them, placing him upon such a pedestal results in there being no checks against his poor judgment. The Confederacy was both blessed and cursed with Lee as the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, and this book drives this home with a series of hammerblows that highlight both his obvious strengths as a leader, and his not so obvious but still quite serious flaws.

In the end, this book is probably as close as anyone alive today will come to seeing inside the minds of Lee, Longstreet, Buford, Chamberlain, and Armistead. It covers much of the battle, and covers it quite clearly. Shaara's choice of selecting critical viewpoint characters gives an intensely personal perspective on the battle, but it does limit the book as history as it limits the range of events that can be covered. For example, choosing Buford as his Union viewpoint character for the events of the first day limits Shaara's ability to detail the events of the day that took place after Buford left the main engagement. Similarly, by focusing on Chamberlain on the second day, Shaara is unable to cover the attacks that took place on the right flank of the "fishhook", as well as the attacks even on Big Round Top and the front side of Little Round Top. As a result, the fierce fighting in the Peach Orchard, the Wheatfield, and Devil's Den get limited attention. Such compromises are probably necessary to make an account of a three day battle fit into a single novel length work, so these are probably minor quibbles. Despite this, this is an excellent book, and a must read for anyone who wants to understand the U.S. Civil War and the men who fought it.

This has been posted to my blog Dreaming About Other Worlds. show less

I approached this novel with some hesitation, even reluctance. I had read quite a few novels that centered on war recently and thought I might have had my fill. I am also not a huge fan of historical fiction. I tend to like my history straight, afraid I might confuse the real thing with the fictional account. But I have experienced historical fiction that makes the real events come alive, and so enhances my ability to grasp the time, the place, the people and what truly transpired.

The Killer Angels did all of that for me. It may be the best historical fiction I have read. It faced several obstacles, given it was entirely focused on war and one battle in particular, the Battle of Gettysburg. But it overcame those obstacles by presenting show more events through the eyes of the men who had to fight and helping me to know these men. On the Confederate side, I was of course very familiar with Robert E. Lee, and had heard of George Pickett and J.E.B. Stuart, but I was not knowledgeable at all of some of the other main characters: James Longstreet, in particular, or Lewis Armistead, Dick Ewell or Jubal Early. For the Union, I knew only George Meade and was completely unfamiliar with Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, John Buford, John Reynolds and Winfield Scott Hancock. These names became people. Nor did I fully comprehend how well the generals on either side knew one another, having gone to West Point together, having served for many years with one another before having to choose sides; they not only respected the other side but often maintained friendships regardless of the conflict.

Despite all this I could have been turned off by descriptions of the geography of the battlefield, the maneuvers of the armies, the force counts. Instead I was pulled in as the strategies of the two sides developed over the five days, and saw how critical current and accurate information was to decision-making. The Killer Angels opened my eyes to the human side of the players, their motivations, their doubts, their fears, and the role the Battle of Gettysburg played as the turning point in the war. show less

This is a tricky book to rate - I will say that, just like in Gods and Generals, I tended to zone out a bit when the author goes into extreme detail about brigades, their positioning. The play-by-play of the battles are mostly for Civil War buffs, which I am not one of them. I do, however, enjoy learning about history and the Civil War and aside from a few repetitive bits, this is a tremendous book. Passages like the opening chapter of the Spy, or the chapter featuring the Englishmen, or Armistead's final chapter are masterful, beautiful writing. I had to stop several times at the gorgeous prose and tragedy of the whole battle. Shaara does a terrific job showing both sides, the chaos of battle and how the soldiers/generals felt. If show more there were more chapters like the ones I mentioned and fewer "and then they did this, and then they marched here, and then they dug in here" it would be an easy 5 stars. show less

This story of a 3-day battle in a 4-year war ends in tragedy for both sides at the bloodbath in Gettysburg, PA that is considered the turning point of the American Civil War. No one knows the thoughts of men going into battle, but Shaara captures the emotions behind the thoughts so well. The waiting and the terrible knowing what lies in store most certainly must be the most terrifying part of war. No matter which side one is on, the feelings of fear mingling with the hunger, thirst, and exhaustion are a common bond. It’s almost a reprieve when the fighting begins…when the emotions shut down and the relief of action takes over.

The focus is on the leaders of both sides rather than the common soldier. As in all wars, mistakes were made show more at the top and result in the huge losses of loyal men. Shaara explores the tactics behind the battles in detail giving insight into both the motivations and the outcomes. It helps me to understand history by delving into the minds and hearts of those who make it. This is a book that delivers on both a literary and historical level as it portrays the honor and desperation of the brave men on both sides. show less

This dramatic, historical novel immerses the reader into the midst of a pivotal point during the United States Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg. By focusing on just the one campaign, the author is able to dig deep and provide layers of detail that might not be possible in a novel that focused on the entire war. We get to know all of the major players involved on both sides, shedding light on their humanity — histories, friendships, strengths, foibles, quirks, families, mistakes and all. My knowledge of the Civil War prior to reading this novel was mostly generic: as a result of conflicting ideals, there was a war punctuated by battles and many deaths, and ultimately one faction conceded defeat. While I can't say that I suddenly show more feel like an expert now, and though it was admittedly not quiiiiiite as riveting as I usually prefer my historical fiction to be, this book was was both an interesting and an enjoyable experience. I selected it to fulfill the Read Harder category "an award-winning book from the year you were born." show less

A very satisfying and engaging page-turner.

This novel has great characters and descriptions of the battle without getting too bogged down for non-military readers. I found myself wanting a bit more detail on the tactics and strategy, as well as the basic events of the battle that were taking place away from the main characters, but the characters and engagements that received focus were extremely well presented.

I enjoyed the literary device of each chapter being in the voice and inner thoughts of a different character, which provided more insight than was possible in the movie Gettysburg. For example, in the movie Chamberlain is talking to Kilrain and brings up the quote from Hamlet, "how like an angel" and Kilrain retorts "killer show more angel". In the book, it was a memory of his days as a student studying Shakespeare and he had written a speech about this quote and shared it with his father, who retorted "murderous angel" and he had then revised his speech around that idea and gave the speech with great success, and his father was very proud of him. Later he feels this same sense of pride after his actions on Little Round Top on Day 2.

The novel also does so much than the movie can to show the inner anguish of Longstreet.

There are other notable differences with the film, which makes it seem like Reynolds and the 1st Corps were already well on their way on June 30th to support Buford, when the book makes it clear no one is coming until Buford sends urgent messages, and another officer besides Reynolds might have not hurried so quickly which would have led to an entirely different outcome of the battle.

A very satisfying read. show less