The Killer Angels

Shaara, Michael. The Killer Angels. New York. Ballantine Books: 1974.

The Killer Angels is the book I chose to read for my American Civil War Documentary project. It is a historical novel about real people in history and real events. The story takes place in the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania in 1863 during the Civil War. Gettysburg was the site of one of the most significant battles in the American Civil War, and this book describes the three day event in great deal.

Although this book is a novel about the Civil War, it is written through the eyes of the soldiers and generals on both sides, the North and the South. That is the factor that makes it so unique and engaging. It is not a textbook account of the battle, nor does it show the Union troops in a better light than the Confederate troops. Every viewpoint from the great General Lee, to a Union colonel, to a spy, to a British adversary is shown, among others.

The book opens with a spy for the Confederates discovering the Union Army of the Potomac marching straight towards the Lee's Confederate Army. Shortly after on July 1, 1863, a small part of Lee's army collides with Union cavalry at Gettysburg. Throughout that day, troops from both sides pour into the countryside around the town. At the end of the day, the Confederates had repulsed the Union army and taken the town, but failed to take Cemetery Ridge, the hill that the Union troops had settled on, and very good ground. Lee then must impatiently wait for Longstreet, his second in command, and Longstreet's army to arrive. Meanwhile, on his way to Gettysburg with more of the Union army, Union soldier Colonel Chamberlain, commander of the 20th Maine, receives the responsibility of dealing with the remaining soldiers in the 2nd Maine. Before the war, he was an English professor, and he manages to talk the 2nd Maine into serving under him.

When Longstreet arrives at Gettysburg, he tries to convince Lee to pull out and move around the Union's left flank to get between it and Washington, but Lee sees that as a retreat. The next day dawns with more fighting. Both armies spread out more, but neither gains much. In a stroke of brilliance and bravery, Chamberlain manages to hold the end of the line, the left flank, without letting the Confederate soldiers around him. The third day, Lee mounts a full on charge, known as Pickett's Charge. The maneuver was an utter failure. When Pickett reports back to Lee, Lee tells him, "General Pickett, I want you to reform your Division." Pickett, however, is forced to reply, "General Lee, I have no Division." The book ends with Chamberlain reuniting with his younger brother, Tom, a lieutenant. The Afterward gives descriptions of what happened to each commander after the battle. Some of them died from the wounds they received, others went on to run for offices. It makes you realize that each man was a real person in history, not just a figure in a story.

It is very hard for me to discuss only one character, because they are all so interesting and human. I find Chamberlain, Longstreet, Lee and Lo Armistead particularly interesting. Out of those four, though, Chamberlain is probably my favorite. Although by the time he fights at Gettysburg, he is not new to the war, the three day battle definitely changes him. Before the war, he was an English professor. He is hansom, and a husband. His brother, Thomas, is also in his regiment as a lieutenant. The extreme courage, ingenuity and decisiveness that he faced the second day of Gettysburg with made him very respected and famous. Michael Shaara spent a lot of time describe what was going through Chamberlain's head during the Battle of Little Round Top. In his attempt to stop the Rebels from flanking the Union line, Chamberlain plugged a hole in the line with his brother Tom without thought. He later could not forgive himself for becoming a soldier over a brother, deciding that he would have to make sure that Tom was removed from his regiment. Chamberlain became "one of the most remarkable American soldiers in history (The Killer Angels)." By the end of the war, he was wounded a total of six times, cited for bravery four times, promoted several times, and received metals of honor. He made a remarkable transformation from professor to soldier, and yet he still had his human side which he showed when he had the Union army salute the defeated South at Appomattox.

I enjoyed The Killer Angels very much. I was fairly sure I would before I started it, because I absolutely love the movie, Gettysburg, which is based so closely off the book that much of the dialogue is exactly the same. The book, however, gave something that the movie couldn't: the character's thoughts. I found out exactly what Longstreet thought of Lee's plans, why Lee ignored Longstreet's advice, and how hard it was for Chamberlain to hold the Union flank. On the movie screen, the story looks so heroic, and it is, but there was much more turmoil, uncertainty and confusion than I was previously aware of. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone, but especially to people who are interested in the America Civil War. It connects the reader to the soldier's life style at the time, and shows what a pivotal moment the Battle of Gettysburg was in American history.

The thought of putting myself in the battle is mind-boggling. I am not a soldier, nor do I think will I ever be, though I suppose that there are three places I could put myself. Although many civilians evacuated Gettysburg and the near by villages, some remained to watch and cheer on the soldiers. If I was a civilian, I think I would be utterly frightened and stay as far away from the battle as possible. What amazes me about the soldiers is how every one of them was completely devoted to the 'Cause'. As a Union soldier, I would be fighting to free the slaves (at that point, they were no longer fighting for the preservation fo the Union). As a Confederate soldier, I would be fighting for independence, and I most likely would have complete faith in Lee, like everyone else. Either way, I don't think I have the kind of courage, strength, and willingness to die for a cause needed to be that kind of soldier. The last possibility is that I could be a general. That would be even harder. As General Lee put it, "'To be a good soldier you must love the army. But to be a good officer you must be willing to order the death of the thing you love.'(The Killer Angels)"

Michael Shaara has written several books apart from The Killer Angels, including The Broken Place, The Herald, Soldier Boy, and For Love of the Game. The first is about an ex-soldier from the Korean War who becomes a boxer. The second is about a town the dies from an unknown source of radiation. The third is a collection of short stories that vary widely in topic, and the fourth is about a baseball legend's attempt to prove what he can do in the game he loves. It was Shaara's final book and it was also turned into a movie. For most of his life, Michael Shaara was a writer and English teacher, until he died of a heart attack at age 58.

I have only read two other war books, All Quiet on the Western Front, and The Things They Carried. They are similar to The Killer Angels in a few ways, but I actually think that the other two are more like each other than they are like this one. In many ways, The Killer Angels is much more romantically written. Or maybe it was just the times... All Quiet on the Western Front and The Things They Carried both give the reader a look into the main character's home life and past, while The Killer Angels does not stray from the battle except in the men's thoughts. Realistically, I am not sure that I will ever seek out another war book on my own. They are not my favorite type of books. I think the reason I liked The Killer Angels so much was because of its romantic quality, its chivalry and its heroism.