I selected The Killer Angels by Micheal Shaara for many reasons. Number one is
that a good friend strongly recommended this book to me a few years ago and I never
found the time to sit down and read it. My friend is a history buff and I did not take his
recommendation too seriously at first, but then he became serious and persistent. He told
me it was the best historical book that he has ever read, and I must read it. I have also
always been fascinated with the sea battles of the Civil War, but never knew too much
about the land battles. These reasons combined with the fact that I had to pick a book
based on a topic that occurred prior to 1900, made it an absolute perfect opportunity to
read The Killer Angels.
Currently, Micheal Shaara, the author, is sixty-eight years old. He has written
novels such as The Broken Place, The Noah Conspiracy, and For Love of The Game.
He
was born in Jersey City and graduated from Rutgers University in 1951. Micheal
Shaara's first short stories were printed in Galaxy Magazine in 1952 and his first novel
was printed in 1968. Shaara has received high praise from famous people such as General
Norman Schwarzkopf and renowned magazines such as Newsday, Forbes, and Publisher's
Weekly.
The Killer Angels takes the reader step by step through the whole story of
Gettysburg. The content begins with the forward which sets the stage for the whole
battle. The forward informs the reader that the Confederates under the command of
General Robert E. Lee are approaching from the south and have crossed the Potomac.
This is the south's big attempt to attack the army of the north and destroy it. Lee is quite
tired of this...