The Killer Angels

A review of Michael Shaara’s book, The Killer Angels, about the Battle of Gettysburg.

The famous battle of the American Civil War, Gettysburg, is the subject of Michael Shaara?s book, ?The Killer Angels?. This paper shows how Shaara guides the reader through three days of battle in which many American lives were lost. He portrays the war through the eyes of those who fought in it, and in doing so, sends us a message about the horror of war and the bravery of the men who fought in this one.
The personal and professional relationship between Lee and Longstreet was depicted as being a bittersweet one. The two were polar opposites, each representing the past and future of war. Lee seemed bent on an offensive campaign, while Longstreet believed in a defensive strategy. I sometimes wonder if Lee knew that he would be untouchable when it came to responsibility for a defeat, thus was more likely to take the long shot, and take the offensive.