Written by Michael Shaara
SUMMARY:
First published in 1974 by David McKay Company, Inc., Michael Shaara penned this 374-page hardcover depicting the four days (June 30-July 3, 1863) encompassing the Battle of Gettysburg. Starting on June 30th, a confederate spy delivers reliable word to General James Longstreet that Union cavalry has reached Gettysburg nearby, which infers its far larger infantry isn’t far behind. General Robert E. Lee is skeptical, as he hasn’t received confirmation from General J.E.B. Stuart, who is evidently still roaming in the field somewhere.
Meanwhile, at Gettysburg, Union General John Buford grimly concludes securing the best available high ground is his outmatched cavalry’s sole option until reinforcements arrive the next morning. Complicating the Union’s predicament is a change in command to the starchy General Meade, which fails to boost morale. Advised of this unexpected command shift, the Confederacy senses a historic opportunity to exploit vulnerable gaps amidst Meade’s reorganization of Union forces.
Told through rotating perspectives, the battle commences early on July 1st, as Buford’s troops barely withstand Lee’s initial strike. The Union is soon stunned by the abrupt death of its best field general. With the Union struggling to muster adequate leadership, the Confederacy seemingly wins the first day of the bloody engagement.
Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain’s regiment from Maine joins in on the second day, as the Union defiantly refuses to budge any further. Lee remains intent on keeping the Union Army’s largest force pinned down. His endgame for the Confederacy is to discreetly breach Washington, D.C., to pressure President Lincoln into ordering the Union’s surrender.
Heavy losses continue mounting on both sides, which later reveal an estimated near-50,000 casualties combined, making it the Civil War’s deadliest conflict. Longstreet increasingly urges a tactical retreat, which conflicts with Lee’s wavering ‘now or never’ strategy. Finally acknowledging bitter reality, Lee’s depleted forces withdraw on July 3rd. Though the war would rage for nearly two more years, its ominous pendulum has at last shifted come Independence Day, 1863.
Shaara’s novel inspired the faithful 1993 epic film adaptation, Gettysburg.
Notes: This title has also been released in paperback. Please also be advised of some racial slurs appearing in the dialogue.
REVIEW:
Michael Shaara’s poignant, well-researched account is an intriguing cross-section of gritty fact and historical romanticism. He describes the battlefield’s scenery, as well as the various soldiers, down to every last vivid and/or bleak detail. Readily acknowledging that he has tweaked the manner of speech for contemporary audiences, Shaara’s ensemble cast is relatable as down-to-earth mortals that most anyone can identify with. To Shaara’s credit, virtually no one becomes a walking cliché. Case in point: the sole person remotely vilified is an arrogant Confederate General that even his own superiors don’t like.
Trading off narratives are primarily Longstreet and Chamberlain representing moral compasses on opposing sides. Buford is later supplanted by Lee as Shaara’s strongest supporting role. Curiously, Shaarra relies on further ‘accounts’ by other Confederates (i.e. Lewis Armistead, Harrison the spy, & British observer Fremantle), but not from the Union.
Hence, the novel’s sole letdown is not incorporating supplemental POV’s (no matter how brief) from Generals Hancock or Reynolds, let alone the bewildered ex-slave that Chamberlain encounters on Day 2. Such additional perspectives would have further enhanced the novel’s readability. Inevitably delving into outright gore, Shaara’s precise storytelling translates the battle’s tragedies as an increasingly horrific event that will forever haunt its survivors.
Ultimately, a convincing argument can be made that The Killer Angels is the best Civil War novel ever written. One may ponder Shaara’s accuracy channeling the Battle of Gettysburg’s various historical figures; yet, one is left concluding that he is likely close enough.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Shaara’s brief word to the reader spells out his intent interpreting these historical figures. A somber foreword introduces the novel’s most pivotal players, and, fittingly, an afterword briefly describes the survivors’ destinies. Shaara includes a series of single-page maps updating troop tactical movements.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars
Note: Randy Edelman’s Gettysburg soundtrack might be an ideal accompaniment.
