The Killer Angels – Michael Shaara

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The Killer Angels
The book, ‘the Killer Angels’, recounts the narrative of the Gettysburg battle, trying to give both a realistic reciting of the happenings and understanding of the battle. The book presents the soldiers and people, the issues causing the battle, and the day and moment of the activities. Using sections that demonstrate the relations of some concerned men, one can see the problems encountered, the judgments made, and the individual responses to those verdicts. Aside from these matters, the book goes ahead to convey the reality of the conflict, with its losses, disasters, the inspirations and deep reactions of the people involved.
I have a general view of the Civil War, and I do not understand the happenings and the people involved in this war until my friends recommended to me the book as an exceptional piece of literature. This book by Shaara can completely change a person’s understanding of the Civil War and their interest in historical creative writing. The book is a fast version of the four days Gettysburg fight. Shaara published the book established as precisely as he interprets the accounts of the individuals who experienced the fight, in the first person narration mainly through four of the generals in control. It is Shaara’s interpretation of the Allied General Robert E. Lee that is the most exciting; he appears to carry out an outstanding work in allowing the readers a preview how this now greatly respected General considered at the conflict.

The text begins with a Foreword that offers information about the armed forces and the individuals who were there. Four main consecutive sections address the days of Monday through Friday (1863), with the book interchanging between the standpoint of several Union and Confederate members. As one continues to read through, Shaara covers what occurs to many significant characters. Except for the Foreword that is addressed in the present tense, the whole book is published in the third person and past tense narration.
Every chapter in each section contains different person’s perspective; nevertheless, the general standpoint of the novel is infinitely wise. Even though every section is published from one commanding officer perception, Shaara still permits the readers to understand what the rest of characters in the same chapter are thinking.
The well-informed perspective offers the author a technique to converse lots of information, something that is somehow impossible to be done by the understanding of one person. This method also provides for a wider perspective to the entire account since the readers understand it through the interpretation of different individuals. The varying viewpoints and settings make it a lively structure that helps to deepen the reactions of the readers.
The book is sectioned into four parts, supplemented by several maps of significant occasions that occurred at Gettysburg. The four sections capture the four-day activities after the start of Gettysburg conflict, from Monday running through Friday, between June 29 to July 3 (1863). The four sections are further split up under the commanders who significantly contributed key roles on every particular day. Here, the author examines the unacknowledged protagonists of the Gettysburg war, which are commendable of study in modern schools. The most important happenings and judgments are extensively covered including General Buford’s verdict to demount his horse regiment and guard the city of Gettysburg on the second day of the war, 1863, while expecting for Reynolds’ army split for support. Reynolds is murdered, and Buford dies later because of the many injuries he underwent that day. According to the author, Buford was never acknowledged for making his decision and maintaining it, and by that he probably protected war. Buford’s judgment saved the Allies from taking over the high ground next to the Gettysburg town that contributed an essential part on the last day of the war when Union weapons destroyed Pickett’s charge. Shaara’s credit to unrecognized brave men such as Buford portrayed in the novel and another important feature that can be used in the classroom. Lee and Longstreet from the Allied side are greatly covered and the union side, Shaara centers on Buford and Chamberlain. His perception of the parties finishes out the story, utilizing the roles of Harrison, a Confederate secret agent, Armistead, Allied senior officer, and Fremantle, an English eyewitness on the side of the Confederate.
Shaara does an exceptional work of examining the strategic discussions between Longstreet and Lee. All through the story, Longstreet cautioned Lee of attacking the Union on their strong side; the hilltop location would be unwise. Longstreet desired to fight a defensive battle and wanted to hideaway into a strategic spot, probably blocking the Union militia from Washington. Lee’s disagreement in Shaara’s book was that a hideaway would destroy morale. The over confident Lee thought that the team spirit was weak and the move suggested by Longstreet would make them lose their fighting edge. Fremantle is another personality presented in Shaara’s book. Fremantle’s diary noted the argument between Longstreet and Lee. The evidence shown by Shaara’s novel is an important primary source permitting students to feel contented with the book’s degree of historical precision, again attesting the book’s worth as a learning device.
A moment of the book that I found to be impressive was the portrayal of the ‘Little Round Top’ clash. A sole troop of Union armed forces, held back a greater Confederate army attack for over an hour until they eventually ran down of bullets. With the Confederate warriors still going forward and not likely to retreat.