About this title: Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prizewinning 1974 novel describes the battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. The trilogy begun with THE KILLER ANGELS has been continued by Shaara's son Jeff with the novels GODS AND GENERALS and THE LAST FULL MEASURE.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1974
ISBN-13:9780345348104ISBN:0345348109
Description: Fair. No dust jacket as issued. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 384 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1987
ISBN-13:9780345348104ISBN:0345348109
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Light edge corner and seam wear. Some stains on bottom. No marks inside. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 384 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. "The best and most realistic historical novel about war I have ever read. "--General H. Norman Schwarzkopf read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1983
ISBN-13:9780345316400ISBN:0345316401
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Good reading copy. Previously read with light overall reading wear and pages tanning due to age. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1975-06-12
ISBN-13:9780345245281ISBN:0345245288
Description: Good. Stated First Printing July 1975. Good; paperback. Clean, tight, & bright, with no marks, or highlighting. Covers worn, spine creased. From The Civil War Book Shop-As close as your computer; as dependable as old Abe. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1975
ISBN-13:9780345348104ISBN:0345348109
Description: Good. No dust jacket as issued. Illustrated with maps. Book cocked. Cover shows wear at corners & edges; pages appear to be unmarked, lightly tanned. read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date Published: 1987
ISBN-13:9780345348104ISBN:0345348109
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Shows some reading wear, with spine creasing and edgewear. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 384 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade. read more
"Ever wonder what it was really like those 3 days in July at the Battle of Gettysburg? Was it hot, what did the men wear, what did they eat, how did they pass the time, who were the leaders of the regiments? Good historical fiction brings characters to life. Great historical fiction like that of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Shaara makes you believe you are there. You've learned about the battle in school, now read Killer Angels and feel what is was like to be part of the battle. Read about Robert E. Lee, what his decisions were based on and why he was so beloved by his army. Be present as he struggles with decision after decision from his headquarters. Feel the frustration of Longstreet as he tries to convince Lee of another course. Learn about the flamboyant Pickett and the egocentric J.E.B. Stuart. Go to the Union camp and read about the 20th Maine Regiment and Chamberlain who with sheer determination hold the precious ground on Little Big Top with a bayonet charge. Imagine and feel Buford's decision to engage Rebel forces, knowing that he was seriously outnumbered but determined to save the only high ground in the area. I was mesmerized and emotionally involved in the book from the beginning to the end. It isn't just a story of a battle, it's the story of our nation and the men who fought and died for what they believed in. A great novel"
"History is often read as a series of connected names, dates, battles, and philosophies. The Civil War killed almost 700,000. Vietnam killed 58,000. The battle of Antietam killed over 5,700. Yet it's easy to read these facts and just see them as numbers. We are told growing up that General Lee led the south and Grant led the north and in the same breath assume one man was evil and another great.
The Killer Angels shows a deeply personal war, a war guided on both sides with courage and heroism, with developed strategy and honor. It introduces you to the stories of Lawrence Chamberlain (the man who spoke seven languages and shouted the words that changed the war) and of James Longstreet (the man who invented trench warfare). This book taught me the realism of war, describing the sounds and smells with the historic decisions and deaths. For anyone who has tired of multiple choice tests and ignorant dualism, this book is a must.
A favorite quote (spoken by General Lee):
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."
"Chris Andrews Ms. Wheeler H. English II September 1, 2009 Book Review "The Killer Angels" "The Killer Angels The American Civil War is the bloodiest conflict in American history. The bloodiest battle of the war, Gettysburg, is the subject of the Michael Shaara book "The Killer Angels." The Pulitzer Prize-winning civil war novel is the story of many men, but it is written through three main characters: Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Gen James Longstreet, and Gen Robert E. Lee. Through these three men, Shaara tells the story of the battle of Gettysburg in a way that has never been matched. Shaara's book, however, is intended for seasoned civil war historians who already have a lot of knowledge about the civil war. People should read "The Killer Angels" because it is a great book for those looking to bolster their Gettysburg knowledge. The book title "The Killer Angels" is an oxy- moron. As discussed in the book, "The Killer Angels" is a term used to refer to mankind. For Chamberlain, one burning question was going through his mind as he continued to fight the war. How could man be so kind and gentle and be created by God on the basis of serving others and caring for others, yet uses war to settle disputes and tolerate killing someone. "And Chamberlain had gone on to school to make an oration on the subject: Man the Killer Angel."(Shaara 119) This is a topic that forms not only the title, but the idea of why the nation is at war. One of the main reasons the confederates lost the battle had been the inability by its' top commanders to fight aggressively. The biggest example of this is General Ewell failing to take cemetery hill at the end of the first day. Trimble said "We should have taken that hill. God in his wisdom knows we could have taken that hill."(Shaara141) General Isaac Trimble shows his disgust to General Lee in this quote. Many historians believe this is the reason for the confederacy's loss at Gettysburg. Michael Shaara is a great author. "The Killer Angels" is part of a trilogy of novels depicting the civil war. The other two novels are "Gods and Generals", and "The Last Full Measure". Shaara wanted to write these novels in a way that historians would read a novel and to paint the picture of a gruesome war through the eyes of those who fought it. "All that was left now was more dying. It was final defeat. They had all died and it had accomplished nothing, the wall was unbroken, the blue line was sound".(Shaara 337) Shaara accomplishes this task by giving vivid details of the battle and he puts the reader in the characters shoes. This book should be a highly recommended book to anyone who likes history. Others who might read it are those who like to read good, gripping, factual stories about topics or events."
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