I am not a Civil War buff. I’m a history buff, but not a Civil War buff. I know the general outlines of the war, and how the Union generals in the East were a sorry bunch for much of the war, and like that; but I confess I haven’t studied it. Consequently, I’d never seriously considered reading The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara until Julie and Scott picked it for their A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. I’ve not listened to the podcast, mind you; but I thought, well, I’ll give it a try.
And frankly, it’s nothing short of amazing.
The Killer Angels is simply the story of the Battle of Gettysburg, the turning point of the entire war. Shaara’s primary viewpoint characters are General Longstreet, Robert E. Lee’s right-hand man after the death of Stonewall Jackson, and Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, an infantry commander from Maine. There are also scattered chapters from the points of view of Lee himself and a few others. Shaara digs deep into these characters; they, and their companions in arms, are as well and finely drawn as any I can think of. And, I gather, Shaara is exceedingly accurate. Gettysburg, and the Civil War in general, is one of the best documented wars in history. All the well-known survivors wrote about it, and many of the less well-known, and I can’t help thinking that Shaara picked his viewpoint characters based entirely on the material available. (Signficantly, I don’t believe anyone who died in the battle is used as a viewpoint character.)
I was especially impressed by Joshua Chamberlain. A college professor from Bowdoin University, he somehow ended up a Colonel…and to his surprise, found that he was remarkably good at it. He ended the war a Major General, and because of his accomplishments was honored by being chosen to receive Lee’s surrender at Appomattox. Later he became Governor of Maine, and President of Bowdoin University.
Anyway. Highly recommended.
The View from the Foothills 
It is a great book. Have you seen the movie Gettysburg, which is based on Shaara’s book?
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It’s an excellent book. I did, however, note what looked to me like a prejudice against Christianity. It seemed to me that Shaara identified the south’s devotion to Christianity as part of a romantic, outmoded approach to the world (like Stonewall Jackson’s use of pikemen) that made it impossible for them to win a modern war.
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I also was surprised by how much I loved this book. I didn’t feel as if there was a prejudice against Christianity … or, rather, let’s say that I didn’t notice it and usually I’m sensitive to those things.
I mainly noticed Shaara’s emphasis on the South being traditional and romantic. Perhaps I was too busy developing my crush on Longstreet and Chamberlain. I also was astounded when I happened across the rest of Chamberlain’s distinguished career. What a wonderful fellow.
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There are certainly characters who have lost their faith in God; and there’s certainly a warning about presuming that God’s wholly on your side, that your culture and society is entirely Godly. Certainly the South did assume that slavery was in-line with their religion when it really wasn’t. So I’d say it’s more about blind spots than it is anti-Christian.
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His son, Jeff Shaara, also writes war novels, following in his father’s footsteps and perhaps surpassing him. His novel on WWI, “To the Last Man” is nothing short of fantastic.
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I’ll keep Jeff Shaara’s books in mind. At the moment I’m reading The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins, which is turning out to be a hoot.
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I’ve read The Moonstone too, and it may be a hoot, but it’s a slooooow hoot. Charles Dickens criticized Wilkie for writing books with glacial plots, and he was spot on. One thing I liked about the book was Wilkie’s ability to get into so many different people’s heads. His portrayal of the “evangelical” is scorching.
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I’m in the first part, where Betteredge the Steward is telling his part of the tale; yeah, it’s slow, but I’m enjoying Betteredge so much I don’t care.
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