Mitchell+The+Killer+Angels

__ The Killer Angels __ By Mitchell Cordes (По Митчелл Кордес)

= = = = = Meet the Author: = = Michael Shaara was born in Jersey City, the year 1928, the son of Italian immigrants. During Michael’s years at Rutgers University, from which he graduated from in 1951, he decided to become a professional writer. Micheal moved his family to Tallahassee, Florida to begin teaching English, literature and creative writing at Florida State University in the mid 1950's. While Micheal was a good teacher and father he always knew he had more to offer the world. In the early 1960's Micheal started his first real novel. The book known as The Broken Place was a commercial disappointment, despite high marks from critics. While hit hard with the book's commercial failure, Micheal continued to write. While at the battlefield of Gettysburg, Micheal decided to tell the story of Gettysburg. Michael's lifestyle and his deep involvement with his writing took a toll on him and in 1965 he suffered a major heart attack, at only 36 years of age. While on his motorcycle one day, Micheal suffered from a major accident. From this point on he was unclear where wanted to go. After a prolonged decline in health, Michael suffered a second heart attack on May 5, 1988, which cost him his life. During his writing career from the early 1950's until his death, Michael published a number of award-winning science-fiction short stories in the most popular pulp magazines of the day. He later began writing straight fiction, and published more than 70 short stories in magazines, he also published three novels, The Broken Place, The Killer Angels, and The Herald (later called the Noah Conspiracy), as well as wrote the manuscript for a baseball story, which later would be turned into the hit movie called For Love of the Game. From the early 1950's, Michael published a number of award-winning science-fiction short stories in the most popular pulp magazines of the day. He later began writing straight fiction, and published more than 70 short stories in magazines, he also published three novels, The Broken Place, The Killer Angels, The Herald (later renamed the Noah Conspiracy), he also wrote the manuscript for a baseball story, which would later be made into a hit movie called For The Love of the Game. If you are interested in the man that brought Gettysburg to life. Check out this link. =

= Synopsis: = = The book The Killer Angels starts out with a brief description of the men who commanded the battle of Gettysburg. The book uses the generals as the protagonists in the book and looks at the four day battle from their points of view. This was quite unique for the book, because nobody had ever told the story of a battle from the views of the men there, they always told it from a tactical perspective which can be quite boring. In the first opening chapters of the book we start out with Buford whom is a Union Brigadier General advancing on Gettysburg with his cavalry. Lieutenant General James Longstreet, commander of the Confederate I Corps, is told by a spy that there is a large group of Union forces approaching the town of Gettysburg. This startles Longstreet, who once having pondered the situation, sends a dispatch to the commander of the confederate army, General Robert Edward Lee. Once confirming the spy's information is reliable, the confederate commanders then decide to head toward Gettysburg. This report by the spy may have been one of the most crucial points in U.S. history. As the Confederate army turns toward the town of Gettysburg, General Buford just arrives at Gettysburg with his men. While searching the town his men tell him that they saw Confederate troops approaching the town turn back towards the way they came. Buford is now faced with a decision. He can stay and try and hold for the reinforcements which are less than 10 miles away or he can retreat now and give all the high ground to the enemy. This decision that Buford must make is common in Micheal Shaara's book. He doesn't just show us the cause and effect of each decision he shows us the intricacy of each and how one mistake or miscalculation can destroy either army and force one side into defeat. After pondering for a few hours Buford decides to hold for help on the night of June 30, 1863. This is truly a pivotal decision for it causes the Confederate army to go into disarray in the early morning giving the Union Army time to move into position. From this point on, as some would say, is history. = --- =Criticism:= = Michael Shaara's book The Killer Angels is a superb book. It set a new bar for literature about history, gave us a new perspective of one of the most famous battles in history, showed the tough decisions that the men that commanded thousands of lives had to face, and how their own personality affected these decisions. The Killer Angels, however, could have done a few things differently though. It could have showed us the perspective of the individual solider and his thoughts and feelings as well. Despite this small flaw this historically based novel by Michael Shaara is great. =

=Would I recommend this book to others?=

= I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history. It gives a great new perspective on the battlefield and is a great read if one sets their stereotypes of both sides aside, for the civil war was not about slavery but state's rights. Though a little slow to get going, once one gets into the start of the first days fighting it is a gripping read. The development of the characters is an important part of this book but never really ends and makes one want to read more about the characters after they have set down the book. Another item that makes this book look good is Jeff Shaara's books (Michael's son). Once you start to read Jeff's books you realize how much this book has influenced the future of war novels. So if you like history, like comprehensive looks at battles, and like books like the Red Badge of Courage, you will enjoy this book. = = = =Other books by the Shaara family to check out if you liked The Killer Angels.=

=Works Cited:=

Shaara, Michael. __The Killer Angels.__New York. 1974.

"Jeff Shaara War Novels." //Jeff Shaara Bestselling Author of War Novels//. Web. 10 June 2010. [].