Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
Don't let my two stars dissuade you from reading the book. I'm trying to use the whole range, rather than just give three stars to everything I enjoyed but wasn't compelled by. It's not that I didn't like parts of it, it's just I was not all that interested in the long passages about tactics. In the end there is some nice payoff; Longstreet and Chamberlain, in particular, are interesting characters who Shaara clearly has a lot of affection for. And the ways in which Gettysburg changed the war can't be understated. And I wish I had read this book before I visited the historic site a few years ago.
It's just that overall I'm not super interested by the Civil War. I want to be. I'm just not. (Spoilers, if you don't know anything about Gettysburg, ahead).
Still, the last 50 pages or so are pretty compelling--the disaster that was Pickett's charge, the way the Union soldiers held the line, the fate of some of these figures. Shaara wants you to have sympathy for soldiers on both sides of the war, and for the most part he's successful. I just wish I had that seem feeling for all 375 pages!
Call it 2.5 stars.
It's just that overall I'm not super interested by the Civil War. I want to be. I'm just not. (Spoilers, if you don't know anything about Gettysburg, ahead).
Still, the last 50 pages or so are pretty compelling--the disaster that was Pickett's charge, the way the Union soldiers held the line, the fate of some of these figures. Shaara wants you to have sympathy for soldiers on both sides of the war, and for the most part he's successful. I just wish I had that seem feeling for all 375 pages!
Call it 2.5 stars.
Brilliant! A wonderful book that both educates you on the Civil War and gives you sympathy for the key players in the battle. Shaara really knows how to write the way people actually think, poetically, in snapshots and fragments. Despite some historical inaccuracies (Chamberlain could not see Pickett's Charge, Kilrain did not exist) its delightful and tragic read worth reflection.
A Pulitzer. About the civil war.
…lots of war, death, blood, misgivings, misunderstandings.
Well written and easy to read. But not my genre.
…lots of war, death, blood, misgivings, misunderstandings.
Well written and easy to read. But not my genre.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Normally, my tastes in historical fiction gravitate toward the mystery and romance sub-genres, so despite the fact that I had heard many good things about this novel, I was not sure how much it would resonate with me. It resonated very well.
A well-written and thought-provoking novel that takes you into the heart of the most famous, bloodiest battle of the American Civil War, The Killer Angels is less about war and more about the men that fight in one. Taking the reader into the hearts and minds of officers on both sides of the conflict, Michael Shaara creates various psychological portraits of a group of men put in an untenable situation.
Yet, the book also manages to convey a sense of hope. All of the characters are fighting for something in which they believe--whether that is the abolishment of slavery, states' rights, the sanctity of the military, protecting one's friends and brothers. It is a remarkable thing indeed.
Of interest in this edition was the introduction by the author's son about how Michael Shaara's idea of historical fiction was ahead of its time and how he died believing his labor of love had failed critically and commercially, despite its Pulitzer Prize. It's extraordinary how the world works sometimes.
A well-written and thought-provoking novel that takes you into the heart of the most famous, bloodiest battle of the American Civil War, The Killer Angels is less about war and more about the men that fight in one. Taking the reader into the hearts and minds of officers on both sides of the conflict, Michael Shaara creates various psychological portraits of a group of men put in an untenable situation.
Yet, the book also manages to convey a sense of hope. All of the characters are fighting for something in which they believe--whether that is the abolishment of slavery, states' rights, the sanctity of the military, protecting one's friends and brothers. It is a remarkable thing indeed.
Of interest in this edition was the introduction by the author's son about how Michael Shaara's idea of historical fiction was ahead of its time and how he died believing his labor of love had failed critically and commercially, despite its Pulitzer Prize. It's extraordinary how the world works sometimes.
If you can make it past the first 100 or so very slow pages, it becomes riveting.
The story of generals and leaders of men for the battle of Gettysburg. I empathized with men from both sides of the war and found it eye-opening. It gave color to the incomplete and dry version I learned about in school.
I reread in honor of the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg. It's still one of my all time favorite historical novels.
Ok hear me out
All I’m saying is if you have to read a civil war book this is a good option. Five stars compared to other civil war books ya feel.
All I’m saying is if you have to read a civil war book this is a good option. Five stars compared to other civil war books ya feel.