A review by theo221
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An incredible story that makes you truly feel a part of the war. You see, hear, and feel the emotions of each major player in the battle, and understand so much more nuance to what I grew up understanding as simply a historical event and a set of statistics. The tragedy, conflicting emotions, and sheer grit and determination of a battle of brother vs brother in a war that no one in either army wanted but became politically necessary is such a fascinating and honestly quite sad read in modern times. In the grand scheme of things, this is recent history, and this war continues to have ripple effects in today’s society. If only more people now knew what it was like to be in those armies then, maybe there would be less division today. Masterfully written, beautiful descriptive prose, and dialogue that was laugh out loud funny at times while dealing with such incredibly dark subject matter. For a place I’ve visited several times and a story I’ve heard before, this telling was a great experience and worthy of the accolades this book has received. Highly recommend.