The Killer Angels
First edition cover
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| Author | Michael Shaara |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel |
| Publisher | McKay |
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Publication date
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1974 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | Gods and Generals |
| Followed by | The Last Full Measure |
The Killer Angels (1974) is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. The book tells the story of the four days of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War: June 30, 1863, as the troops of both the Union and the Confederacy move into battle around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and July 1, July 2, and July 3, when the battle was fought. The story is character-driven and told from the perspective of various protagonists. A film adaptation of the novel, titled Gettysburg, was released in 1993.
The title: J.L. Chamberlain, a major character, recites to his friend and sergeant, Kilrain, the speech from Hamlet: "What a piece of work is man...in action how like an angel!" Kilrain comments, "Well, boy, if he's an angel, he's sure a murderin' angel."
In late June 1863, General Robert E. Lee leads his army into Pennsylvania. By threatening Washington, D.C., he hopes to draw the Union army into battle and inflict a crushing defeat, which will bring an end to the war. Harrison, a spy, tells General James Longstreet, Lee's friend, that the Union army is drawing near. They go to Lee, who is reluctant to trust a spy, but has to, because his usual source of intelligence, Jeb Stuart's cavalry, is out of touch. He sets out to meet the enemy.
At the road junction of Gettysburg, Confederate infantry encounters the Union cavalry of General John Buford. He seizes the high ground and holds it against a Confederate attack at dawn on July 1. Troops of General John Reynolds come to support Buford. Reynolds is killed and the Union troops are pushed back, but at nightfall they entrench on high ground while the Confederates celebrate what appears to them to be another Lee victory.
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