The Killer Angels

by Michael Shaara
p 355

To participate in the Big Read this year, I chose The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara. This Civil War story is centered around the 3 day battle of Gettysburg and wonderfully recreates not only the strategic planning and execution, but also a personal reflection of war by soldiers from both sides. The author does a credible job of recreating the sentiments and horrors of this brutal war as seen through some of the major players for the South, Robert E Lee and the North, General Meade and those that served directly under them.
Gettysburg was the deadliest battle of the civil war with over 50,000 casualties. The summer heat and destruction of artillery left the rolling hills of Pennsylvania scorched and filled with the stench of death. Shaara's narrative is a history lesson that reads like fiction. Even if you are not a Civil War enthisiast this book will keep you captivated from the first page.
Giving it a Rock and Chalk - good reading and informative, but at times a little hard to follow all the action.