Book - Killer Angels?

[Homesteader]

Not to hijack the thread, but I just finished reading "Killer Angels", about the battle at Gettysburg. Quite a book. Anyone have any comment about its accuracy? Makes me wonder about some of Lee's decisions.

 

[ke4usl]

Not to hijack the thread, but I just finished reading "Killer Angels", about the battle at Gettysburg. Quite a book. Anyone have any comment about its accuracy? Makes me wonder about some of Lee's decisions.

Historical novel. Setting, tactics, and characters (most) are real and very accurate. Many conversations, etc., made up, but fit perfectly so are probably not far off the mark.

Lee himself wondered about some of his decisions, during and after the war, so you're in good company when you wonder about them, too!

If I taught US history in high school, "Killer Angels" would be on my required reading list.

 

[Poor Private]

Killer Angels was the basis for the movie Gettysburg. With J. Daniels and a horribly done R.E. Lee

 

[rebel727]

Lee made some tactical blunders but ain't hindsight wonderful 145 years later? :grin:

 

[Tumblernotch]

I just finished reading the section on Gettysburg in Lee's Lieutenants for the thousandth time and Freeman goes over everything that went wrong. Marse Robert ain't the only one that made mistakes. It was a comedy (or tragedy) of errors from Hour 1. Like Freeman said, it wasn't the army of Second Manassas or Chancellorsville. It had slipped backwards and operated like the army of Malvern Hill. Every corps commander and several division commanders had a share in that mess.

I wish I could be here for any discussion about this, but we're heading to PA (Chambersburg) tomorrow for a little R & R.
:thumbsup:

 

[Marlan]

I read the book sometime ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[kragluver]

Killer Angels is one of my all-time favorite books. I've since become hooked on Michael Shaara's son Jeff's writings. IMO - two of Jeff's best books are Gone for Soldiers (about the Mexican American War) and To the Last Man (WW1). The Last Full Measure is also excellent. I highly recommend all of the Shaara books.

 

[outdoorman]

"Killer Angels" is an excellent book. I've read it probably close to a dozen times. The first copy I had I actually bought in Gettysburg. It finally fell apart.

My son had to write a paper on Gettysburg while in high school. I handed him my book and said, "Get to reading." He got an A- on that.

For whatever isn't accurate in this book, it still sets the mood of the two sides and the times.

Outdoorman

 

[paulmarcone]

Killer Angels is among one of my favorite books.

The one beef I have with it is that Shaara almost entirely ignores the critical fighting that took place on Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill on the second day of the battle, as well as the 5 hours of fighting that took place on Culp's Hill on the morning of the third day.

But I am quibbling. The book is excellent.