Pulitzer Prize Fiction Winner
The Killer Angels
by Michael Shaara
Summary
A meticulously researched historical novel that recreates the four days of the Battle of Gettysburg from the alternating viewpoints of Confederate and Union officers, including Lee, Longstreet, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. Shaara blends documentary fidelity with interior monologue, turning command decisions and battlefield terrain into intimate human drama. The book reshaped popular Civil War fiction and inspired a wave of later battlefield novels and film adaptations.
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Historical Context & Significance
Shaara had trouble even finding a publisher for the book; after his death, it became a massive bestseller and the basis for the film "Gettysburg."