Turning Points In The Killer Angels

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The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara is a rather unique interpretation of the regularly reported Battle of Gettysburg. Most publications of the battle focus of concrete facts and statistics to portray its events, which Shaara does by using the viewpoints of prominent members such as Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet. What makes The Killer Angels unique, however, is that the author interprets these primary sources to create a fictitious novel that is more suitable for the general public. Although Shaara shows some major elements of the war, such as how the Battle of Gettysburg is seen as a turning point in military strategies, he likes to focus on the more personal aspects of the war, including interpreting the many debates between Longstreet…show more content…
Lee and Lieutenant General James Longstreet on the Confederate side, as well as Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Major General John Buford on the Union side. Shaara focuses on four days spanning June 29, 1863, through July 3, 1963, covering the entirety of the battle as well as the day before. The first four chapters cover June 29th 1863, the day before the battle, and cover 5 different perspectives of both Union and Confederate leaders, as well as a short section from the perspective of a traditional historian narrator. Shaara begins with a Confederate hired spy named Harrison who obtained helpful information about the Union’s strategies. Lieutenant General Longstreet and General Robert E. Lee, after some hesitation, moved their troops towards Gettysburg. Meanwhile, Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain on behalf of the Union, continued his already 80 mile trek towards Gettysburg gathering fragmented Union regiments along the way to aid in the upcoming battle. After a brief section from the author in which he illustrates the environment of Gettysburg, he shifts to Union General John Buford who began surveying the area to devise a strategy for the Union. Buford recognized the potential size of such a battle, and contacted Major General George Gordon Meade and Major General John Reynolds to obtain additional troops. Shaara’s final account of the day before
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