The Killer Angels is historical fiction, but I've heard a number of people say it teaches the history of Gettysburg better than any nonfiction account of the battle. I must admit I've never read a straight up history of this Civil War battle, but I found this book fantastic. And it really has given me a good understanding of what happened at Gettysburg in 1863 in an entertaining and captivating way.
The Killer Angels recounts the story of the "turning point" battle of the US Civil War. Shaara tells the story from various perspectives--Generals Longstreet and Lee of the Confederacy, General Chamberlain from the Union, for example. Over the course of the three-days battle, we go with the major characters through the day-to-day, and the major events. As you come to know the characters, you really grasp the heartbreaking reality of a battle--even a war--wherein one side technically "wins," but everybody really loses.
I loved this book. I found it a fast read, and I was hooked into the story right from the beginning. It gave me a new perspective on Gettysburg, and I especially came to better appreciate the difficult situation all Americans were put in with this war. One thing I really liked about Shaara's writing style---he didn't repeat any part of the story when switching narrators. He just used the historical figure who made the most sense at the time so we heard the story once...not three or four times like you find in other multi-narrator stories.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in a fascinating look at one of the more well-known events in US History.
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