The Killer Angels Report - Book Report/Review Example

In the novel ‘The Killer Angels’, the author tries to provide the accounts of the war in a realistic manner. The story is told in accordance with the events of each day and each day is told from the perspective of the commanders of the opposing armies. For the Confederacy, the story is told from the perspective of Robert E. Lee, and for the Union, the story is told from the perspective of James Longstreet. Since the story has been told from the perspective of the people who are present in the war, the circumstances of the characters of the novel have been described in comprehensive detail.

The details include the account of their own lives and war experiences. The novel also describes the decisions taken in war that were led merely by emotions of the officers. Robert E. Lee, who is the commander of the Confederate army, has been described to have a heart disease. The actual accounts of the war suggest that the commander may actually have suffered a mild heart attack while in the war and the author has derived this development of the character from that information. The novel describes the hardships faced by the character in the war due to his health condition.

The commander also had to tackle the conflict of ideas with other people with authority. The commander makes use of traditional ways of combat despite being criticized by the general of the Confederate army Longstreet. According to the commander Lee, war can be won by using proper planning and tactics, however according to the general Longstreet the army should take a defensive position and should not waste time in developing tactics. Commander Lee is an inspiration to the soldiers. The novel describes that the morale of the soldiers was high due to the inspirational leadership by the commander Lee.

Even when the soldiers were wounded, they asked the commander to let them attack again. The novel also describes that the commander’s confidence in his army leads him to overestimate the strength of his army and this led towards the disaster of Pickett’s Charge. The events from the Union side are mainly described from the perspective of Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain. He is in a much lower rank as compared to the commander Lee or general Longstreet therefore his view of the war is different from that of the others.

It has been comprehensively described that Chamberlain had a good life before the war. He was a professor but he left the college in order to take part in the war. Chamberlain has been described as a very motivated soldier as well. The author has tried to describe the life of Chamberlain before the war and in the war in a balancing proportion. The education and thoughtfulness of Chamberlain helps him think rationally and present a realistic account of the war. Even though this character ranks lower than others, he becomes a renowned soldier due to his motivation and sincerity.

In the novel, this character presents every event with his personal evaluation. His previous life enables him to remain observant at all times and his experience at college helps him in understanding the ongoing events in a critical manner. The author has provided the most significant account of the war through this character because he represents the experiences of the soldiers who actually move forward and fight, however the higher rank officers exercise their command and