Shaara's Historical Novel The Killer Angels - Research Paper Example

 Shaara's Historical Novel ‘The Killer Angels’ Michael Shaara’s ‘Killer Angels’ has been dubbed as one of the best and most accurate of the events that were taking place at Gettysberg at the height of the American Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the main events of the American Civil war (Spiller 4). The three days at Gettysburg as chronicled by Shaara tell the story war from the view point of war leaders (Bilof 3). This book is different from other Civil war books that normally talk about people in the war. Shaara looks at the leadership of the war and the effects that decisions had on the outcome of the Battle at Gettysberg. The book ‘The Killer Angels’ is accurate and therefore can be relied on for reference to the actions that occurred during the three-day period of the Gettysburg Battle. Shaara steers clear of making any opinions or personal judgments about the battle, instead he focuses on talking about really happened and what caused it to happen. He gives the reader a chance to know what was happening on both the Confederates and Unions sides. Shaara’s main focus in the book is on the military leadership at the time of the war (Coddington 2). In his book, he relates each of the main generals’ points of view and gives the reader a chance to know what could have made the leaders make the decisions that they did at the time. Shaara used many different sources as evidence of the events that he presents in the book (Bilof 10). He studied letter, historical texts and other documents while writing the book. This makes The Killer Angels accurate and sensitive to the occurrences of the American Civil War. He uses these sources to examine the events and characters in his book from historical and literary angles. The use of this kind of evidence only adds to the book’s level of relevance and reliability as a source of historical information on America’s war generals during the civil war, particularly in the battle at Gettysburg. In this essay, I will examine the events in the war as told in the Killer Angels and the role of war leaders in the outcome of the battle. I will look at the leaders’ personalities and point of views may have contributed to the outcome of the war. I will also examine the relevance of the book in relation to the events that were occurring during the Civil war. Finally, I will discuss the importance of the book as it relates to history and its importance in America’s military past. I will draw on the historical and literary aspects of the book’s accounts of the battle of Gettysburg to analyze the character traits and personalities of the historical figures in my analysis. War Leaders and their Roles General Robert E. Lee General Lee was the commander of the confederate Army. The 57 year old general is one of the most respected men in the confederate army. He is particularly well loved by Virginians, who consider him as their greatest hero. Before the battle at Gettysburg, he had led his army to several victories against the union army (Fuller 34). During the battle of Gettysburg, Lee is struggling with a heart problem, which causes his death later in 1870. Many historians have speculated before that lee may have succumbed to a heart attack, and this is the information that Shaara uses to conclude that he actually died due to heart complications. Personality General Lee is a charismatic Southern leader and also a brilliant tactician. He is a conservative who relies on traditional military tactics that he deems will bring him victory (Coddington 5). According to the Angel Killers, Lee is actually a man full of wisdom, a characteristic of his age. According to the book, he knows that he is nearing his end as a soldier, and this drives him to use old tactical methods in dealing with the enemy. His decisions normally cause him to come at loggerheads with General Longstreet, his second in command. He sticks to his tactics even when Longstreet presents to him all the cons involved. Lee is also a highly inspirational leader. His troops trust his leadership and he does all he can to keep the spirits of the confederate soldiers high. According to Hattaway (14), wounded soldiers from General Pickett’s charge would often beg him to allow them to go back to the battle field. He has a lot of confidence in his men, and his belief that the South will triumph in the war is unshakable. Some historians have attributed the outcome of the battle at Gettsburg to General Lee’s stubbornness conservativeness. Shaara points out that Lee may have overestimated the capability of his men against the Union soldiers (Bilof 20). He also acted against the better judgment of his second in command and applied an outdated attacking tactic that most definitely sealed the fate of the Battle of Gettysburg. General James Longstreet General Longstreet was lees’ second in command. He is also Lee’s friend and one of his most trusted Generals (Hattaway 43). Longstreet is a more pragmatic general than Lee, and the two of them often disagree on many issues in the book (Longstreet). However, despite their differences, Longstreet holds Lee in high esteem. This makes it hard for him to go against the wishes of his commander even when he knows that some of those wishes will only land the army in trouble. Personality Longstreet, being Lee’s subordinate, is submissive, perhaps a little too submissive. Although he has the courage to argue with Lee when he thinks that his commander is wrong, he does not have the courage to do what he knows for sure is the right thing to do. His submissive nature and a fear of being rejected by the soldiers make him follow Lee’s orders although it is quite obvious to him that it will lead to defeat. Longstreet is also stubborn at times, and it is this stubbornness that brought victory to some of the confederate’s battles before Gettysburg. General George Pickett General Pickett fights in the confederacy army. In The Killer Angles, Shaara uses the character of Picket probably to contrast him with the remarkable well-read Chamberlain. According to historical records, Pickett was not a very smart man. In fact, he came last in his class at West Port (Hattaway 68). This did not come between him and his rise in the confederate army where he became general. Personality In Shaara’s book, his unrealistic personality is very well brought out. Before the events at Gettysburg, his division has never fought in any battle. This made him go to Gettysburg with a lot of zeal to prove himself. His unruly character leads him to make some costly decisions which had a devastating effect on the outcome of the war (Spiller 33). His lack of hindsight, possibly brought about by lack of education, is considered by many as the main reason why the Confederates lost the civil war to the federal army. In the book, he makes some decisions that ultimately lead to him loosing sixty percent of his men. Colonel Joshua L Chamberlain Colonel Chamberlain was a soldier fighting in the federal army. Although he is not a general like lee and Longstreet, Chamberlain is arguably one of the most popular war leaders in the north. In Shaara’s book, he is one of the main voices of the Union army, a fact that is replicated in many other historical records (Hattaway 57). The 34-year old colonel plays a major role not only in the book’s accounts of the events at Gettysburg, but also in the country’s history as pertaining to the civil war. He was the one who officially accepted the surrender of the Confederate Army at Appomattox (65). Personality Shaara has tried to bring out Chamberlain’s personality both as a scholar and as a soldier. The way Shaara characterizes and presents him in the book makes him the easiest character the reader can identify with. He is presented as the ideal citizen-soldier, a man who holds his country so dear that he is willing to leave his comfortable professor’s job to become a soldier. In the book, Chamberlain emerges as a thoroughly thoughtful man, who considers his decisions before executing them (Spiller 89). This may be due to the fact that he is a highly educated soldier, something that was quite uncommon those days. In the course of the book, Chamberlain normally reflects upon what he sees, analyzes it and then makes his decisions accordingly (Bilof 33). Of all of Shaara’s characters, he is the only one who appears to have a better hands-on war experience. In Chamberlain’s character, one is able to imagine the motivations that drove the soldiers to fight for what they believed to be right. He is an able leader, whose decisions enabled him to defeat the enemy when it mattered. Summary of Character’s Personalities and Leadership Roles It is a historical fact that some of the decisions that many of the characters analyzed in this paper made influenced the outcome of the Battle of Gettysberg. Lee’s overconfidence and conservativeness led him to make an error of judgment, something that cost his army much needed victory at the battlefield (Coddington 12). If Longstreet had been assertive enough, maybe the war would have taken a completely different cause. Longstreet and Lee share a difficult relationship, born from the fact that they do not agree on the best way to attack the Union forces (Wooster 77). According to Shaara, apart from deep respect, the other reason why Longstreet always gives in to Lee’s tactical methods is because he knows that he would never enjoy the same level of support accorded to his superior. This relationship may have led to the disastrous results of the Confederate army at Gettysberg (Fuller 76). Chamberlain on the other hand, is presented as a man with a cool head, who makes the right decisions when it matters. He is the one who decided to attack the confederate army using bayonets even though his men did not have enough ammunition during the battle on Little Round Top (Hattaway). He weighed his options and decided that attacking the opposing forces with the little ammunition he had was the best thing to do. This clearly paid off because the union army emerged victorious in this all important battle, which almost sealed the fate of the war in the coming years (Hattaway 80). The aspect of having a general like Pickett, who many historians have blamed for the Confederates’ defeats after Gettysburg, is also significant (Wooster 90). Pickett was not as bright as other generals, and so his judgments may not have been as accurate. His character can be contrasted with that of Chamberlain, whose vast scholarly background enabled him to make important decisions for his side (Spiller 29). The way that Shaara presents the war leaders in both the South and the North is very important to historians (Coddington 8). The author gives the army generals and colonels a human touch. From his presentation of individuals and events surrounding them, Shaara makes it possible for the reader to relate the historical significance of the actions of each of his characters (Bailey 25). His focus on leadership in times of war is relevant today as it was relevant during the civil war. Through the characters, the reader is able to see that success in warfare has got to do with a lot of things including motivation and correct tactical moves (Spiller 67). Military generals, colonels and other war leaders need to be strong in order to inspire their soldiers. They also need to be wise and open minded in order to make tactical decisions that will bring them victory at the end (Fuller 167). A historian reading this book will appreciate its different style of highlighting some of the most important moments of the American civil war that Shaara uses. His style is significant as it gives the historian a chance to understand exactly what pushed the soldiers fighting at Gettysburg to fight the way they did (Bailey 35). The book makes it easy for the historian reader to appreciate the reasons why military leaders on the ground during the 3 days at Gettysburg acted the way they did and their influence on the outcome of the war (44). Conclusion Michael Shaara, through his novel ‘The Killer Angles” has managed to bring into focus the military leadership styles that different army generals used during the Gettysburg Battle in the midst of the American civil war. There are a lot of lessons that can be learnt from Shaara’s novel in regards to military leadership. Even though the book itself is classified as a historical fiction, there are several factual points in the book that anyone in and outside of the military will find useful. These facts Shaara got from collecting evidence from various historical sources such as letters and documentations by earlier historians. Shaara’s account of three days at Gettysberg and the decisions that were made by the generals of both sides is a clear indication that the personalities of the generals did play a big role in the outcome of the battle. Historians will find this information about the personalities of military personalities from both sides of the war relevant in their interpretations of the activities that occurred during that time. The information contained in the book is reliable and accurate. Shaara does not take sides in his narration; rather he reports facts about the war as they were. He does not side with either side. He lets the characters do what they do and he lives it upon the reader to make his own opinion about the events in the book. As part of literature, the book is very well authored and contains important literal techniques that are useful in ensuring that the reader understands and enjoys every bit of the book. The author has also managed to bring in facts in his fictional account which makes the book reliable and relevant in the historical sense. By focusing on the personalities of the major players of the civil war in both the North and the South, Shaara has created a book that anyone can use for military leadership reference. It is without any doubt a great book, written by a great author and it deserves its place among the best historical books in America. Works Cited Bailey, Debra. Cliffnotes Shaara’s The Killer Angels. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2000. Print Bilof, Edwin. The Killer Angels: A Case Study of Historical Fiction in the Social Studies curriculum. The Social Studies. 1996. Vol. 87, No. 1, pp. 19-22 Coddington, Edwin. The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command. New York: Berne Convention, 1963. Print Fuller, J.F.C. Grant and Lee: A Study in Personality and Generalship. Bloomington, In: Indiana University Press, 1957. Print. Hattaway, Herman. How the North Won: A Military History of the Civil War. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1983. Print Longstreet, James. Longstreet at Gettysburg,The Third Day: Chapter XXVIII. From Manassas to Oppotmox. n.d. Web. Nov. 24, 2010. Shaara, Michael. The Killer Angels. New York: Ballentine Books, 1974. Print Spiller, Robert. America Military Leaders. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1989, Print Wooster, Robert. The Civil War Bookshelf. New York: Kensington Pub Corp, 2005. Print Read More