Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (Review)

The Killer Angels makes the shortlist of books I read at a rapid clip and then slowed in the final chapters because I wasn't yet ready for it to end. I started Killer Angels after Foreign Policy published “Five Books for a President Who Doesn’t Read:” http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/03/30/f.... Killer Angels was tops on the list, so I added it to my queue

Shaara's novel explores the complexities of the Civil War in an accessible manner. Even better, he did so with rich descriptions that added depth to the actual history. I wanted to read the actual memoirs and biographies of many of the characters Shaara described. Robert E. Lee advised others to “[r]ead history, works of truth, not novels and romances.” I thought about his quote throughout the book as Killer Angels is certainly fiction, but it may serve as an inroad for those who might not otherwise appreciate the importance of history. Whether for entertainment or learning, Killer Angels is worth reading. On a related note, go back and read Jeff Shaara's forward and Michael Shaara's introduction upon finishing the book. It rounds out the book nicely.