Essay On Killer Angels
Book Analysis Assignment: Killer Angels
In the book Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, he analyzes the roles of two important men in Civil War history. One is Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate army, and the other is James Longstreet, a Confederate general. Both men play key parts in the battle of Gettysburg and their choices help direct the course of the whole war, both in their favor and against. While they are fighting on the same side, there are differences that distinguish them and cause conflict between them, and these differences will determine major turning points in the war.
Robert E. Lee was one of the most beloved men in the American South. At the time of the battle of Gettysburg, he is fifty-seven years old and is having …show more content…
Lee wasn't even a big fan of slavery, though, and thought of himself as someone fighting primarily for the rights of his state, Virginia, against Northern aggression. This mindset helped boost the Southern notion that the war wasn't really about slavery, but about something else, such as states' rights. Lee makes a lot of mistakes, but at the same time, he demonstrates a lot of character when he admits to his retreating soldiers after the failure of the charge: “It is all my fault” (Shaara 332). While he acts as if he still thinks the Confederates have a chance, he also seems to feel that fate has turned against them, maybe once and for all. After his death, Lee still lives on in the South as a war hero and a symbol of all that is fine and noble in the Southern cause. Longstreet, on the other hand, is branded as “the most hated man in the South” for insulting Lee’s name and believing that the battle was lost by Lee. He lives until the age of 83. Both of these men created legacies for themselves and their roles in the Civil War are still studied today. They were both truly influential in their time and it is so interesting to see their stories come alive through The Killer
In the book Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, he analyzes the roles of two important men in Civil War history. One is Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Confederate army, and the other is James Longstreet, a Confederate general. Both men play key parts in the battle of Gettysburg and their choices help direct the course of the whole war, both in their favor and against. While they are fighting on the same side, there are differences that distinguish them and cause conflict between them, and these differences will determine major turning points in the war.
Robert E. Lee was one of the most beloved men in the American South. At the time of the battle of Gettysburg, he is fifty-seven years old and is having …show more content…
Lee wasn't even a big fan of slavery, though, and thought of himself as someone fighting primarily for the rights of his state, Virginia, against Northern aggression. This mindset helped boost the Southern notion that the war wasn't really about slavery, but about something else, such as states' rights. Lee makes a lot of mistakes, but at the same time, he demonstrates a lot of character when he admits to his retreating soldiers after the failure of the charge: “It is all my fault” (Shaara 332). While he acts as if he still thinks the Confederates have a chance, he also seems to feel that fate has turned against them, maybe once and for all. After his death, Lee still lives on in the South as a war hero and a symbol of all that is fine and noble in the Southern cause. Longstreet, on the other hand, is branded as “the most hated man in the South” for insulting Lee’s name and believing that the battle was lost by Lee. He lives until the age of 83. Both of these men created legacies for themselves and their roles in the Civil War are still studied today. They were both truly influential in their time and it is so interesting to see their stories come alive through The Killer