I had coincidentally started reading the trilogy by Jeffrey and Michael Shaara a while back and had finished Gods and Generals and was about to start The Killer Angels when I noticed I was almost exactly 150 years to the day from the start of Gettysburg. I waited and read each day’s chapters on the 150th anniversary of the actual events, which felt more impactful.

Michael’s book was the best of the trilogy, but he was also an experienced writer by that point, whereas Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure were Jeffrey’s first novels. His later books have been better, although I haven’t read all of them. The Killer Angels can stand alone because it was written to stand alone, but I’d still suggest if you haven’t read it yet that you start with Gods and Generals to build a fuller picture of the war and the participants.