Shaara's novel Killer Angels shows the Battle of Gettysburg through a number of unique points of view. Shaara offers a more intimate view of the battle than other civil war novels. A reader can see the battle through the eyes of both Union and Confederate leaders. Through the novel the reader is able to understand why each character is fighting and what they hope to gain from the war. Readers also get to see the effect war has on different characters. I will examine the war through the eyes of several characters in Shaara's novel. The causes of war and the reasons for fighting are parallel. The main cause of the Civil War was the issue of slavery. The issue of slavery is addressed several times in the book. Arthur Fremantle, the British observer, believed that the South was struggling to protect slavery and their way of life. Colonel Chamberlain also mentioned slavery as the reason for the war and stated that he found it appalling. Despite racism and prejudice in the North, many Northerners still believed that slaves should be freed. They viewed the institution of slavery as contradictory to the Bible and civilized society. Colonel Chamberlain claimed to fight for the “dignity of man” (p. 27). The South felt pressure from Northern antislavery and abolitionist groups. The South felt that the North was trying to destroy the Southern way of life. The North, on the other hand, had been more successful in industry and did not seem to understand the importance of slavery in the South. The South's entire society and social structure was based on slavery and they were unwilling to end slavery. entire system. The South argued that slaves had their place at the center of the paper, a generation of politicians too dedicated to their own cause and belief system. There were many reasons why the Civil War broke out. . There were differences in the politics, society and economy of the North and the South. Each side had its own reasons for fighting in the war and for being unwilling to compromise. The North felt they needed to keep the Union together and end the institution of slavery, while the South felt their rights were being violated and secession was the only way to be free. Through the book I was able to see a variety of points of view and examine the Battle of Gettysburg from individual perspectives. The Civil War was a low point in American history, but many valuable lessons also came from it. You can see the importance of compromise and gain appreciation for those who have kept our country together.