Total war, a term that can be used to describe the most detrimental aspects of the Civil War. It bred mass destruction and unrestricted chaos that marked it as one of the worst American wars. However, although it contained deadly battles and disunity that engrossed the nation, it propagated individuals that would set a precedent for what it means to be an honorable leader. In the Civil War novel, The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara, Union leader Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain and Confederate leader, General Robert E. Lee, depict many corresponding ideals and strategic beliefs, that accompanied with their different motives for engaging in the war distinguished them as two of the most significant Civil War leaders. The novel provides a realistic
