Michael Shaara

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1928, Michael Shaara grew up in an Italian American family, studied at Rutgers University, and later taught literature while building a writing career. He published short science fiction stories early on, showing a range that would stay with him throughout his life.

His most celebrated book, The Killer Angels, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975 and became a classic of Civil War literature. Rather than treating history as a list of events, Shaara focused on the people inside it, giving famous figures and ordinary soldiers alike a vivid inner life.

Shaara also wrote sports fiction, including For Love of the Game, which was published after his death in 1988. His legacy continued through readers' lasting love for The Killer Angels and through the historical novels later written by his son, Jeff Shaara.