Michael Shaara
Encyclopedia
Michael Shaara was an American writer of science fiction
, sports fiction, and historical fiction
. He was born to Italian immigrant parents (the family name was originally spelled Sciarra, which in Italian is pronounced the same way) in Jersey City, New Jersey
, graduated from Rutgers University
in 1951, and served as a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne division prior to the Korean War
.
Before Shaara began selling science fiction stories to fiction magazines in the 1950s, he was an amateur boxer and police officer. He later taught literature at Florida State University
while continuing to write fiction. The stress of this and his smoking caused him to have a heart attack at the early age of 36; from which he fully recovered. His novel about the Battle of Gettysburg
, The Killer Angels
, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
in 1975
. Shaara died of another heart attack
in 1988.
Shaara's son, Jeffrey Shaara
, is also a popular writer of historical fiction; most notably sequel
s to his father's best-known novel. His most famous is the prequel to The Killer Angels
, Gods and Generals. Jeffrey was the one to finally get Michael's last book, For Love of the Game
, published three years after he died. Today there is a Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction
, established by Jeffrey Shaara, awarded yearly at Gettysburg College
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
, sports fiction, and historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
. He was born to Italian immigrant parents (the family name was originally spelled Sciarra, which in Italian is pronounced the same way) in Jersey City, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, graduated from Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
in 1951, and served as a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne division prior to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Before Shaara began selling science fiction stories to fiction magazines in the 1950s, he was an amateur boxer and police officer. He later taught literature at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
while continuing to write fiction. The stress of this and his smoking caused him to have a heart attack at the early age of 36; from which he fully recovered. His novel about the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
, The Killer Angels
The Killer Angels
The Killer Angels is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. The book tells the story of four days of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War: June 30, 1863, as the troops of both the Union and the Confederacy move into battle around...
, won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
in 1975
1975 in literature
The year 1975 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* August 12 — with the 20-year time limit stipulated by Thomas Mann at his death having expired, sealed packets containing 32 of the author's notebooks were opened in Zurich, Switzerland.* Writing under the...
. Shaara died of another heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1988.
Shaara's son, Jeffrey Shaara
Jeffrey Shaara
Jeffrey M. "Jeff" Shaara is an American novelist, the son of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Shaara.Jeffrey Shaara was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and grew up in Tallahassee, Florida...
, is also a popular writer of historical fiction; most notably sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
s to his father's best-known novel. His most famous is the prequel to The Killer Angels
The Killer Angels
The Killer Angels is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. The book tells the story of four days of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War: June 30, 1863, as the troops of both the Union and the Confederacy move into battle around...
, Gods and Generals. Jeffrey was the one to finally get Michael's last book, For Love of the Game
For Love of the Game
For Love of the Game is a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Shaara, published posthumously in 1991. The book tells the story of fictional baseball great Billy Chapel, thirty-seven years old and nearing the end of his career.-Plot summary:...
, published three years after he died. Today there is a Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction
Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction
The Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction is an annual literary award awarded to the writer of a work of fiction related to the American Civil War. The award was started by Jeffrey Shaara and named for his father, the writer of historical fiction Michael Shaara.The $5000 was...
, established by Jeffrey Shaara, awarded yearly at Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College is a private four-year liberal arts college founded in 1832, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States, adjacent to the famous battlefield. Its athletic teams are nicknamed the Bullets. Gettysburg College has about 2,700 students, with roughly equal numbers of men and women...
.
Novels
- The Broken PlaceThe Broken PlaceThe Broken Place, is a novel by Michael Shaara, the author of The Killer Angels, For Love of the Game, and The Noah Conspiracy. It was published by the New American Library in 1968.-Plot:...
(1968) - The Killer AngelsThe Killer AngelsThe Killer Angels is a historical novel by Michael Shaara that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975. The book tells the story of four days of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War: June 30, 1863, as the troops of both the Union and the Confederacy move into battle around...
(1974) - The Noah ConspiracyThe Noah ConspiracyThe Noah Conspiracy is a 1981 novel by Michael Shaara, author of The Killer Angels and For Love of the Game, first published as The Herald...
, also known as The Herald (1981) - Soldier BoySoldier Boy (novel)Soldier Boy is a 1953 science fiction short story by Michael Shaara, about a soldier boy who saves the planet from aliens. It was originally published in the July 1953 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction. It is also the title of a 1982 collection of Shaara's short stories....
(1982) - For Love of the GameFor Love of the GameFor Love of the Game is a novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Shaara, published posthumously in 1991. The book tells the story of fictional baseball great Billy Chapel, thirty-seven years old and nearing the end of his career.-Plot summary:...
(1991)
Short stories
- "The Book" (from the Alpha 9Alpha 9Alpha 9 is a science fiction anthology edited by Robert Silverberg first published in 1978.-Stories in Alpha 9:*Dumb Waiter by Walter M. Miller, Jr.*The Monsters by Robert Sheckley...
collection) - "All the Way Back" (1952) - This was included in a collection of short stories compiled by Brian Aldiss, entitled 'Galactic Empires'