abstract:Michael Shaara (June 23, 1928 – May 5, 1988) 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 in 1951 from Rutgers University, where he joined Theta Chi, and served as a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne division prior to the Korean War.
Many readers have recommended Michael Shaara's Pulitzer-Prize-winning "The Killer Angels" as a novel that superbly translates a historical event into fiction.