part of the reason for the enduring fame of fremantle compared to his fellow observers may be his role in civil war literature and film, thanks to the success of michael shaara's historical novel, "the killer angels". the novel, published in 1974, deals with the events of the battle of gettysburg and the effects of the engagement on some of the main protagonists, including generals longstreet and lee, as well as colonel joshua lawrence chamberlain and general john buford. shaara's primary source material for researching the novel included the diaries, letters and correspondence of figures who were either involved in or present at the battle.