The Gettysburg Book- A Father, Son and The Killer Angels
July 3, 2026 7:00PM
$20, general seating
The Gettysburg Book tells two stories: the battle that helped define a nation, and the family whose triumph and heartbreak shaped The Killer Angels, one of America’s most enduring works of historical fiction.
The Battle of Gettysburg unfolds with visceral immediacy through the prose of Michael Shaara, brought to life by the commanding voice of Stephen Lang and sweeping, immersive cinematography of the hallowed battlefield.
But this is more than a war story.
Interwoven with the three-day battle is the intimate and tragic saga behind The Killer Angels itself. For the first time on screen, candid reflections from Shaara’s son and daughter, Jeff and Lila, describe the turbulent creation of a masterpiece born of brilliance, obsession, and personal trauma.
Published fifty years ago, The Killer Angels earned the Pulitzer Prize yet failed to find a wide audience in the shadow of the Vietnam War. But its compelling voice directly inspired Ken Burns to create his landmark PBS documentary The Civil War, which in turn reignited national fascination with the Civil War and led Ronald Maxwell and Ted Turner to bring Shaara’s story to the big screen. The film adaptation vaulted The Killer Angels into a #1 bestseller and launched Jeff Shaara’s own celebrated writing career.
Michael Shaara did not live to witness this cultural legacy. For his family, the triumph of the book is forever entwined with the cost of its creation. The Gettysburg Book broadly explores art, ambition, inheritance and the complicated bonds between fathers and sons.
Appearances: Jeff Shaara, Ken Burns, Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels
$20, general seating
The Gettysburg Book tells two stories: the battle that helped define a nation, and the family whose triumph and heartbreak shaped The Killer Angels, one of America’s most enduring works of historical fiction.
The Battle of Gettysburg unfolds with visceral immediacy through the prose of Michael Shaara, brought to life by the commanding voice of Stephen Lang and sweeping, immersive cinematography of the hallowed battlefield.
But this is more than a war story.
Interwoven with the three-day battle is the intimate and tragic saga behind The Killer Angels itself. For the first time on screen, candid reflections from Shaara’s son and daughter, Jeff and Lila, describe the turbulent creation of a masterpiece born of brilliance, obsession, and personal trauma.
Published fifty years ago, The Killer Angels earned the Pulitzer Prize yet failed to find a wide audience in the shadow of the Vietnam War. But its compelling voice directly inspired Ken Burns to create his landmark PBS documentary The Civil War, which in turn reignited national fascination with the Civil War and led Ronald Maxwell and Ted Turner to bring Shaara’s story to the big screen. The film adaptation vaulted The Killer Angels into a #1 bestseller and launched Jeff Shaara’s own celebrated writing career.
Michael Shaara did not live to witness this cultural legacy. For his family, the triumph of the book is forever entwined with the cost of its creation. The Gettysburg Book broadly explores art, ambition, inheritance and the complicated bonds between fathers and sons.
Appearances: Jeff Shaara, Ken Burns, Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels