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Lee

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Such was the talent and ability of Douglas Freeman that a work which is now more than sixty-five years old still remains the best work written on Robert E. Lee. Time has made some of Freeman's work dated. In reading this condensed version of Freeman's four volume masterpiece, one will discover little about the social lives of soliders in the Army of Northern Virginia, Confederate politics, or the role slaves played in the Confederacy. Yet what remains still has real value. Freeman's purpose was to write an engaging biography of Lee which would reveal every known fact and convey it in such a way that would be interesting. Yet the larger work is in many ways inaccessible to a general audience. The four volumes which have been compressed into this one volume lose little of Freeman's original thought. Pruned from Freeman's orgiinal are footnotes, bibliographies, and everything that is superflous. Yet the reader will find the single volume still a remarkable achievement, and that it conveys the heart of the argument. Freeman's main accomplishment is to be able to get inside the head of Robert E. Lee. It is very much a book which seeks to convey Lee's life, to show how he made critical decisions, and what were important qualities which contributed to his character. Freeman has little doubt as to Lee's greatness, who he considers to be a shining example of a model Christian gentleman. While Freeman is not an apologist of the Confederacy, always a committed nationalist, he recognized that Southern defeat was in many ways a blessing. Nevertheless, Freeman as a Virginian sought to honor those who suffered, bled, and died for the Confederate cause by examining the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. Freeman was a gifted writer, and his writings on Lee have the feel of great literature, just as much as that of a important historical work. Freeman's main contention is that Lee's brilliant tactical and strategical insights were able to preserve and keep intact the Army of Northern Virginia. Without Lee's real skill the war would have in all likelihood ended much sooner. Even when Lee's efforts failed him, they came from a desire to move audaciously to allow the South to acheive it's independence. All of these qualities made Lee, in Freeman's view, a gifted military commander. Since _Lee_ was first published, numerous biographies have been written of the general, but none has done so well at capturing the man. Moreover, nearly all of the attempts are in one way or another heirs of Freeman's approach. For the student of the civil war or of Confederate history _Lee_ remains an indespensible book.

Douglas Southall Freeman's multivolume "R.E. Lee" may have been published nearly three-quarters of a century ago, but this abridged version remains the best single biography ever written about the legendary Confederate general. Although there have been numerous books written about Lee, none have come as close to capturing Lee's military genius, or why so many Southerners enthusiastically fought and died under his banner, as does Freeman's work. When it was first published "Lee" was a sensation, and in the 1930's only Margaret Mitchell's wildly fictionalized "Gone With the Wind" surpassed it in sales and publicity. Senator Harry Truman read every volume, as did other famous political and military leaders. Freeman's work did much to spread the "Lee Legend" outside the South and made Lee into a national, and not merely regional, icon. Of course, Freeman has since been criticized, and in some ways justly so, for his overwhelming pro-Lee bias. In Freeman's elegant prose Robert Edward Lee is nearly perfect in every respect - he is a modest, deeply religious man who dislikes slavery and secession but reluctantly agrees to side with his native state of Virginia when the Civil War begins. If the rest of Freeman's story sounds familiar it is because this book made it so. Lee, despite facing constant shortages of men and supplies, meets the overwhelming forces of the Northern States and defeats them in battle after battle. Yet after each defeat the Northerners simply recruit new soldiers, resupply their vast armies, and come after Lee's valiant but shrinking forces again and again. In the end not even Lee's tactical genius can save the outnumbered and outgunned Confederates from eventual (and in Freeman's opinion, inevitable) defeat. Naturally, other historians have not always agreed with this view of the Old South's greatest icon, and later books on the "Gray Fox" have disputed Freeman's assertions that Lee was opposed to slavery and secession, or that his military decisions were always correct. For example, Freeman argues that the South lost the crucial Battle of Gettysburg largely because of the stubborness and jealously of Lee's second-in-command, General James Longstreet. Longstreet had opposed Lee's plan in June 1863 to try and crush the Northern Army of the Potomac by invading Pennsylvania and forcing the Yankees into a final, apocalyptic battle on their own turf. On the second day at Gettysburg Lee ordered Longstreet to have his men attack a small rocky hill, called Little Round Top, which offered a commanding view of the battlefield. Longstreet didn't want to attack such a well-defended position, and instead he tried to convince Lee to simply move around the Northern Army's flank and attack it from behind. According to Freeman, when Lee disagreed with Longstreet's suggestion and ordered him to attack the hill, a sullen Longstreet moved so slowly against Little Round Top that it gave the Yankees time to "dig in" and repulse his assault. However, more recent historians (as exemplified in Michael Shaara's famed novel, "The Killer Angels") have claimed that Longstreet was correct in his reluctance to attack Little Round Top, and that Lee should have taken Longstreet's advice. Yet no matter how disputed Lee's strategy or beliefs are in these "politically-correct" times, this book's elegant prose, flawless research, and passion for its subject shine through on every page. There may have been other books written about Robert E Lee, but none have done so well at potraying his life or in explaining why, even today, his tactics are studied at military academies and his legend continues to thrive in many parts of the South. A genuine "must-read" for any Civil War buff or student of military history.

I have not even yet finished reading "Lee," but I have enjoyed it so much that I would like to give my opinion of it. This is a very well-researched, thoughtfully written biography, by an author who was not only a good historian but also a good writer. Robert E. Lee's whole life is laid before us in very good order, and it is interesting to read about Lee's life during the years other than 1861-1865.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because Freeman does not glorify Lee, although it is evident that he has a high opinion of Lee. However, Freeman does not disappoint his readers by dwelling on Lee's weak points. He actually does point out his faults, but he does it objectively, and fairly, instead of pouncing on Lee and tearing him apart.

This is the perfect biography of Robert E. Lee to buy if you want to know just why Lee is such a great figure in American history. It is fair, thorough, and very well-written.

While Freeman definitely admired Lee and could be accused of putting Lee on a pedestal, I cannot dispute his writing style that kept my interest throughout the book.

Freeman's book is comprehensive and covers the most important events in Lee's illustrious life:

1. Early childhood and humiliation of his father's bankruptcy.
2. Brilliant academic standing at West Point.
3. Brilliant service during the Mexican War that won the admiration of Winfield Scott and others.
4. Stressful family life (experienced many separations from his children and invalid wife).
5. Fateful decision to side with Virginia during the Civil War.
6. Early Civil War service (somewhat indistinguished compared to his later service).
7. Brilliant generalship at 2nd Bull Run, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and other battles.
8. Going up against US Grant the last two years of the war.
9. Last years at Washington and Lee College.

All in all, a highly recommended read of an excellent general!

This adridgement of Freeman's four-volume biography is certainly a popular necessity - it opens the work up to a much broader audience that would find the original too intimidating an investment of time or money. Freeman's elegant, descriptive prose is preserved and has aged remarkably well.

The chief failing of this abridgement is it's imbalance in focus. It has been reduced to a study of Lee's generalship rather than a true biography. Fully three-fourths of the book is a thorough, tactical description of his four years of battle in the Civil War, with the other 59 years of his life serving as mere bookends. While these military details are fascinating and are certainly required reading for students of the conflict, the end result leaves one feeling rather at a loss for who Lee was as a husband, father, and citizen.

I have other biographies of Lee but none like this one. As it is a rather large book, I felt it would take me a little time to finish but I finished it in just a few days simply because I couldn't put it down. Freeman captures the "real Lee". You see him in his victories as well as in his defeats. You see him as proud but humble, a great warrior but a very gentle man,. You will be with him at his battles, watch him deal with his subordinates and his superiors. You see a man that didn't want war but became one of its' central figures. Above all, you will see that he was a great man of character and dedication. A must read for anyone interested in the Civil War or in the life of a truly great man: a man of great character and dignity.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I found it a bit tedious and dry in the details in some sections. Most of it held my riveted attention, though. I would have preferred more information about the private life and human side of Lee, whereas this biography focused more on justifying his leadership skills and strategic decisions in each battle. Now that I've read it, I have been told that the longer, 3-volume set contains more about Lee himself. I wish now I had elected to tackle the whole shebang.

I won't expound on the obvious fact that the author presents a completely one-sided view of Lee and the War. Maybe I've missed something out there, but I haven't seen ANY book about the Civil War or Robert E. Lee that did not clearly reflect the subjective views of the writer. So...I do not find that the author's regard for the man is a detriment in any way.

I recommend this book highly for anyone interested in Lee or the battles of the War. Just don't make this the only book you read about it!

LEE, by Douglas Southall Freeman, and James M. McPherson, who wrote the forward.

The one thing that stood out was that Robert E. Lee was an honorable gentleman throughout his life. He lived in the time when that was the thing to do. He not only was a fine military Officer, but a good man. Robert E. Lee was a man with a code of conduct that he imposed on himself and never wavered from it. He fought for the Confederation as the General of the Army when he knew that the south was loosing the war and did not really believe in what the south stood for, but he believed in honor and defending his home, Virginia as he always had.

This book was the result of combining seven volumes and making one book. Editing it must have been a job and it was a job well done. The book is seamless in spite of the fact that is a combination of seven volumes. The war was very well covered. It will make a lot of battle fans happy with its detailed description of every battle.

Lee's destiny was set when his father, `Light-Horse Harry" Lee who was a brilliant dreamer about riches which, he never seen, had quite a bit of influence on Robert's life. Harry spent some time in debtor's prison. His father's life had a great deal to do with Robert's attitude toward any kind of debt. He believed in living on the money you had.

Robert managed to get into the Academy with the help of his friend's and mother's family. He graduated at the top of his class in West Point. He studied engineering; it was the only thing that emphasized physics and math at that time (1820). What Mr. Lee had during this time, was brains that was driven by his code of life, which allowed him to be a historical figure in the 19th Centenary. I'm afraid that this code of living, honest, truth, ethics, and honor has been downgraded by a lot of people to where it does not have impact in the 21 Centenary. It used to be what American stood for.

Robert E. Lee graduated from the West Point Academy with honors in 1828-29. Lt. Lee received his first orders as a Brevet Second Lieut. for duty with Major Samuel Babcock of the Corps. Of Engineers for duty at Cockspur, Island, in the Savanna River, Georgia.

His brother, Henry Lee disgraced him by losing the family place Stratford for a debt and getting in trouble with the younger sister of his wife. What would not have been worth bringing up now days, the honor of the family meant a lot more then--Henry Lee was never mentioned again by Robert E. Lee.

Finally, in 1846 Lt. Robert E. Lee received his order to report to Brigadier General John E. Wool for service in Mexico. He was chosen to fight in a war, his first. He left the Mexican war when it was over as a brevet of Colonel without the colonel's pay. During the Mexican war he had earned the high opinion of his supervisors and the other American Officers for his superior ability to think and carry out an action. He was now `Colonel Lee', a title of respect.

A great part of the book explained in detail about the battles when he was the General of the Confederation of Army. This part of the his life is very covered in detail. Later he accepted a position at Washington and Lee University and left that position and the world in 1870.
Roger Lee

I am so thankful for McPherson's abridgement of Freeman's four-volume set on Lee. Without it, I doubt I would have ever endeavored to tackle Freeman's entire work. However, I did feel I could absorb this abridgement and I was correct.

Those that religiously study Lee and/or the American Civil War may find the four-volume set more to their taste for the more thorough information. But for those of us who simply enjoy the subject, this abridgment will serve us well.

After reading this book I came away with a sense of understanding the man and the challenges and struggles he faced personally and militarily. I left it's pages with a respect for Lee and an opinion that more of us today would be well served to follow his personal example of dignity and sense of purpose.

This book was a fantastic education on Robert E. Lee. General Lee was not just a Confederate hero, but an all-American hero. He had a character that all men would do well to emulate. It is too bad that his birthday is not a national holiday. Thank you for reading this review.