Robert E. Lee (First Book) [Library Binding]

Marian G. Cannon (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Series: First Book

A biography of the general who commanded the Confederate Army during the Civil War.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Two adequate biographies of the renowned Civil War generals. Bentley recounts Grant's war-time brilliance, as well as his civilian life. His early years and West Point education are fully documented, and include good anecdotes. The man's great love for his wife and children is described; rumors of his excessive drinking are mentioned and discounted by the author. The scandals of his presidency are barely touched upon, but his final days are fully covered. Robert E.Lee is not as successful. Readers never get a sense of the man behind the "marble model." Again, his early life, education, and courtship of his wife are detailed. (Several times, his future mother-in-law is referred to as "Mrs. Lee.") Fine-quality archival and full-color photographs, maps, and reproductions appear in both books. Neither title goes into much detail on the military aspects of the war; Cannon does detail Lee's difficulty in choosing sides. Both books are fair introductions to two key figures in the Civil War, especially for students with no background in the subject or for hi-lo readers.
Elizabeth M. Reardon, McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Written for the First Book series, this title provides basic biographical information about Lee: his childhood, education, marriage, and military career in the Mexican War and, of course, the Civil War. As biographies go, this one's rather dry, giving little sense of the man's personality, but it does report the facts without fictionalizing, and sometimes the facts themselves provide a spark of drama. For instance, Cannon reports that the U.S. Congress waited until 1975 to pardon Lee and restore his citizenship. The many illustrations, some in color, include portrait paintings, maps, engravings, and photographs. Though not the best Lee biography available, this one may be useful for school reports. Carolyn Phelan

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 64 pages
• Publisher: Franklin Watts (October 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531201201
• ISBN-13: 978-0531201206
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,485,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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