Robert E. Lee: Lessons in Leadership (Great Generals) [Hardcover]

Noah Andre Trudeau (Author)

Book Description

Series: Great Generals | Publication Date: September 1, 2009

General Robert E. Lee was a complicated man and military figure.  From his birth as the son of a celebrated and tragic Revolutionary War hero, to his career after the Civil War when he led by example to heal the terrible wounds of the conflict, there is much to learn from this celebrated general. In just three years of service, he directed the Confederacy’s most renowned fighting force, the famed Army of Northern Virginia, through a series of battles, including Second Manassas, Antietam, and Gettysburg, which have since come to define combat in the Civil War.

Here, for the first time, Noah Andre Trudeau follows the general's Civil War path with a special emphasis on Lee's changing set of personal values as the conflict wended through four bloody years and explores his famous skills as a crafty and daring tactician. An insightful new account, Robert E. Lee delivers a fresh perspective that leads to a greater understanding of one of the most studied and yet enigmatic military figures in American history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Robert E. Lee:

 

“Rejoice in a study of Lee that rigorously eschews both hagiography and psychobiography, and that definitely belongs in even the most modest Civil War collection.” — Roland Green

 

"For a century after the death of Robert E. Lee in 1870, his image achieved iconic status in the South--and beyond.  In recent decades, however, historians have discovered a flesh and blood Lee who is far more complex and interesting than the marble man of yore.  Trudeau's fast-paced biography offers a well-rounded portrait of the real Robert E. Lee." --James M. McPherson, bestselling author of Battle Cry of Freedom

 

"Noah Andre Trudeau's Robert E. Lee offers an insightful portrait of one of America's greatest generals.  In a brisk narrative, Trudeau delineates the personal and professional attributes of the famous Confederate leader.  A reader will learn much in these pages about a fascinating, historic figure."

--Jeffry D. Wert, author of Cavalryman of the Lost Cause:  A Biography of J. E. B. Stuart

 

"A crisply-written and compelling biography of one of America's most celebrated soldiers.  Trudeau's keen insights and considerable talents as a writer and historian make this book a must read for anyone wishing to understand Lee's remarkable military career and mastery of the battlefield."
--W. Todd Groce, President and CEO, Georgia Historical Society, and author of Mountain Rebels: East Tennessee Confederates and the Civil War

"Trudeau’s book on Robert E. Lee, however, is a triumph. Future additions to this series should use this book as a model. Trudeau – whose volume on Gettysburg is also an impressive accomplishment – conveys Lee’s story in a brisk and accurate narrative. Anyone looking for an excellent introduction to Lee’s life and career should begin with this book. Trudeau’s account manages to omit nothing of consequence and to include enough fascinating detail to keep the interest of even the most jaded reader. Trudeau’s analysis of Lee’s decision-making is honest without being hypercritical. While there are no paradigm-shifting conclusions here, there are also no eyebrow-raising oddities or perplexing notions that often litter modern books on Civil War figures. Too many authors seem intent on grabbing readers’ attention by tossing out concepts and theories that have not even the slightest basis in fact. Lee is – and shall ever remain – a towering figure in American history. Trudeau’s biography opens the door to understanding this important leader, and helps readers to appreciate the man who became, through no fault or design of his own, a myth."  --Civil War News

Praise for Gettysburg: A Testing of Courage:

 

"Trudeau enhances his reputation as a narrative historian of the Civil War with what is to date the best large-scale single-volume treatment of those crucial three days in July 1863, elegantly reconstructing the battle and the campaign from the perspectives of the participants."--Publishers Weekly

 

"A monumental work, thoroughly researched and well written, this is the best recent single-volume history of the campaign."--Library Journal

 

"This is military history at its best, and it will make a great addition to any Civil War collection."--Booklist

About the Author

Noah Andre Trudeau is a Civil War historian who has written articles for Civil War Times Illustrated, Gettysburg Magazine, Blue and Gray, North & South, The Columbiad, America's Civil War, and Military History Quarterly. He has written six books on the subject, including the bestseller, Gettysburg and Like Men of War, which was honored with the Grady McWhiney Research Foundation's Jerry Coffey Memorial Book Prize. Formerly an executive producer at NPR, he lives in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0230613667
• ISBN-13: 978-0230613669
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #506,466 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( L ) > Lee, Robert E.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A series of essays by Noah Andre Trudeau, September 15, 2009

By 

James W. Durney (Tampa Bay area) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Robert E. Lee: Lessons in Leadership (Great Generals) (Hardcover)

This is a difficult review for me to write. I have the highest respect for the author and have enjoyed his books for years. He consistently produces quality books on a variety of Civil War subjects, winning a number of well-deserved prizes. This background and his knowledge are on display in this short biography. However, they are dragged down by several problems. First, the author admits three of the 13 chapters are adapted from prior work and the book lacks a cohesive narration. Due to space limitations, we have very little linkage between campaigns giving the feel of a series of essays. With so much of the book adapted from other works, this might be the case. Second, many of the major questions on Lee are never addressed or the simplest answer is presented as the only option. Third, there are few footnotes and many of them reference Douglas Southall Freeman's work on Lee. Chapter 4 has nine footnotes; seven are from Freeman's book. Chapter 9 with 41 footnotes, uses eight sources. Lastly, this book is printed on some of the cheapest paper I have ever seen in a hardback book. The dust jacket is a better quality paper than the book. This is a book that I would be embarrassed to give as a gift.
What works is the series of essays by Noah Andre Trudeau. What fails are the sources and the physical appearance of the book.

13 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Really About Robert E. Lee, October 18, 2009

By 

Michael R. Bradley (Tullahoma, TN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Robert E. Lee: Lessons in Leadership (Great Generals) (Hardcover)

In the foreword to the book General Wesley Clark comments that as a child the virtues of Lee were extolled "every February." February? No day in that month has any association with Robert E. Lee! Did Gen. Clark mean January, the month of Lee's birth? Apparently this is indeed what he meant. Why did the person invited to write the foreword to this book not know when Lee was born? Why did an editor not catch this clumsy and basic mistake? The fact that this blatant error slipped by the writers and editors of this book is an indication of the poor quality of the research involved.

Trudeau has nothing to say about Lee after Gettysburg. It is a fact that conducting a successful defense against a larger force is one of the most difficult of military tasks. Yet Trudeau omits the skillful maneuvering Lee engaged in to block the Army of the Potomac in its move south; Trudeau offers no analysis of Lee's use of the offensive as part of that defensive campaign. For Trudeau the war ended on July 4, 1863, when Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia south from Gettysburg. This is a major weakness which should have caused the editors of the series to reject the manuscript and either tell Trudeau to finish the job or, if he could not do so, assign the task to someone who understands the full scope of military leadership.

This is a very weak book.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent short biography, January 13, 2010

By 

Thomas A. Fenton (Walton, Kentucky, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Robert E. Lee: Lessons in Leadership (Great Generals) (Hardcover)

Robert E. Lee by Noah Andre Trudeau is an excellent short biography of the career and leadership of one of the war's finest gentleman warriors. While not heavy in detail, it provides some details and analysis left out of many longer biographies, putting the pieces together, from a non-traditional viewpoint, that of the South. Many biographies and civil war histories are written from the perspective of the North. Trudeau tells Lee's story, with a balanced approach neither painting Lee with the unreasonable strokes of pure genius, nor paying undue attention to his failures. Lee is portrayed as an exceptionally charismatic leader capable of inspiring great confidence and great heroism in his men, but one who also possesses occasional weaknesses and is capable of errors in judgment. Lee is also portrayed as a man of great integrity, forced to choose between competing loyalties. I found this particular biography to be a great pleasure to read, and highly recommend it as additional reading along with longer and more detailed writings.