Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

40 used & new from $3.96

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Tell the Publisher! I�d like to read this book on Kindle Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

The Making of Robert E. Lee (Paperback)

by Michael Fellman (Author) "In 1867, the president of Washington College, a small men's institution in Lexington, Virginia, was asked by the Educational Society of his state to serve..." (more)
Key Phrases: Jefferson Davis, Light Horse Harry, George Washington (more...)

2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

List Price:	$19.95
Price:	$19.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
	o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

Usually ships within 2 to 4 weeks.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

14 new from $9.90 25 used from $3.96 1 collectible from $29.50

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Hardcover (1st)			85 used & new from $0.72

Frequently Bought Together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

General Lee's Army: From Victory to Collapse

by Joseph Glatthaar

4.3 out of 5 stars (19) $12.89

The Purpose of the Past: Reflections on the Uses of History

by Gordon S. Wood

4.4 out of 5 stars (10) $11.56

Lee Considered: General Robert E. Lee and Civil War History

by Alan T. Nolan

2.7 out of 5 stars (35) $22.50

The Marble Man: Robert E. Lee and His Image in American Society

by Thomas Lawrence Connelly

3.3 out of 5 stars (10) $17.95

Lee in the Shadow of Washington

by Richard B. McCaslin

4.0 out of 5 stars (2) $14.96

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Civil War scholar Michael Fellman investigates the psychology and beliefs of that conflict's most admired general in an intriguing intellectual biography. From his days as a cadet at West Point, Robert E. Lee (1807-70) struck his companions and teachers as "a full-blown aristocratic beau ideal ... tall, stunningly handsome, bright, manly, commanding." His brilliant leadership of the Confederate army against daunting odds only increased Southerners' reverence, which came to be shared by many white Northerners after the partisan passions of the war had faded. Fellman probes behind the façade of the "Marble Man" to discover the conflicts and uncertainties that seethed there. Son of an American Revolutionary legend who ended his life in bankruptcy and disgrace, Lee felt that he must redeem his family name and become the perfect Southern gentleman; yet, he struggled to reconcile his ideals of Christian virtue, self-denial, humility, duty, and honor with his desire for fame and success. "In a very real sense," Fellman writes, "the Civil War rescued Robert E. Lee from marginality and obscurity. In it, he learned to focus his values, his talent, and his deepest feelings on the terrible martial problems at hand." Exploring those values, Fellman unsparingly reveals their roots in racism, repression, and hypocrisy; yet, he acknowledges and admires (with reservations) Lee's sincere adherence to them. "He walked not above but within all the contradictions of a specific society," Fellman writes. "This makes him far more interesting than some boring marble representation of the supposedly unitary and perfect saint." Some ardent worshippers of "Saint Robert" might disagree, but most students of American history will find this a stimulating reassessment. --Wendy Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Canadian historian Fellman's biography of Robert E. Lee is a more psychological appraisal than William J. Cooper's book on Davis. In general terms, Fellman (Citizen Sherman , 1995) tracks the life of the great Confederate general in a chronological fashion. But within that framework, his analysis of Lee is presented in thematic chapters, including discussions of Lee's ideas on race, slavery, marriage, fatherhood, and the "lost cause." Fellman argues that for Lee, "the struggle for self-mastery--the effort to repress every potentially disruptive impulse and emotion--was perpetual." Like Jefferson Davis, his commander-in-chief, Lee was highly principled, and readers follow the evolution and practical execution of his principles. But Fellman is careful to ensure that Lee is seen as a real person with complications and contradictions, a "far more interesting [individual] than some boring marble representation of [a] supposedly unitary and perfect saint." Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; Johns Hopkins Paperbacks Ed edition (April 7, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0801874114
ISBN-13: 978-0801874116
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #479,588 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#38 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( L ) > Lee, Robert E.

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
In 1867, the president of Washington College, a small men's institution in Lexington, Virginia, was asked by the Educational Society of his state to serve on a committee of three that was to prepare an address to the parents of the sons of Virginia, urging on them a more hearty cooperation with teachers in matters of discipline and instruction. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Jefferson Davis, Light Horse Harry, George Washington, West Point, Army of Northern Virginia, South Carolina, Washington College, United States, General Lee, Mary Lee, Saint Louis, Mary Custis Lee, North Carolina, Jeb Stuart, John Mackay, Markie Williams, Stratford Hall, Black Horse Harry, Deep South, Edward Porter Alexander, James Longstreet, Mexican War, Eliza Mackay Stiles, Eliza Stiles, All Lee

New!
Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 50 books:

Robert E. Lee (American War Biographies) by E. J. Carter on 10 pages
Robert E. Lee by Jefferson Davis on 6 pages
Southern History of the War: 2 Vols. in One by E.A. Pollard in Back Matter, and Index
A People Numerous and Armed: Reflections on the Military Struggle for American Independence (Ann Arbor Paperbacks) by John Shy in Back Matter
Holy Bible: King James Version: Standard Text Edition by Baker Publishing Group in Back Matter

See all 50 books this book cites

5 books cite this book:

The History Buff's Guide to the Civil War by Thomas R. Flagel in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
Intimate Strategies of the Civil War: Military Commanders and Their Wives by Carol K. Bleser in Back Matter
The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War (Civil War America) by John C. Inscoe in Back Cover
Lee's Last Retreat: The Flight to Appomattox by William Marvel in Back Matter
The Civil War: In the Words of Its Greatest Commanders : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant : Memoirs of Robert E. Lee by A. L. Long in Back Matter

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

biography(1)

confederacy(1)

memoir(1)

slavery(1)

united states civil war(1)

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

18 Reviews

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

Average Customer Review

2.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Try Emory Thomas, November 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Making of Robert E. Lee (Hardcover)

A story Emory Thomas relates in his recent bio of General Lee shows the general, now a private citizen, in church after the war. At time to partake of the Eucharist, a black man comes into the church and kneels at the altar to take the Lord's Supper at the all-white church. No one knows what to do and the air is full of tension. The first person to rise, go to the altar, and kneel by the man to eat the Body of the Lord is Robert E. Lee.

Robert E. Lee was notable for freeing slaves left to him and his wife. His first impulse at the beginning of the war was to serve in the U.S. army -- in fact, Lincoln's administration offered him post as commander in chief of the U.S. forces. Does that mean he believed in equality of the races, as we do today? Of course not, it implies nothing of the kind.

This is the basic flaw with Mr. Fellman's book. Like most p.c. revisionists, he seems to demand that all the light of his subject be reflected through the prism of modern sensibilities. Most _modern_ people couldn't abide such scrutiny. The problem of p.c. revisionism of all kinds is that p.c. people see only one point of view and do not recognize any other as valid, and anyone who disagrees with them in a jot or tittle is "intolerant" (tolerance defined as being what they believe) and they destroy posthumously anyone in a past culture who does not reach their exalted level of "tolerance", despite the fact that they haven't had the advantages of a modern educative process where the mind is carefully groomed.

Lee was a model citizen for his time (perhaps for any time). Loyal to his family and friends. Second in his class at West Point, and he got through with no demerits. He had the benefit of name; but his father was poor, and died from injuries received protecting the free speech rights of a printer who opposed the War of 1812, and Lee inherited little from his father except his surname, a love of country and Constitution and an admiration of his father's dear friend George Washington (Lee even married into the family of Washington's step-son).

Every aspect of Lee has recently come under attack. His generalship has had many books and articles assailing it. Now the man's character is dismantled, piece by piece, by an author who seems to have no sympathy for his subject at the start.

One of the most abhorrent features of modern biographers is their need to "psychoanalyze" their subjects in retrospect. He puts Lee on the couch, so to speak, but whereas in psychoanalysis the doctor and patient exchange questions and answers, the biographer supplies both, so naturally whatever his research gives him dovetails with his presuppositions.

I won't go so far as to say this is a pure hatchet-job, though I wouldn't be surprized if it was. I'll assume the author made a genuine attempt to understand his subject and failed.

Not a recommended biography of the general who did more to knit the two factions of this country into a whole than any man after the war. If you're wary of Douglas Southall Freeman and Clifford Dowdy, both of whom spent their lives studying the man, using the same sources as Mr. Fellman, then I would heartily recommend Emory Thomas'_ROBERT E. LEE: A BIOGRAPHY_. Prof. Thomas taught at UGA when I was a grad student there; he's a fair man and his book is a BALANCED treatment of his subject. It's well worth the money.

However, if you already are predisposed to think that anyone who joined the Confederacy, for whatever reason, is inherently evil and don't want to read books that challenge your preconceptions, you'll enjoy this book immensely.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

15 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Very overdone, January 10, 2005

By	B. Washburn "Lombard!" (Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Making of Robert E. Lee (Hardcover)

In his effort to bring Lee to earth Fellman overreached to the point of intellectual dishonesty--see the previous comment about his anger. Here's my recommendation to anybody who wants to see this in action--read any two good balanced biographies of Lee--Thomas comes to mind, for example. Then read this book and you'll be easily able to see the extent to which evidence can be twisted and distorted to create a fantastic picture.

What's remarkable, though, is Fellman attempts to do this in broad daylight, insulting the intelligence of the reader.

I'll give you some examples so you can see for yourself. On page 61 Fellman states of Lee on Indian duty that "often he welcomed the destruction of the savages." To justify this he uses this extract from a letter to his wife: "I hear that my young Lts have been active in their scouts during my absence. They have each intercepted marauding parties of Indians, chastised them severely. Upwards of a dozen were killed, more wounded, all their horses, animals, camp equipage captured. It is a distressing state of things that requires the the applications of such harsh treatments, but i is the only corrective they understand and the only way they can be kept within their limits."

This, to me, says he 'regrets the necessity,' not welcomes the destruction--but not to Fellman.

Here's another--page 66, Lee is sending female negro servants (Fellman calls them 'house slaves') to a relative but cautions "I can not recommend them for their honesty." Fellman characterizes this with "This sort of snide commentary about inherent slave dishonesty was the language with which Lee expressed his racism." So Lee's comment about three particular people he knew becomes a generic statement about inherent slave dishonesty, and somehow this is an expression of Lee's 'racism' instead of a simple assessment of these individuals. Fellman somehow, through a mechanism he neglects to mention, has been able to discern that Lee's comment was untrue and a product of his racism, not his observation.

Page after page after page with these overwrought generalizations, many of which, like the above, simply slap you in the face with their presumptiousness. Fellman produces a quote, and right before your eyes tells you it means something entirely different from what it obviously says.

Remarkable.

What's more remarkable is he closes the book by telling you why he's doing this. It's not because previous assessments are wrong, he's working at a higher plane than mere fact: "To accept Saint Robert would be to accept the code of the white south at face value, to deny the reality of terrible historical questions by embracing the willful self-blinding of hero worship."

So there it is--to accept Robert E. Lee as a great man--a great southern man--lends credence to 'the code of the white south,' therefore, Robert E. Lee is not a great man. And how an assessment of Lee's character can possibly deny--or affirm--'the reality of terrible historical questions' is beyond me. Besides, he tells us, "This makes him far more interesting than some boring marble representation of the supposedly unitary and perfect man."

Well, he's right there, he's certainly concocted an 'interesting' Robert E. Lee. Maybe in his next book he'll concoct an accurate one.

Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

16 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Michael Fellman's Lee a disappointment, December 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Making of Robert E. Lee (Hardcover)

I can not agree with the conclusions that Mr. Fellman reaches about Robert E Lee. For example (p116-7), Fellman makes his case that "intrinsic to Lee's awesome presence was his generally buried but nevertheless evident anger." As evidence the following: One evening during a staff meeting, Lee heard a teamster beating a mule. Lee "then shouted out in a tone that I thought would scare anyone 'What are you beating the mule for?' Not recognizing the source the teamster whined 'Is this any of you-r-r mule?' Lee finished the staff meeting. After that, one of the staffers recounts, "I have no doubt he make good the claim to the mule... but I never heard any particulars." For this, it seems a stretch to conclude that Lee has a problem with anger. In fact, I conclude the reverse. Chapter after chapter, on issues of race, politics, relations with the troops, etc, Fellman overreaches in this way. I found the book illogical and a disappointment.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 18 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars An overrated boor
I had never paid a great deal of attention to the Civil War outside of history classes many years ago, occasional writing assignments (I covered the raising of the... Read more

Published 19 months ago by Cecil Bothwell

4.0 out of 5 stars A noteworthy attempt to unmask the Marble Man
Hopefully some of those interested in a character study of Robert E. Lee will not be dissuaded by the negative reviews this book seems to have attacted. Read more

Published on May 13, 2007 by E. Payne

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Your Usual Book on the Southern Icon
I must confess before proceeding that I am a southerner born and raised and have since my early youth been enamoured with the southern icon Robert E. Lee. Read more

Published on January 13, 2006 by CE Durham

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
This is a very disappointing biography. I can't tell whether it is disappointing because of the way Fellman wrote or because of who Lee really was, but I suspect that Fellman did... Read more

Published on August 15, 2005 by Brian Hawkinson

5.0 out of 5 stars New insight into Lee's character
Some years ago Marble Man was published, explaining how post-war Confederates turned Lee into the symbol of fallen Southern chivalry. Read more

Published on July 7, 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Place it back on the shelf!
Fellman attempts a survey of sorts of Robert E. Lee's musings on a myriad of topics. As usual with political correct revisionism, Lee's OWN thoughts don't get in the way of Mr... Read more

Published on August 21, 2002 by Charles C. DiVincenti Jr.

5.0 out of 5 stars The unmasking of Robert e lee
This has to be the only book in recent years writtern on Lee that is not pro-confederate. This book shows Lee warts and all. Read more

Published on June 29, 2001

1.0 out of 5 stars Greatly Disappointing
It is quite evident thoughout this book that the author does not like the man that he is writing about. This book was a great dissappointment. Read more

Published on June 25, 2001 by Robert Ambrose

1.0 out of 5 stars Cheap Shot at A Great US Hero - Bad History & Bad Editorial
When my sister acidentally received this book from the History Book Club and decided to give it to me, I was very pleased. Read more

Published on June 23, 2001 by Big Bopper

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth Reading
Robert E. Lee is ever surrounded by a bodyguard of admirers who constantly fend off those who would speak plainly and honestly about the man. Read more

Published on June 10, 2001 by Larche

› See all 18 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
history History of the Palestinian Nation?	796	11 seconds ago
history Why does Holocaust Denial Exist?	5346	1 minute ago
history Are You an Author on Amazon? Tell us about your book:	436	22 minutes ago
memoir Have You Written a Memoir - Come Tell Us About It.	683	32 minutes ago
biography What I thought about the books by Aaron Bowers	0	1 day ago
biography what is the best biography you've ever read?	402	1 day ago
memoir drug memoirs	25	2 days ago

The Biography community

Latest activity 56 minutes ago

8,539 customers have contributed 9,127 products, 532 lists & guides and more...

› Explore the community

The Memoir community

Latest activity 32 minutes ago

10,766 customers have contributed 6,554 products, 767 lists & guides and more...

› Explore the community

The Slavery community

Latest activity 6 hours ago

1,866 customers have contributed 1,737 products, 126 lists & guides and more...

› Explore the community

Explore more

› See all Customer Communities

› Your communities

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)

Be the first person to add an article about this item at Amapedia.com.

› See featured Amapedia.com articles

Listmania!

Robert E. Lee: Biographies and Assessments: A list by Bomojaz
The Ultimate Robert E. Lee List: A list by M. Rine
Suggested Reading from Amazon: A list by Herman I. May

Create a Listmania! list

So You'd Like to...

Learn about President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War: A guide by T. Carlsen
Read the Lincoln Prize Winners: A guide by Douglas S. Wood "Vicarious Life"

Create a guide

Look for Similar Items by Category

Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > United States > Civil War
Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Military > United States Civil War
Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( L ) > Lee, Robert E.
Books > History > Americas > United States > Civil War

Think Green and Use Hand Tools

If you're adopting a greener lifestyle, check out our extensive variety of hand tools. Take advantage of great pricing on our full range of hand tools, including clamps, hammers, wrenches, and more.

›Shop all hand tools