dreammachine
Member
This is a great book written in a shorter form than the original three volume set that Mr. Douglas Southall Freeman wrote about General Robert E. Lee. This book as you can tell is almost like writing about a Southern War God - as Mr. Freeman writes a great book about our Greatest American General (In My Humble Opinion), but he could have penned it a little bit more personal and showed General Lee's "almost human side". That being said, it is a great book and I think Mr. Douglas Southall Freeman also "Won A Pulitzer Prize" for writing the long version of this book about General Lee. Mr. Freeman was "150% True Southerner and Totally Devoted To General Lee" and there is nothing wrong with that, except sometimes a more modern reader would want to know "the human side of General Lee also". I have another book about General Lee - called the Gray Fox and the writer paints a lot more human portrait of General Lee. As a True Southerner - I think I like Mr. Freeman's version better as I think that General Robert E. Lee was the Greatest American/Confederate General to ever lead an army into battle. He was loved and admired by his "Scarecrow Army" and yet continued to win battle after battle - always against superior Union Armies and always out-numbered - sometimes as much as 4 to 1. Anyway, both books are great and if you ever get the chance - go to Lexington, Virginia and visit Washington & Lee University and see where General Robert E. Lee had his office underneath the Chapel on campus and the house that was built there to give him and his family a place to live. Just a remarkable and great American/Confederate - who after having to surrender his forces to superior Union Armies - did everything in his power to re-unite the nation and rebuild the devastated South land. General Robert E. Lee - along with a lot of his children and their families are buried underneath the Lee Chapel in a mausoleum and is off-limits to the general public by a large iron gate that runs from floor to ceiling. General Lee's modest office is located just across the hall and things that were on his desk on the day he died are still kept in the same order or as good as they can be remembered for that time. Washington & Lee University has done an excellent job in honoring both of these great men and General Lee in the short time he was President of Washington College (as it was called back then) made some huge improvements and also enlarge the education curriculum for all the students and also ran a tight ship as President. Sadly, General Lee only lived five years after the ending of the War Between The States. I also have another great book about General Lee and his experiences as President of Washington College. I found it a great read by a man who only wanted to live out his remaining years in peace, enjoy his family, and rebuild Washington College.