Robert E. Lee: A Life

Robert E. Lee: A Life by Allen C. Guelzo

THERE IS A RED "CLOSEOUT/REMAINDER" MARK ON THE BOTTOM PAGE EDGE.

Robert E. Lee is one of the most confounding figures in American history. Lee was a traitor to the country he swore to serve as an Army officer, and yet he was admired even by his enemies for his composure and leadership. He considered slavery immoral, but benefited from inherited slaves and fought to defend the institution. And behind his genteel demeanor and perfectionism lurked the insecurities of a man haunted by the legacy of a father who stained the family name by declaring bankruptcy and who disappeared when Lee was just six years old. Despite having a long career as an Army engineer and marrying into one of the most prominent families in Washington, D.C., his desire for financial and personal independence would strain his relationships with the Army and his family throughout his life and finally lead him to the decision that would permanently mark his place in American history.

In Robert E. Lee, the award-winning historian Allen C. Guelzo has written the definitive biography of the general, following him from his boyhood in Alexandria, his stellar performance as a cadet at West Point through his rise to fame during the Mexican War and the frustrating years of Army service that followed. We also witness his agonized decision to side with Virginia when it seceded from the Union, his leadership of the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War, and his postwar presidency of Washington College. Above all, Guelzo captures Robert E. Lee in all his complexity -- his hypocrisy and courage, his outward calm and inner turmoil, his honor, and his profound disloyalty.

THERE IS A RED "CLOSEOUT/REMAINDER" MARK ON THE BOTTOM PAGE EDGES.

Alfred A. Knopf, Hardcover, 1st Edition, 2021