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The decisive moment had now arrived which was to test him. He was placed in command of the largest and most important army in the Confederacy, and to him was intrusted the defence of the capital not only of Virginia, but of the South. If Richmond were to fall, the Confederate Congress, executive, and heads of departments, would all be fugitives. The evacuation of Virginia might or might not follow, but, in the very commencement of the conflict, the enemy would achieve an immense advantage. Recognition by the European powers would be hopeless in such an event, and the wandering and fugitive government of the Confederacy would excite only contempt. ... Read more

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Reviews (1)

Beautiful Work
This book includes General and Mrs. Lee in 3 stages of their life: as young a young couple about to be married, during the 1840s with their children, and during the war with their adult children. It includes many of General Lee's uniforms, and his famous horse, Traveller. This is a must for Civil War buffs(especially Southern ones!) and paper doll fans. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

outstanding
You'll love this book. It has some of Lee's most famous quotes, as well as some obscure ones.

Lee has many quotes of wisdom as well. This is entirely quotes, not a story.

I bought two copies, one for me, and one for a gift.

martha from west virginia
If you are looking for a reference book on quotes from past leaders or if you just need inspiration from these leaders, this is the book for you. My husband is in the military and he uses examples from this book frequently, along with a lesson in history that corresponds and I also have given a copy of this book to my father-in-law. He is a civil war buff and he loved my husband's book. I highly recommend this book to historians, students and people who are just interested in the civil war and the heroes of the south. ... Read more

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An intriguing blend of fact and fiction, this engrossing novel explores the question: What if the Confederacy called Robert E. Lee to account for his tragic failure at Gettysburg? Using a court-martial trial as the novel's centerpiece, Savage weaves an intimate portrait of Lee as a man free of the myths of history. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee
This book does not work on any level. Once again, it proves that extensive research isn't enough to make a historical novel good.

Savage postulates that Lee is court-martialed over the defeat at Gettysburg, the trial taking place some time during the winter of 1863. This gives Savage an opportunity to run through all of Lee's battles (with a side trip to Jackson's Valley Campaign) and command decisions up until then. As an amateur scholar who enjoys reading nonfiction studies, I still found these segments excruciatingly boring. The more fictional bits, the court-martial itself, were slow as well and the characterization seemed flawed. Savage doesn't have anything interesting to say about Lee, his leadership, and why he should or should not have been court-martialed; he recaps other scholars' arguments with no particular insight.

The use of language in this book was horrifically bad. This is an example:

"He had foresworn strong drink as a teenager for his mother."

Whoa. Think about that one a while.

Despite the work the author has apparently put in, I see no reason whatsoever why anyone would want to read this book.

really pretty good
i enjoyed this book immensely being an avid civil war buff and all. a great book for those who really love history

A "novel" that could of been alot better
This book is semi-enjoyable for its quotes of famous individuals in the Civil War, but at the end leaves the reader unsatisfied. If the author decided to "spicen" up this book with more controversial individuals associated with the Confederacy, i.e. Nathan Bedford Forrest, Braxton Bragg, and added some life to these members and others in the book, it could of been a treat to read. The author decided to use to much direct quotes from individuals, and did not use his own imagination to make the life, court martial and thoughts of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis and others more interesting. Overall a dry and unsatisfying read.

Rather disappointing
I picked up this book with great expectations; in retrospect perhaps too great. Even allowing for the fact that the author is not a trained writer I found this novel disappointing. I am not an ardent Civiil War buff, though I do read a lot of Military History, yet upon reading this book I didn't learn anything new. The style of the book was also disappointing. It had the tenor of a high-school professor trying to sneak a history lesson past an unsuspecting student. There were tedious passages describing the street layout of Richmond, and repeated reminders of various characters relationship to other characters. In short, I cannot recommend this book, even though I tried to make allowances for the author. I ended up donating my copy to the local library book sale. ... Read more

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Fascinating
David Johnson has done us all a great favor by finally writing a biography of the most amazing "Doc" Freeman. The son of a Confederate soldier, Douglas Southall Freeman's life is a study in self-discipline and perseverance. Freeman was a man who crammed 4 careers into one life - Pulitzer (One for the biography of General Lee and one post-humously for George Washington) winning author, newspaper editor, teacher and broadcaster. Ever since learning of Freeman many years ago, I'd wondered why no biography had ever been written of him. Freeman was a man that was faithful to his calling, to serving his fellow man and to serving his God. The book should be in every history lover's library. ~ Richard G. Williams, Jr., editor of "The Maxims of Robert E. Lee" to be released in November. ... Read more

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If you're a fan of Robert E. Lee, you may have visited Chancellorsville or Gettysburg or Appomattox or Lexington, where the general is buried.

But chances are you don't know how to get to Stratford Hall, where Lee was born. And you've probably never been to the spot where Lee and Longstreet put themselves in a position to be captured by the Federals, or the home where Lee was narrowly missed by a cannonball while drinking a glass of buttermilk, or the fort where he rescued a beloved dog, or the place where he adopted his wartime pet, a chicken.

This is your guide to both the major Lee sites in Virginia and West Virginia and lesser-known sites in distant states-from Texas, where he was sent to chase Indians; to New York, where he rode his horse down Broadway; to Florida, where he picked oranges as an elderly tourist. Taken together, they will let you-as far as is possible-stand where General Lee stood and see what he saw. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Filled with the most fascinating bits of historical trivia
In The Footsteps Of Robert E. Lee by Civil War history buff Clint Johnson is both a comprehensive travel guide to many historical sites connected to the Civil War Southern general Robert E. Lee, as well as a collection of stories that reveal the importance each site had with regard to Lee's character. From Harpers Ferry in West Virginia to the famous court house at Appomattox, In The Footsteps Of Robert E. Lee is a comprehensive, "user friendly" guidebook filled with the most fascinating bits of historical trivia. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the career of this amazingly skilled Civil War general and memorable historical figure.

Step by step....
Armchair historians and civil war enthusiasts, it's again time to arise from your La-Z-Boy recliners and hit the Civil War trail. This time you will follow in the footsteps of Marse Roberts from his birth through his early days in the army to visiting the White House in 1869 when he payed a brief visit to President Grant.

With 11 states, Washington D.C. and the brief inclusion of sites in Mexico you will need to spend several weeks going from site to site. However, the author breaks down the trips by state and gives excellent directions that will keep even the novice historian from loosing his way. You will be taken to several larger, well-known sites in West Virginia and Virginia as well as many smaller sites within these states and distant states such as Texas, Missouri and Florida.

Many have been to Sharpsburg, Manassas or perhaps South Mountain but it's doubtful that few have made it Stratford Hall where Lee was born. Therefore, it's fitting that the book starts out at Stratford Hall and gives brief insight into the life and lack of homeownership by Lee. From his birth in 1807 to his death in 1870, he never owned a single place of residence. He slept at his parents' home, army barracks, his wife's inherited house, and several homes borrowed from individuals during and after the war. He never paid out of pocket for any property on which he resided.

The research within these pages is top notch and gives the reader some excellent side bar material to whet his or her appetite for more on Robert E. Lee. The descriptions are concise and to the point and give just enough detail to allow the reader to understand how the specific location played a key role in shaping young Lee or perhaps how it effected his overall battle strategy in his later years. The accounts are well done and not overly detailed giving the average reader a nice foundation for a beginning study on Lee. The chapters are well laid out, state by state, but in order to keep this data from filling several volumes it does not include every little site associated with Lee. Not to worry, the author chose wisely and the selected material flows quite nice.

In going through this work the reader will enjoy his or her journey into Lee's past with stops along the way at several key historic areas. This is not a paperback for the hard-nosed historian, but well-done research for those interested in following in "The Footsteps of Robert E. Lee". Mr. Johnson has done it again and I highly recommend this book! ... Read more

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The Robert E. Lee Reader brings together extracts from scores of biographies and personal reminiscences that bear on the career of this legendary figure. Much use is made of out of print sources, hard to find contemporary accounts and sketches in periodicals and newspapers. From this wealth of material a distinguished historian has created a vibrant portrait of the man and his time. ... Read more

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The "Easy Biographies" series focuses on the childhood and young-adult years of famous men and women who overcame obstacles to achieve greatness. Inspirational and informative reading for students with big dreams. ... Read more

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Gray Fox is the vivid chronicle of Lee's command, a book that humanizes this gentleman-soldier of tradition and makes him all the more awe-inspiring. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Gray Fox is superb. This book brings the past to life.
Davis is one of those rare authors who has the magical ability to to breathe life into the past through his writings. In addition to being a truly gifted writer, he is also an insightful and even-handed historian. Davis depicts Lee as a great, but not perfect general, as a complex figure who was willing to fight invading Northern armies, but who also hoped for an eventual end to slavery, as a man who while being vulnerable to pride sought the ideal of Christian humility, as kind and humane, but also willing to see men die in their thousands for the cause which he and they fought for. Moreover, while the book is written from the perspective of Lee and his army, the Northern side is still treated with respect and the same depth of understanding. Since many books on the Civil War are filled with hatred, blame, and arteficial and foolish one dimensional standards of morality, this is refreshing. I do not at all regret buying this book. I only regret that the author did not write more books. In addition to Gray Fox, I also highly recommend Davis's biography of Stonewall Jackson.

A brilliant man
Nicely written clear and concise facts from beginning to end. Burke Davis quotes and paraphrases several first hand accounts of civilians Confederate, and Union officers. Mr. Davis also recites several letters from General Robert E. Lee to family, Jefferson Davis, Confederate officers and General Grant.

The reading of this biography permeates vast knowledge of Robert E. Lee. Starting with his birth, education at West Point, emergence from the Mexican War, "with a reputation as the army's most talented young officer." Mr. Davis does a great job of conveying General Lee's concerns about the possibility of civil war. Robert E. Lee made the difficult decision to resign from the U.S. military. Here is a sample of General Lee's letter of resignation. "I have devoted all the best years of my life and all the ability I posed. During the whole time-more than a quarter of a century-I have experienced nothing but kindness from my superiors and a most cordial friendship from my comrades. To no one, General, have I been as much indebted as to yourself for uniform kindness and consideration. I shall carry to the grave the most grateful recollections of your kind consideration, and your name and fame will always be dear to me."

The book is worthy of reading I'll probably read it a few more times. Therefore five stars seems appropriate for a truly amazing book. This book is for folks from any geographical area. Whatever your race, creed, culture, religion is this book can be an enjoyable read. I leave you with one last quote this is Robert E. Lee's opinion of slavery. "There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil...I think it greater evil to the white than to the black race."

Gray Fox
An excellent read on the life of Robert E. Lee. Davis does an good job in portraying the general's life, not overloading the reader with details. Those who have read more detailed books on Lee might find this one lacking, but I believe it to be worth your time and would make an excellent addition to ones Civil War library.

Good chronology, but little more
I wouldn't say I disliked this book, but I did find it pretty short on both style and substance. It presents a good chronology of Lee's ACW campaigns, and might make a good prelude to a more detailed account if one wanted to get that chronology straight. However the prose is limp at best and details lacking. In his descriptions of the battles (especially) Burke Davis brings very little to life. For example, in the description of Chancellorsville, one never gets a sense that the battle is slipping out of Lee's control before his and Jackson's daring and innovative masterstroke changes the outcome completely.

Credit should be given for good use of excerpts from Lee's correspondance which paint a picture of a gentle and humane man doing his duty bravely despite a mounting sense of the long-term hoelessness of the situation. But, more interesting material can be found than this historical overview for anyone who wants something serious on the subject.

Ray's reviews
This is a 'must read' for all Civil War book worms. Not only does it show the true man, Robert E. Lee, but a fine, historical review of the entire war. Prepare yourself for the last 35 pages, as you will read the best account of the surrender at Appomattox that I have ever read by ANY author. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a good summary about a little talked about campaign
I read this book because my library didn't have the voices of the civil war book for the 7 days campaign but this book filled in just fine and was probabbly better then the other series. this book explains the 7 Days battle in the areas around Richmond. It also tells the story of the begining of the Manassas campaign and will introduce you to battles that you might not have heard of before

"Granny" Lee, the Prince of Spades, takes command of the ANV
"Lee Takes Command" is the volume in the Time-Life Civil War Series that reminds us the Army of Northern Virginia was not overly impressed with its new leader at the beginning of his legendary tenure. Winfield Scott might have convinced Abraham Lincoln to offer Robert E. Lee command of the Federal army, but the average Confederate soldier was not too keen about "Granny" Lee and his penchant for digging trenches in defense of Richmond in June of 1862. This volume begins with a photo essay on "The Making of a General," that covers the highlights of Lee's family and military career up to the moment he was ushered onto the stage of American history.

Lee took command of the Confederate army defending Richmond when General Joseph E. Johnston was wounded at the Battle of Seven Pines. Several choice quotes regarding Lee's shortcomings as a military commander, include a patently ironic one from George B. McClellan, set the stage for the creation of a legend. The volume is divided into five chapters: (1) Mechanicsville to Gaines's Mill details how Lee forced the Federals to withdrawn across the Chickahominy River; (2) Flight to the James describes covers the battle of Malvern Hill, which saw McClellan withdraw his army to Harrison's Landing, thereby ending the Peninsula Campaign; (3) Taking the War North covers Stonewall Jackson's battle with Nathaniel Banks at Cedar Run; (4) Jackson's Bold Sweep finds John Pope now in charge of the Army of the Potomac and the two armies moving around northern Virginia until (5) Another Bull Run, which I have always tended to think of as a major battle, but which is reduced to being covered in a single chapter in this volume.

Consequently, "Lee Takes Command" covers a lot of ground, not just in terms of territory but also time. As a result, this particular volume focuses more on the bigger picture than the details, as compared to other books in the series. Lee himself is not always at the forefront of the action, but certainly his surrogates, namely Jackson and Stuart, carry out their military efforts in his spirit. The book is illustated with historic photographs, etchings, drawings, paintings and such, which is one of the hallmarks of this series. For every illustration you recognize chances are you will find two or more than you do not. As with most episodes of the Civil War, you will be struck as much by the ineptitude of the Northern commanders as you will be by Lee's brilliance. ... Read more

Book Description

Richard Stoddert Ewell is best known as the Confederate General selected by Robert E. Lee to replace "Stonewall" Jackson as chief of the Second Corps in the Army of Northern Virginia. Ewell is also remembered as the general who failed to drive Federal troops from the high ground of Cemetery Hill and Culp’s Hill during the Battle of Gettysburg. Many historians believe that Ewell’s inaction cost the Confederates a victory in this seminal battle and, ultimately, cost the Civil War.

During his long military career, Ewell was never an aggressive warrior. He graduated from West Point and served in the Indian wars in Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, and Arizona. In 1861 he resigned his commission in the U.S. Army and rushed to the Confederate standard. Ewell saw action at First Manassas and took up divisional command under Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign and in the Seven Days’ Battles around Richmond.

A crippling wound and a leg amputation soon compounded the persistent manic-depressive disorder that had hindered his ability to make difficult decisions on the battlefield. When Lee reorganized the Army of Northern Virginia in May of 1863, Ewell was promoted to lieutenant general. At the same time he married a widowed first cousin who came to dominate his life—often to the disgust of his subordinate officers—and he became heavily influenced by the wave of religious fervor that was then sweeping through the Confederate Army.

In Confederate General R.S. Ewell, Paul D. Casdorph offers a fresh portrait of a major—but deeply flawed—figure in the Confederate war effort, examining the pattern of hesitancy and indecisiveness that characterized Ewell’s entire military career. This definitive biography probes the crucial question of why Lee selected such an obviously inconsistent and unreliable commander to lead one-third of his army on the eve of the Gettysburg Campaign.

Casdorph’s describes Ewell’s intriguing life and career with penetrating insights into his loyalty to the Confederate cause and the Virginia ties that kept him in Lee’s favor for much of the war. Complete with riveting descriptions of key battles, Ewell’s biography is essential reading for Civil War historians. ... Read more