Robert E. Lee

Born the son of a wastrel Revolutionary War hero, Robert E. Lee grew up in genteel poverty, only attending West Point because it was tuition-free. He went on to distinguish himself in the Mexican War. Although he was subsequently offered command of all Union forces in the Civil War, he refused to fight against his fellow Virginians and instead assumed command of the Confederate army. This fascinating, short-form book gives new insight into both Lee's character and the strategies that ultimately determined the outcome of the Civil War.