Robert E. Lee

September 1, 2009
The Great Generals series now reaches the man some may think should have been its first subject. The wait has been rewarded, however, by a thoroughly impressive study of Lee as military professional. Wise in the ways of Civil War historiography, Trudeau gives Lee high marks but also faults his logistical sense and his handling of cavalry when J. E. B. Stuart wasnt around. Trudeau has also taken the bold step of recounting each battle from Lees perspective, thereby limiting the narration of them to what Lee knew at the time. That may handicap readers with insufficient background knowledge, but even they should rejoice in a study of Lee that rigorously eschews both hagiography and psychobiography, and that definitely belongs in even the most modest Civil War collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)