Robert E. Lee

A profile of Confederate general Robert E. Lee. With a short focus on Lee's early life, Miller (Women of Colonial America, 2016, etc.) paints a picture of a hardworking soldier--determined to escape the stains of his disreputable family--who marries well, then becomes the South's champion in the Civil War. The reading can be uneven, sometimes slowing to a glacial pace with exhaustive descriptions, sometimes engrossing readers with imagery that stems from the heat of war. Though the text attempts to convey a begrudging respect for Lee's military prowess, the weight shifts more toward outright admiration of the man and soldier, which contradicts later notes that briefly discuss Robert E. Lee, the myth. The book makes some mention of the Comanche people "displaced" following Lee's appointment to cavalry regiments in Texas in 1855, although they are described as "marauding bands," and American Indians are entirely excluded from the index. The treatment of slavery is more expansive, making clear that Lee enslaved people, but confusingly dithers between his disdain for slavery as "a greater evil to the white than to the black race" and his outright advocacy of it as a Confederate. A mostly approachable text that strives for, but doesn't achieve, historical balance. (family tree, author's notes, timeline, source notes, bibliography, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 14-18)

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Starred review from June 1, 2019
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* With Robert E. Lee (and the removal of his statues) in the news, this illuminating biography of the Confederate general comes at a good time. Miller has done copious research to present a well-rounded portrait of a man who is both praised and vilified and known by most people simply for his role in the Civil War. This book shows him as so much more. The examination of Lee's early years, including the embarrassment of a scandal-plagued father, gives valuable insight into the man he later became. His urge for respectability came to fruition through a successful military career and his marriage to a great-granddaughter of Martha Washington. The personal and family details throughout add depth and color, but the meat of the book, is of course, Lee's signature role in the Civil War. For many it will be eye-opening to know that Lee, a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, was conflicted about resigning his commission. In the end, he couldn't turn his back on his beloved Virginia, though much of his family remained pro-Union. Battles and strategies of the war are well documented but always with an emphasis on Lee's thoughts and feelings. His complicated relationship with slavery is also explored. Historical engravings and photographs add interest, but there is a grayness to the format that may deter some readers; however, interested teens will find this exceptionally readable. An excellent crossover for adult readers, as well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)