Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause
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- Author：Ty Seidule
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Summary
Ty Seidule scorches us with the truth and rivets us with his fierce sense of moral urgency。 --Ron Chernow
In a forceful but humane narrative， former soldier and head of the West Point history department Ty Seidule's Robert E。 Lee and Me challenges the myths and lies of the Confederate legacy--and explores why some of this country's oldest wounds have never healed。
Ty Seidule grew up revering Robert E。 Lee。 From his southern childhood to his service in the U。S。 Army， every part of his life reinforced the Lost Cause myth: that Lee was the greatest man who ever lived， and that the Confederates were underdogs who lost the Civil War with honor。 Now， as a retired brigadier general and Professor Emeritus of History at West Point， his view has radically changed。 From a soldier， a scholar， and a southerner， Ty Seidule believes that American history demands a reckoning。
In a unique blend of history and reflection， Seidule deconstructs the truth about the Confederacy--that its undisputed primary goal was the subjugation and enslavement of Black Americans--and directly challenges the idea of honoring those who labored to preserve that system and committed treason in their failed attempt to achieve it。 Through the arc of Seidule's own life， as well as the culture that formed him， he seeks a path to understanding why the facts of the Civil War have remained buried beneath layers of myth and even outright lies--and how they embody a cultural gulf that separates millions of Americans to this day。
Part history lecture， part meditation on the Civil War and its fallout， and part memoir， Robert E。 Lee and Me challenges the deeply-held legends and myths of the Confederacy--and provides a surprising interpretation of essential truths that our country still has a difficult time articulating and accepting。
In a forceful but humane narrative， former soldier and head of the West Point history department Ty Seidule's Robert E。 Lee and Me challenges the myths and lies of the Confederate legacy--and explores why some of this country's oldest wounds have never healed。
Ty Seidule grew up revering Robert E。 Lee。 From his southern childhood to his service in the U。S。 Army， every part of his life reinforced the Lost Cause myth: that Lee was the greatest man who ever lived， and that the Confederates were underdogs who lost the Civil War with honor。 Now， as a retired brigadier general and Professor Emeritus of History at West Point， his view has radically changed。 From a soldier， a scholar， and a southerner， Ty Seidule believes that American history demands a reckoning。
In a unique blend of history and reflection， Seidule deconstructs the truth about the Confederacy--that its undisputed primary goal was the subjugation and enslavement of Black Americans--and directly challenges the idea of honoring those who labored to preserve that system and committed treason in their failed attempt to achieve it。 Through the arc of Seidule's own life， as well as the culture that formed him， he seeks a path to understanding why the facts of the Civil War have remained buried beneath layers of myth and even outright lies--and how they embody a cultural gulf that separates millions of Americans to this day。
Part history lecture， part meditation on the Civil War and its fallout， and part memoir， Robert E。 Lee and Me challenges the deeply-held legends and myths of the Confederacy--and provides a surprising interpretation of essential truths that our country still has a difficult time articulating and accepting。
Reviews
John Calhoun
，
This book--written by a Southerner graduate of Washington & Lee who then taught history at West Point--explores why on Earth many northern institutions have memorials to Civil War 'heroes。' The answer seems to be， in essence: （a） a desire to fuse together the northern and southern soldiers in a way that， 70+ years after the Civil War， no longer seemed objectionable; and （b） to placate racists as the army and other institutions became desegregated and minorities were given greater roles。 Seidule This book--written by a Southerner graduate of Washington & Lee who then taught history at West Point--explores why on Earth many northern institutions have memorials to Civil War 'heroes。' The answer seems to be， in essence: （a） a desire to fuse together the northern and southern soldiers in a way that， 70+ years after the Civil War， no longer seemed objectionable; and （b） to placate racists as the army and other institutions became desegregated and minorities were given greater roles。 Seidule is correct that this sort of commemoration is offplace， and it's shocking in retrospect that it took until 2015-2020 for removal to gather some steam。 He is especially interesting in particularly pointing out how Lee was not just a product of his time。 For example， he was the only one of the 8 VA-raised colonels who graduated from West Point who defected to the Confederacy。 It's also interesting that Lee's nuclear family didn't initially support his defection。 Seidule also has an interesting history of the Confederate flag。 It was originally the flag of only the Army of Northern Virginia， and didn't get broadly adopted to represent the Confederacy until the 1950's resistance to desegregation efforts。 。。。more
Donna Lewis
，
Ty Seidule， Professor Emeritus of History at West Point， has written a “searing meditation on race， history， and the American narrative。” In 2015， he published a five-minute lecture stating definitively that “Slavery was， by a wide margin， the single most important cause of the Civil War。” He was derided for this and received numerous death threats。 He has written this book to clarify the reasons why his southern upbringing contributed to his and other white southerners’ mistaken views about the Ty Seidule， Professor Emeritus of History at West Point， has written a “searing meditation on race， history， and the American narrative。” In 2015， he published a five-minute lecture stating definitively that “Slavery was， by a wide margin， the single most important cause of the Civil War。” He was derided for this and received numerous death threats。 He has written this book to clarify the reasons why his southern upbringing contributed to his and other white southerners’ mistaken views about the valiant Confederate heroes of the south during the Civil War。 He studied history and changed his views， but many other southerners still refuse to acknowledge overwhelming fact-based history。•Robert E Lee committed treason to preserve slavery。•Confederates and Lee were NOT romantic warriors for a doomed but noble cause。•Eleven southern states seceded to protect and expand an African American slave labor system， to exploit enslaved people forever。•West Point graduates resigned their commissions， in order to join the Confederate Army。•The Confederate Battle flag became a symbol of resistance to integration and equal rights， and it has become a symbol of White Supremacy。“By saying Union and Confederate， Blue and Gray， North and South， we lose the fundamental difference between the two sides。 The United States fought against a rebel force that would not accept the results of a democratic election and chose armed rebellion。”“A hundred and eighty thousand African Americans， most recently emancipated， fought for their own freedom as U。S。 Army soldiers。 The number of enslaved fighting as Confederate soldiers is a nice round number—zero。”“African Americans served with distinction in high office。 By 1877， about two thousand Black men in the former Confederate states held elected office at the local， state， and federal levels。”Seidule discuses attending a wedding at a plantation rebuilt to remove signs of slavery。 “I felt as if I were visiting a site of mass atrocities， made worse because no placard， no monument， highlighted the unspeakable cruelty of chattel slavery。” I also attended a wedding on a redesigned plantation in South Carolina。 I never got over the very uncomfortable feelings that were aroused by wandering the grounds。 Never again。 At least visiting the Slave Museum gave a truer picture of the reality。Seidule discusses the history of lynchings in the South。 Between 1877 and 1950， Lynch mobs in Virginia murdered 84 people， while another 589 were lynched in Georgia。 Lynching and Confederate monuments served to tell African Americans that they were second-class citizens。 However， “capital punishment became the new means of enforcing racial control。 Between 1901 and 1964， Georgia hanged and electrocuted 609 people。 Eighty-two percent of those executed were Black men， even though Georgia was majority white。” Many horrifying episodes are detailed， even though no white murderers were even prosecuted。 No matter how many times I read about the Ku Klux Klan and the white supremacists in power positions， I continue to be horrified that much of this racist attitude is still prevalent today。Seidule goes on to give the ingrained racist history of Washington and Lee University。 After his college education， he went joined the army and was assigned to Fort Bragg， North Carolina， named for a Confederate general。 Bragg， a West Point grad and Confederate General， was universally hated and lost nearly every battle he fought in the Civil War。 Yet a military base was named after him。 Airborne and Ranger Schools call Fort Benning home。 Henry L。 Benning， who had settled in Columbus and married into a prominent local family before the Civil War。 Unlike Bragg， Benning did not attend West Point and never served a day in the U。S。 Army。 He owned 90 slaves and supported Georgia’s succession from the US。No wonder Black soldiers want the names changed。 “During the Civil War， the U。S。 Army， which included 180，000 Black soldiers， emancipated four million African Americans from human bondage， destroyed chattel slavery， and saved the United States of America。 Our post names should reflect the best of the United States and its army， not the worst。”The book is filled with fascinating and horrifying reasons why the South has been and continues to be racist。 It is a remarkable document that should be required reading in schools。 According to Seidule （and history）: “My Verdict: Robert E。 Lee Committed Treason to Preserve Slavery。” 。。。more
Kelsey
，
I’m a Midwesterner who now calls Virginia home and this book explained so much to me about the myth of the lost cause that I could not previously wrap my head around。 The author gives fair warning about how history can be dangerous but also ends with optimism about the direction schools， especially Virginia schools！， are taking to revise curriculum to present the truth of America’s racism。
Gabriel Stein
，
Excellent Robert E Lee broke his oath and committed treason against the United States of America。 This is not even disputable。 But why then the reverence for him and for the Lost Cause？ Particularly since Lee’s behaviour was in fact unusual along Southern or war officers？ This is an excellent and eye opening read。 Oh， and it confirms again something that so many refuse to accept: the US Civil Was was fought about slavery！
Amy
，
A must read。 The South lost the Civil War but won the peace and why。 Excellent book。
Rachel Ellsworth
，
Must read
Bill Christman
，
I hate mythology。 Hated it in school and as I get older and deep into American history， hated it with a greater passion。 Mythology is nothing but feel good stories that make it difficult to get to reality。 I love history because history is dangerous。 Why？ Because truth is dangerous。 If your heroes have no flaws they are monuments of fiction and not truth。 The greatest myths in American history have to do with the Civil War and our history in regards to slavery and Civil Rights。 No one， not even I hate mythology。 Hated it in school and as I get older and deep into American history， hated it with a greater passion。 Mythology is nothing but feel good stories that make it difficult to get to reality。 I love history because history is dangerous。 Why？ Because truth is dangerous。 If your heroes have no flaws they are monuments of fiction and not truth。 The greatest myths in American history have to do with the Civil War and our history in regards to slavery and Civil Rights。 No one， not even myself， wants to acknowledge all the cruelty of our past。 But we must face it。 I want to worship our ideals。 American history has fallen short of those ideals， but to study it is also to get lessons in all the greatness and evilness of humanity。 This book is how an example of how I try to teach history， making connections from the present to the past which is what makes it dangerous。 People prefer to remember the myths of youth as truth or claim it has nothing to do with today。 Never is this more true than in regards to America's Civil War。 This book is part history， part autobiography of Ty Seidule's where he discusses his connection to the racism， which he did not recognize， and his learning the truth about his southern gentleman upbringing。 His great desire to be a southern gentleman was completely based on the myths of the old south。 He would use skills as a historian to begin to tear into much of what his upbringing taught him and how much of the confederacy has been in his life and army career。 Seidule digs into the unmentioned history of his hometown Alexandria， Virginia。 Despite the fact that they were in the Confederacy for less than 24 hours， they celebrate the Confederates， the names of all north south roads were legally obliged to be named after Confederate heroes。 No mention of the escaped slaves and their work for the US government during the Civil War。 Seidule's dream of going to Washington and Lee University and being commissioned in Lee Chapel that was draped with Confederate flags， on an alter that deified Robert E。 Lee is a true image of mythology overtaking truth。The Lost Cause school of the Civil War， the predominant school that taught Americans for nearly 100 years， made the war into a constitutional issue and slavery and black contribution minimized。 The irony is that those who served in the war were very clear as to why they fought。 American army veterans did not want tribute or even recognitions of West Point graduates who served the confederacy。 Robert E。 Lee wrote in a circumspect way but it is clear he was a racist and never changed his views。 Seidule's research consistently shows the causes and the treason that was committed especially by Robert E。 Lee。 As the veterans died off then came the tributes。 Most of the tributes and statues were put up 40 years after the war and every time there was a Civil Rights victory， more went up。 The timing is unmistakable。 He changes terms for example instead of calling it the Union Army it is， accurately， the American Army。 The planters are enslaved labor farmers。 That is because Seidule passion for the subject， he desires change in terminology。 Seidule preaches with the passion of the converted。 A point he really gets upset about is Lee given credit for bringing the country together。 Seidule points out Lee could have saved lives and surrendered months before he did。 The only reason he finally did was he was surrounded and had just lost a large portion of his army in the fight at Sayler's Creek days earlier - a fact often glossed over。 After the war Lee testified before Congress that Virginia would be better off if they got rid of the black folks。 He wanted reconciliation on his terms and this is where I feel Lincoln's assassination is perhaps the worst thing to happen in US history。 A strong political leader could have improved the situation。 Reconstruction is the hardest thing our government has ever had to deal with and its failure under Johnson has had centuries long repercussions。 While Lincoln， I believe would have done better， it would not be without his reputation being diminished。 Fighting the racial hatred of the south was greater than any national government was ready or even capable to deal with。 This is a great educational book and it is written to understand the older generation on how they were raised and saw the world， and how the truth is completely whitewashed。 He recognizes and calls out the south during the 20th Century as undemocratic police states。 The one party rule （whether it Democratic or now Republican） has been using the southern mythology to remain in power， truth be damned。 This book makes the connections showing how whoever controls the story， controls the politics of their day， which is why the statues become important， it is about control of the narrative。 To understand where America has been and why it is where it is today one has to understand the facts of history， not mythology。 This book is written by a formerly proud southerner whose passion for history， and his beloved army and country， changed him through the discovery of facts。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Linda Owen
，
Written with the passion of a recent convert， this confessional history-cum-memoir not only reveals the truths behind the persistent Lost Cause myth， but helps to explain what's motivating many Southern white conservatives in the modern political arena。 The Confederacy lives on， unfortunately。 Written with the passion of a recent convert， this confessional history-cum-memoir not only reveals the truths behind the persistent Lost Cause myth， but helps to explain what's motivating many Southern white conservatives in the modern political arena。 The Confederacy lives on， unfortunately。 。。。more
Mary Erickson
，
5 stars for an interesting， thought-provoking， maddening look at the homage to Robert E。 Lee， but 1 star less for occasional repetition。A West Point historian and "southern gentleman" recounts his life journey from Lee-worship to the conviction that Lee was a military traitor to the United States for the purpose of maintaining slavery。 And so why are there monuments to him--not only all over the South， but also at West Point in New York？I have personal connections to the Army and West Point。 I h 5 stars for an interesting， thought-provoking， maddening look at the homage to Robert E。 Lee， but 1 star less for occasional repetition。A West Point historian and "southern gentleman" recounts his life journey from Lee-worship to the conviction that Lee was a military traitor to the United States for the purpose of maintaining slavery。 And so why are there monuments to him--not only all over the South， but also at West Point in New York？I have personal connections to the Army and West Point。 I have also been visiting all 100 counties of my new state of residence， North Carolina。 It has been eye-opening， for sure， to see what is written on monuments at county courthouses--also who sponsored them and when。 Here's the best review I've read， linked from a Goodreads post: https://onereadingnurse。com/2021/01/0。。。 。。。more
Bookewyfe
，
If you’ve read this book， congrats…you’ve read some critical race theory！ I grew up here in the south， and I was never taught the truth。 Yet everywhere you look， there are painful reminders that the south holds onto， with pride。 Neighborhood names end with the word ‘plantation’。 Homes are on the market and advertised with ‘plantation shutters’ features。 Streets， schools， churches， military forts and more are named after Confederates。 It just goes on and on。Robert E。 Lee was a terrible human bein If you’ve read this book， congrats…you’ve read some critical race theory！ I grew up here in the south， and I was never taught the truth。 Yet everywhere you look， there are painful reminders that the south holds onto， with pride。 Neighborhood names end with the word ‘plantation’。 Homes are on the market and advertised with ‘plantation shutters’ features。 Streets， schools， churches， military forts and more are named after Confederates。 It just goes on and on。Robert E。 Lee was a terrible human being and he deserves no honor。 The sight of so many of these flags still flying， monuments still standing is sad。 It’s not about heritage and it never was。 It never will be。 This was such a heart breaking book but it’s one everyone should read。 We must dismantle white supremacy once and for all lest it destroy us。 。。。more
Paul Smith
，
Decent but repetitive I enjoyed the historical aspects of the book， but was often distracted by the number of times the author repeated himself。 It seemed very reminiscent of army briefings; tell them what you’re going to tell them， tell them， then tell them what you told the 。
Bj
，
Ty Seidule minces no words in his "reckoning"。 His language is unequivocal， firm and always civil。 Seidule paints the picture of his idyllic youth （despite the social upheaval rattling the entire US）， and his unwavering adoration of Robert E。 Lee and the concept of the "Southern Christian gentleman"。 The author swallows the myth of The Lost Cause， hook， line， and sinker。 But then， as an adult （a grown-ass MAN in current parlance）， he has an epiphany！ He begins to research the placement of variou Ty Seidule minces no words in his "reckoning"。 His language is unequivocal， firm and always civil。 Seidule paints the picture of his idyllic youth （despite the social upheaval rattling the entire US）， and his unwavering adoration of Robert E。 Lee and the concept of the "Southern Christian gentleman"。 The author swallows the myth of The Lost Cause， hook， line， and sinker。 But then， as an adult （a grown-ass MAN in current parlance）， he has an epiphany！ He begins to research the placement of various monuments， statues， and the naming of military installations to put the honors in a timeline with US events and attitudes toward racial equality。 The scales fell from his eyes， and he has shared his new-found perspective with his readers。The jaunt through US history is told from the recently acquired non-Southern point of view as compared to the Confederate， and the differences are jarring。 When much of the country has bought into the Lost Cause， there's no wonder our social justice issues are so intense。 This is essential reading。 。。。more
Lisa Wright
，
It was super to learn a historic chronicle of the civil war versus the crap I was taught in the 1970s-80s
Trent Douthat
，
Finally embarassed by my Confederate forebears Wow， I hadn't realized how much the Lost Cause myth had infected my mind and most people's understanding of history。 I'm glad to be disabused of those awful notions。 Finally embarassed by my Confederate forebears Wow， I hadn't realized how much the Lost Cause myth had infected my mind and most people's understanding of history。 I'm glad to be disabused of those awful notions。 。。。more
Jack Dixon
，
I love the topic and how open the author is in this book。 He’a incredibly brave for publicly criticizing himself and the military he served。 However， he is overly repetitive and makes a difficult reading style。 It certainly isn’t something I would read again for fun but it was certainly worth reading。
Suzanne
，
Ty Seidule， author， retired US Army brigadier general， PhD in American history， West Point Military Academy professor was born and raised in the American south。 He was brought up with the Lost Cause and believed Robert E。 Lee was the best general ever。 This book is his story of coming to the understanding of the Myth of the Lost Cause。 He can be a bit "preachy" at times， but his writing is superb。 This is a book to read and understand。 Ty Seidule， author， retired US Army brigadier general， PhD in American history， West Point Military Academy professor was born and raised in the American south。 He was brought up with the Lost Cause and believed Robert E。 Lee was the best general ever。 This book is his story of coming to the understanding of the Myth of the Lost Cause。 He can be a bit "preachy" at times， but his writing is superb。 This is a book to read and understand。 。。。more
Jeffrey Taylor
，
This is a must read given the current discussion on institutional names and the meaning of monuments。
J。A。
，
Magnificent！
William F Lesshafft
，
What an ego。The title should be All About Me。 Seidule obviously has a combination of a bee in his bonnet and buns wrapped too tight。 Already disgracing his uniform spouting his political agenda， I fear what this loon has been teaching at The Point。I'm no fan of Robert E Lee。。。goes back decades。。。and yes slavery was a。。。if not the。。。major cause of the Civil War。But this guy is over the top butt hurt。Save your time， this time is not worth it。 What an ego。The title should be All About Me。 Seidule obviously has a combination of a bee in his bonnet and buns wrapped too tight。 Already disgracing his uniform spouting his political agenda， I fear what this loon has been teaching at The Point。I'm no fan of Robert E Lee。。。goes back decades。。。and yes slavery was a。。。if not the。。。major cause of the Civil War。But this guy is over the top butt hurt。Save your time， this time is not worth it。 。。。more
Larry S Doyle
，
Powerful， Eye-opening， Brutally Honest， Urgently NeededI was so moved by honest and truthful treatment of what we， white southerners， have grown up believing without questioning。 This personal and powerful examination of the facts behind the Lost Cause myth helped me see the ugly truth about my heritage。
Anne
，
Please， please， please if you think the Confederate flag represents "Southern Pride，" read this book。 Please， please， please if you think the Confederate flag represents "Southern Pride，" read this book。 。。。more
Joe Keefhaver
，
A Southerner by birth and a graduate of Washington and Lee University， the author had always idolized Robert E。 Lee。 But later in life， Seidule began to examine the true history of the Confederate States of America and its foremost military leader。 What he found was that secession had been precipitated by the perceived threat to slavery and that Lee had been a supporter of human bondage。 Seidule concluded， as a career Army officer and a historian at West Point， that Lee had committed treason aga A Southerner by birth and a graduate of Washington and Lee University， the author had always idolized Robert E。 Lee。 But later in life， Seidule began to examine the true history of the Confederate States of America and its foremost military leader。 What he found was that secession had been precipitated by the perceived threat to slavery and that Lee had been a supporter of human bondage。 Seidule concluded， as a career Army officer and a historian at West Point， that Lee had committed treason against the United States。 The author decries how the Lost Cause mythology of the Confederacy has permeated many aspects of American life， including the military and West Point。 Lee had been a loyal officer in the U。S。 Army and had publicly stated his opposition to secession， yet when Virginia left the Union he immediately resigned his commission and joined the rebels。 Seidule is unable to explain why he did this， except that he supported slavery。 To the surprise of many readers， the author tells us many of Lee's own family were （at least initially） Unionists。 Contrary to what you may have heard， he also tells us that many Southern officers， including several Lee relatives， fought for the United States against the Confederacy。 。。。more
Nathan Hoyt
，
It is amazing how America's original sin permeates today in so many ways。 I do think this book would not have been as impactful coming from a different author。 Seidule's wife was spot on in that one impactful theme of this book is the personal path of the author being raised with the myths of Robert E Lee and then him also being a historian and also at Westpoint。 I am glad he had the courage to confront this in himself and then bring this up to a wider audience。 I just finished reading "Forget t It is amazing how America's original sin permeates today in so many ways。 I do think this book would not have been as impactful coming from a different author。 Seidule's wife was spot on in that one impactful theme of this book is the personal path of the author being raised with the myths of Robert E Lee and then him also being a historian and also at Westpoint。 I am glad he had the courage to confront this in himself and then bring this up to a wider audience。 I just finished reading "Forget the Alamo" and the two of these books within a week just have my head spinning a bit at how history can be so manipulated for a cause。 。。。more
Amber Spencer
，
So interesting。 I’ve already had a lot of conversations about this book。
Paul Werner
，
Exceptional。 A must read for all。
Ddoddmccue
，
Robert E。Lee and Me - A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause， offers a very personal reassessment from the perspective of a Southerner/ Retired Brigadier General/ West Point historian。 And what a journey it is。The title likely suggests preaching to the choir， with potential readers more apt to be predisposed to the author’s message than those coming from a position of disagreement。 This is unfortunate。Another concern is that some potential readers will be distracted by the book Robert E。Lee and Me - A Southerner’s Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause， offers a very personal reassessment from the perspective of a Southerner/ Retired Brigadier General/ West Point historian。 And what a journey it is。The title likely suggests preaching to the choir， with potential readers more apt to be predisposed to the author’s message than those coming from a position of disagreement。 This is unfortunate。Another concern is that some potential readers will be distracted by the book’s length and tone。 While neither curtailed my reading， some potential readers might be turned off by one or both。 However， the book’s organization makes its chapters an excellent source for separate seminar or course reading assignments。 The chapter on the number， placement， and timing of installations of Civil War monuments at West Point alone sheds light on the social and political intertwining of Civil War: Lost Cause（ i。e。， “Rebellion” in West Point wording） at our nation’s esteemed military academy。 The bite- sized chapter approach also suggests readership expansion。 What’s Seidule’s recommendation for addressing the Lost Cause myth？ He advocates better understanding of， and a more thorough view， of history （thankfully never ever mentioning the charged term “critical race theory” in his entire book）。 My rewording: he is pleading with us， as concerned Americans， to do the memory work necessary to move our nation constructively forward。 Are we up to the task？ 。。。more
Patty
，
I was raised in a small mill town in the 1950s just about as far northwest as you can go in the USA。 I never understood the "South" and its mindset。 This book enlightened me like no other historical account has or could。 I was raised in a small mill town in the 1950s just about as far northwest as you can go in the USA。 I never understood the "South" and its mindset。 This book enlightened me like no other historical account has or could。 。。。more
Kathleen
，
Audio book from libraryRobert E Lee and Me is the NF account of Ty Seidule’s journey to enlightenment。 If you want a book about Robert E Lee there are dozens from which to choose。 Mr。 Seidule， the author， was raised in the South， steeped in the myth of Robert E Lee the great Army General， whose sense of honor was so great that he surrendered to Grant to prevent further unnecessary bloodshed。 Because Grant epitomized the true Southern Gentleman， the author revered Lee and wanted to be a southern Audio book from libraryRobert E Lee and Me is the NF account of Ty Seidule’s journey to enlightenment。 If you want a book about Robert E Lee there are dozens from which to choose。 Mr。 Seidule， the author， was raised in the South， steeped in the myth of Robert E Lee the great Army General， whose sense of honor was so great that he surrendered to Grant to prevent further unnecessary bloodshed。 Because Grant epitomized the true Southern Gentleman， the author revered Lee and wanted to be a southern gentleman as well。 I am just a couple of years younger than the author， I was not raised in the South， and even I was taught some of myth of the lost cause。 So I can believe that， for someone raised in Lee’s backyard， the mystique would have been layered on quite thick。 But as a military historian teaching at West Point， Seidule’s mythic hero crumbles。 And this book is the testimony of that journey told with the fervent zeal of a convert。 。。。more
Monica
，
Easy read， yet hard and difficult topic。 Liked his style of merging his personal life with the over arching theme of the Civil War and how he highlighted the history of all the lore many of us grew up with。
Megan
，