Virginias General : Robert E Lee And The Civil War

Grade 7 Up-A companion to Marrin’s Unconditional Surrender (Atheneum, 1994), in which the author represented Grant and the Union’s story of the war. Here, he turns with equal style and integrity to Lee and the South. The first chapter combines details of Lee’s early life with national political events, thus deftly setting the stage for the engrossing developments to come: Lee’s leadership of the Army of Northern Virginia against a parade of ineffectual Union generals, the initial successes of Confederate forces, the turning point of Gettysburg, and finally the opposition of Grant. This is not a straight reportage of facts; instead, it is a complicated and well-considered mesh of personal anecdotes, letters, reports, songs, images, and events. The book has the texture of an episode in the PBS Civil War series, with the added dimension of analyzing Lee’s motivations. Profusely illustrated with period photos and drawings, this title’s appeal lies in its absorbing description and its compelling prose.