Library Journal Review

Since the end of the Civil War, Confederate General Robert E. Lee has generally been revered as a hero. Yet not all of his contemporaries and not all historians have shared that view. Gallagher (history, Pennsylvania State Univ.) has assembled a series of writings on Lee's ability and conduct as a soldier whose sources range from Lee's fellow general, Jubal A. Early, to Douglas Southall Freeman and modern-day historians. The essayists examine Lee's actions in each battle he fought, with special emphasis on Gettysburg and Pickett's charge. They probe Lee's extraordinary ability to evaluate his officers' strengths and weaknesses, his perceptive understanding of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and his mastery of offensive operations within a defensive strategy, a practice that may have defeated him at Gettysburg. Gallagher edits very little but provides extensive bibliographic citations. As important as the essays is the 200-entry annotated bibliography, an excellent starting point for an in-depth study of Lee. Recommended for academic libraries and public libraries with Civil War collections.‘Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., Metamora (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.