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The man who would not be Washington : Robert E. Lee's Civil War and his decision that changed American history / Jonathan Horn.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Scribner, 2015Edition: First Scribner hardcover editionDescription: xi, 369 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 147674856X (hardcover)
  • 9781476748566 (hardcover)
Other title:
  • Robert E. Lee's Civil War and his decision that changed history
Subject(s):
Contents:
Introduction: the view -- Part I. Antebellum -- Foundering father -- A Potomac son -- Lee's union -- Part II. Casus belli -- Half slave, half free -- Washington's sword -- The decision -- Part III. Bellum -- The battle for Arlington -- The last heir -- White House burning -- Emancipation -- The indispensable man -- The cemetery -- Part IV. Postbellum -- Washington and Lee -- Epilogue: the bridge.
Summary: On the eve of the Civil War, one soldier embodied the legacy of George Washington and the hopes of leaders across a divided land. Both North and South knew Robert E. Lee as the son of George Washington's most famous eulogist and the son-in-law of Washington's adopted child. Each side sought his service for high command. Lee could choose only one. Here, former White House speechwriter Jonathan Horn reveals how the officer most associated with Washington went to war against the Union that Washington had forged. This extensively researched and gracefully written biography follows Lee through married life, military glory, and misfortune. The story that emerges is more complicated, more tragic, and more illuminating than the familiar tale. As Washington was the man who would not be king, Lee was the man who would not be Washington. The choice was Lee's. The story is America's.--From publisher description.
Fiction notes: Click to open in new window
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library NonFiction 973.7309 H813 Available 33111007706845
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The riveting true story of Robert E. Lee, the brilliant soldier bound by marriage to George Washington's family but turned by war against Washington's crowning achievement, the Union.

On the eve of the Civil War, one soldier embodied the legacy of George Washington and the hopes of leaders across a divided land. Both North and South knew Robert E. Lee as the son of Washington's most famous eulogist and the son-in-law of Washington's adopted child. Each side sought his service for high command. Lee could choose only one.

In The Man Who Would Not Be Washington , former White House speechwriter Jonathan Horn reveals how the officer most associated with Washington went to war against the union that Washington had forged. This extensively researched and gracefully written biography follows Lee through married life, military glory, and misfortune. The story that emerges is more complicated, more tragic, and more illuminating than the familiar tale. More complicated because the unresolved question of slavery--the driver of disunion--was among the personal legacies that Lee inherited from Washington. More tragic because the Civil War destroyed the people and places connecting Lee to Washington in agonizing and astonishing ways. More illuminating because the battle for Washington's legacy shaped the nation that America is today. As Washington was the man who would not be king, Lee was the man who would not be Washington. The choice was Lee's. The story is America's.

A must-read for those passionate about history, The Man Who Would Not Be Washington introduces Jonathan Horn as a masterly voice in the field.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 333-346) and index.

Introduction: the view -- Part I. Antebellum -- Foundering father -- A Potomac son -- Lee's union -- Part II. Casus belli -- Half slave, half free -- Washington's sword -- The decision -- Part III. Bellum -- The battle for Arlington -- The last heir -- White House burning -- Emancipation -- The indispensable man -- The cemetery -- Part IV. Postbellum -- Washington and Lee -- Epilogue: the bridge.

On the eve of the Civil War, one soldier embodied the legacy of George Washington and the hopes of leaders across a divided land. Both North and South knew Robert E. Lee as the son of George Washington's most famous eulogist and the son-in-law of Washington's adopted child. Each side sought his service for high command. Lee could choose only one. Here, former White House speechwriter Jonathan Horn reveals how the officer most associated with Washington went to war against the Union that Washington had forged. This extensively researched and gracefully written biography follows Lee through married life, military glory, and misfortune. The story that emerges is more complicated, more tragic, and more illuminating than the familiar tale. As Washington was the man who would not be king, Lee was the man who would not be Washington. The choice was Lee's. The story is America's.--From publisher description.

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