Lee In the Shadow of Washington

Conflicting Worlds: New Dimensions of the American Civil War

by Richard B. McCaslin

Winner of the Austin Civil War Round Table’s Laney Prize and the Virginia Historical Society’s Richard L. Slatten Award for Excellence in Virginia Biography

While most historians agree that Robert E. Lee’s loyalty to Virginia was the key factor in his decision to join the Confederate cause, Richard B. McCaslin further demonstrates that Lee’s true call to action was the legacy of the American Revolution viewed through his reverence for George Washington. In this thematic biography, McCaslin locates the sources of Lee’s devotion to Washington and shows how this bond affected his performance as a general. The enduring paradox, McCaslin shows, is that Washington earned his reputation as a statesman, whereas Lee never escaped his self-imposed image as a revolutionary in Washington’s shadow.

Genres: Biography, History, Civil War

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lee believed himself to be in the like of Washington in that he was fighting to overthrow what he considered to be an oppressive government.

- His own men were weary, hungry, and often barefoot. Straggling reduced his effective strength by as much as half.
- As he wrote to Davis, all "efforts & energies should be devoted" to defeating the enemy, not futilely chasing foreign support. Foreign assistance, though, had proven decisive for George Washington.

[Davy Bennet Surf]

I got this book at a Civil War Roundtable meeting in which the author gave a presentation.

[Dick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not a starter book for Lee. For that see a classic biography such as Douglas S. Freeman's Lee. McCaslin has written a biography from Lee's point of view, emphasizing Lee's veneration of Washington and the ways in which that veneration affected Lee's every decision, from the choice of a wife (the daughter of Washington's adopted son) to major strategic battle decisions. While I have not finished the book yet, I can't help but feel that McCaslin has shown us not ROBERT E. LEE, the great American hero, but rather George Washington Junior, a derivative and diminished version of the second generation following the founders. I'll have to see how he wraps this up...

[J. Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really intriguing comparison of Lee and Washington. McCaslin builds a case for Washington being Lee's idol and by extension that Lee used Washington as a model for making most of his life descisions.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at Robert E. Lee's hero worship of George Washington, and it's effect on his military strategies during the civil war. Not very in-depth, and a bit repetitive.