General James Longstreet: The Confederacy's Most Controversial Soldier

by Jeffry D. Wert

General James Longstreet fought in nearly every campaign of the Civil War, from Manassas (the first battle of Bull Run) to Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, Gettysburg, and was present at the surrender at Appomattox. Yet, he was largely held to blame for the Confederacy's defeat at Gettysburg. General James Longstreet sheds new light on the controversial commander and the man Robert E. Lee called “my old war horse.”

Genres: Civil War, Biography, History, American Civil War, Nonfiction, American History, War

528 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

American historian and author specializing in the American Civil War. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. from Lock Haven University, and a M.A. from The Pennsylvania State University, both in History. He worked for many years as a history teacher at Penns Valley Area High School in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania.

Reviews

[Alan Tomkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography is a great chronicle of Longstreet's Civil War career. It effectively redeems him from the vilification of Lost Cause myth promoters such as Jubal Early and William Pendleton, whose attacks on him largely started when he became a Republican after the war. He was clearly the most effective and talented corps commander in the Confederate military forces, though he did have episodes (Seven Pines, Lookout Valley, and Knoxville) where he blew it. His generalship was superb; his troubles seemed to stem from his character defects when dealing with other strong willed people in authority. When at fault, instead of humbly admitting his wrongs and making amends, he had a tendency to scapegoat others and fudge the facts. The author is very thorough and fair in examining these aspects of Longstreet's career.
What I found lacking in this book, though, was any in depth examination of Longstreet's core beliefs and governing personal philosophies. We get only vague hints from observing his behavior as related by the author. Maybe Longstreet and those who knew him intimately did not leave much record of such things, but the author doesn't even attempt to look at how Longstreet felt about slavery or constitutional government. The closest he comes is to succinctly note that Longstreet spent his formative years with an uncle who believed in states rights as espoused by John Calhoun, so therefore James Longstreet did, too. If this is all there was to the man's political and social outlook, then he didn't appear to be much of a deep thinker; and maybe he wasn't...who knows, because the author doesn't seem to think it very important to help us learn what made the man tick.
The strongest and best characteristic of this book is the detailed descriptions of the military strategies and tactics, as well as the battle action, all told from the viewpoint of the Confederate generals as it all unfolded. The Civil War histories I have previously read have tended to have more of a Union or neutral, objective narrative viewpoint, so this made for a unique and fascinating reading experience from my perspective...going for a grim thrill ride inside the mind of the enemy, so to speak. It certainly didn't elicit any sympathy from me for the Confederate cause, but it made for excellent, intense reading. If you are a Civil War buff and want to know what it was like to campaign in Longstreet's First Corps of the Army of Northern Virginia, then I believe you will enjoy and appreciate this book.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

General James Longstreet was one of the major corps commanders in the Confederate Army. At one point, General Robert E. Lee referred to Longstreet as his "Old War Horse." Nonetheless, considerable controversy swirls around Longstreet.

This book does a solid job on outlining the controversy and Longstreet's record. One theme in the South after the Civil War was the "Lost Cause" thesis. Here, Longstreet was a central element. The author, Jeffry Wert, says (page 14):

"A significant. . .victim of the 'Lost Cause' interpretation of the conflict was James Longstreet. A crucial element of the myth was that the Confederacy nearly attained victory except for the mortal wounding of Stonewall Jackson at Chancellorsville and the defeat of Robert E. Lee's army at Gettysburg two months later. . . . The burden for Gettysburg fell on Longstreet. . . ."

This book lays out a nicely rendered biography of Longstreet. A series of helpful maps provides context throughout the work. The book takes a standard approach and provides detail on Longstreet's early life and career (his action in the Mexican War and his friendhip with Ulysses Grant). The work chronicles his rise in the Confederate Army after war broke out. He went from commander of a small unit at First Manassas to division commander to corps commander in a fairly short period of time, matching Stonewall Jackson's rise in responsibility. Both had poor moments in the Peninsula Campaign; by the end of the Seven Days, Longstreet had grown considerably. By Second Manassas, Jackson and Longstreet were the two corps commanders in the Army of Northern Virginia and both performed well.

By that time, certain aspects of Longstreet's style became clear. At Second Manassas, he delayed attack until the situation was to his liking. Just slow? Or calculated to gain maximum effect against the Union forces under General John Pope? Then Antietam, where Longstreet gained the nom de guerre of "My Old War Horse" from Lee.

Fredericksburg? The classic Longstreet-favored approach. Take a position and let the Yankees attack and lose large numbers of troops. Longstreet was convinced that the Confederacy could not fight long odds battles with fewer men than in the Union army. He missed Chancellorsville, while on a mission on the Peninsula. Then Gettysburg. Was he petulant and someone who undermined the Confederate effort and chances of victory? Or was he clear eyed, seeing the impending defeat? Wirt addresses this issue in a sensitive manner.

Later, we see Longstreet at his worst (feuding with Braxton Bragg and performing badly against the pathetic Ambrose Burnside at Knoxville) and at his best (his tour de force rolling up Winfield Scott Hancock's line at the Wilderness). With respect to the latter, as he was planning yet another movement against the Union army, he was shot by other Confederate troops.

After a lengthy convalescence, he rejoined the Army of Northern Virginia at Petersburg, fought with Lee until the end of the Civil War. Then, he became a Republican (alienating many southerners), criticized Lee while defending his own record (heresy to the south), and overall had a checkered career.

Nonetheless, this book provides useful context for evaluating Longstreet. One fair conclusion is that he was one of the best corps commanders on either side (there were a lot of bad ones and some very good ones)--but one who also was far from perfect (again, note his performance under Braxton Bragg). A nice book for those wanting to know more about "The Confederacy's Most Controversial Soldier" (the book's subtitle).

[Gilda Felt · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book I can understand why Longstreet’s reputation is so uneven, and why he was so controversial. He won some battle, lost some, which can be said of any general. But it appeared that often it was more than bad luck, or bad odds, that caused the lost. Though it can’t be proven, his often divisive behavior has been blamed on his own vanity, or sense of aggrievement.

After the war, his being willing to work with the North further damaged his reputation, at least with Southerners. But that very thing went a long way to raising his estimation in my eyes. It’s also why I’m inclined to think that others’ estimation of his so-called bad behavior during the war may have been sour grapes.

Though mostly covering the years of the Civil War, there is enough in the book to give a well-rounded picture of who Longstreet was, what drove him, and what made him the successful general that he was.

[Straw · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, a bit long and tedious. I was hoping it would focus more on the post-Civil War controversy but it focuses primarily on Civil War battles. Interesting man...

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

General James Longstreet I actually knew very little about as history is not always kind to the survivors. General James Longstreet was without a doubt one of the most capable Corp Commanders who has ever served in any Army and after reading this book I think you will agree. While many in history have judged him harshly as they feel that he abandoned the South after the war in reality he simply did what had always done which was to be true to his convictions. We think of the Gallantry of Lee the boldness of Stone Wall Jackson but reading this book you learn that Longstreet was from beginning to end Lee's Old War horse and his most trusted commander through out the war.

Longstreet after the war was still a commander as he put war behind him and put in support for his old and trusted friend from his days at West Point Ulysis S. Grant.

Sadly is often the case Longstreet was a warrior and leader of men but he was not a politician and suffered because of it.

This autobiography does an absolutely excellent job of addressing the many misconstrued storys of Longstreet and shows very clearly that had his advice been heeded at Gettysburg the landscape of the country may look very different today.

[Michael Astfalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

In General James Longstreet: The Confederacy's Most Controversial Soldier, Jeffrey Wert strives to make an honest examination of the military career of Confederate General James Longstreet and the historiography surrounding Longstreet's perception and reputation. Wert argues that Longstreet was an effective and innovative commander who served Lee's right hand man. While Lee and Jackson are commonly praised as the two most important, effective, and influential soldiers of the eastern theater of the war, Wert shows that while these two men deserve much of their praise and adulation, Longstreet has been undeservedly overlooked as one of the great military commanders of the Civil War. Wert places Longstreet back on the pedestal with Lee and Jackson as he shows Longstreet's ingenious battle tactics at Fredericksburg, Chickamauga, and the Wilderness. Wert also combats some of the great criticisms of Longstreet, investigating Longstreet's relationship with Lee, the reasoning for some of his command decisions, and Longstreet's military principles of conserving lives and resources over daring offensives. At the same time, Wert gives Longstreet his due criticism for his failures in east Tennessee and his foot-dragging at Gettysburg, acknowledging both Longstreet's triumphs and tragedies.

I moved this book up on my reading list after reading Grey Fox: Robert E. Lee and the Civil War by Burke Davis, which had given a harsh perception of Longstreet's actions at Gettysburg. I immensely enjoyed Wert's overview of Longstreet's career and the Civil War and I think the book helped me better understand Longstreet's role in the Confederate army. Wert's battle descriptions are detailed and top-notched and I will certainly be revisiting some of the chapters of this book as I visit battlefields and comb through atlases of the war. While I feel I have finished the book with a better understanding of Longstreet, I wish that Wert had focused more on some of Longstreet's innovations. Longstreet's tactics at Chickamauga and the Wilderness are both portrayed as groundbreaking, however, just through this read-through, I have a difficult time completely understanding the innovation of Longstreet's tactics. The book is sparse on battle maps and battle descriptions can easily become confusing even if you are paying close attention. Despite this, Wert still effectively conveys his main arguments for Longstreet's value as a commander in the Civil War even for novice students of the war like myself. This is definitely a book I would like to revisit after learning more about the Civil War.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last century’s Confederate mythology held General Longstreet responsible for losing the battle of Gettysburg and, somehow, with it the war. This was mainly because, after the war, he turned Republican, Catholic, and dared to criticize the Saint (Lee) in his memoirs. In this book, author Wert examines Longstreet’s career and gives the reader a balanced account of the man’s career. Against his superlative actions in the battles of Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chickamauga and the Wilderness, there are less than splendid performances at Seven Pines, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. Gettysburg gets three chapters in which Longstreet doesn’t get blamed for the loss, but doesn’t get high marks either. Finally, Wert tells us, “Longstreet…was the finest corps commander in the Army of Northern Virginia; in fact, he was arguably the best corps commander in the conflict on either side.” Here I would wish for some more detail about his administration; I wonder how he would compare to Federal General George H. Thomas’ XIV Corps. How he marshalled his command at Fredericksburg and Chickamauga were good presentations of how those battles were won. Along with the novel The Killer Angels this goes far to “redeeming” General Longstreet, who deserves it.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining and readable biography about a deeply complicated man. Tactical genius without a doubt, but definitely got in his own way more than once. I'm a little disappointed the book largely glossed over his post war life, but the attention to detail about his campaign strategies and philosophies is almost a quintessential "how to" in leadership. Quite possibly one of my favorite Civil War books to date.

[Darrell Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longstreet - Lee's Old Warhorse. More important though less popular than Jackson, and there for all of the major battles in the East except Chancellorsville.... Wert's text focuses on the fighting. We get a quick whisk through the family background and the many children, West Point and the Mexican War...and then so fast, it begins. First Corps was a fearsome weapon and there is no doubt Longstreet was a superb battlefield tactician. The repeated rivalries for promotion and the obvious damaging impact these had on performance is startling. When a Corps has 30,000 men, the mistakes due to lack of clarity in the orders and insufficient face to face planning meetings seems bizarre. Longstreet was a colossus under Lee - the failed campaign in Tennessee could be as much about Bragg and the ruinous mutiny but at Lookout Mountain and Knoxville, the General seems disengaged. Of course the pivotal moment is July 2 at Gettysburg. Wert seems inclined to agree with Longstreet that the Union position was too strong, but even so it is the near run thing on the 2nd that decides matters. The scene on the 3rd when Longstreet can only nod to Pickett and not bring himself to issue the order to advance is heart-breaking. The timely arrival at the Wilderness showed what his veterans could still do, and what greater victory might have been achieved without another friendly fire calamity. The post war political piece seems non-essential - Grant was his best friend after all. I would have liked a bit more analysis - it is safe to assume that all readers know the main historical narrative, so greater expansion of Longstreet's desire for the Confederacy to fight on the defensive to manage their limited manpower and not to get sucked into a war of attrition would have been welcome. By the end though, recognising a General who adapted his tactics as conditions and even more importantly the nature of warfare quickly developed should ensure that Longstreet stands with Lee and Jackson as one of the great Commanders.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives an excellent account of Longstreet's military career and effectively refutes the Lost Cause myth that had been built up about Longstreet for over 100 years prior to the book's publication. I would have liked to see more about Longstreet's personality and beliefs. I understand that this is likely limited by the lack of surviving letters, the absence of a diary, and the fact that his own memoirs focus almost entirely on the technicalities and history of his Civil War campaigns. However, Wert possibly could have at least attempted to delve more into his thinking. If this was not possible, he should have said so. This is a great book on Longstreet and about the war in general, written in an academic style by a historian who specializes in this field. Unlike biographers who see their subjects one-dimensionally, Wert writes very even-handedly. He shows Longstreet to be a brilliant strategist and defends him against those who unfairly blamed him for losing the war. But he also criticizes Longstreet for his blunders at Seven Pines and in the Knoxville Campaign, as well as for what he saw as unfair criticisms of fellow commanders. His approach is very sensible and evidence-driven. A great book.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good account of Longstreet's life. It's heavy on the War years, and less on his postwar controversies. I was hoping for more on the latter. I enjoyed the book: Gwynne's prose (Rebel Yell) is better but Wert's writing is slightly better than Chernow's (Grant). The battle details could get a little tedious, but I've never read a Civil War book that shied away from them. I really appreciate how Wert shows Longstreet with warts and all. Longstreet had many good qualities, but he could be petty, vindictive and less than truthful. In other words, he was a human being. Entering the book, I had a unrealistic lofty perception of Longstreet; Wert's account checked that view. By the end, I maintained a deep respect for Longstreet and what he accomplished during and after the War. He recognized that his world had changed and he tried to adapt. He continued his friendship with Grant, a friendship that existed before the War (Longstreet was Grant's best man), and joined his political party. I admire that he was able to rise above the loss, bitterness and sadness that the War brought and contribute to healing the country.

[David Bird · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this is an adequate example of the military-history-as-sportswriting genre, making calls on controversial episodes, it does not really engage with the history of the controversy. To do that would require sensitivity to the reasons why the Civil War was fought, but that sensitivity is as absent as “slavery” from the index of this book.

Wert mentions the Lost Cause frame, but doesn’t consider how it might affect the sources he uses. Narrative of the Gettysburg campaign, footnoted or not, that claims that Pennsylvanians were well treated by the Confederate army is myth; history records that Pennsylvanians of African descent were abducted for sale as slaves.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Random thoughts about Jeffry Wert’s biography of Confederate General James Longstreet, titled General James Longstreet: The Confederacy’s Most Controversial Soldier:

Provenance: Purchased on a Father’s Day trip to The Last Bookstore in downtown Los Angeles.

Expectations: Wert has written eight Civil War books, known for their personal detail. His works are researched exhaustively and he often uses personal journals and writings of soldiers from the battlefields.

I’ve long been fascinated by Longstreet, which I will get into below, so was really looking forward to this book, expecting four or five stars.

The Story: The life of General James Longstreet, focusing less on his boyhood and more on his role in the Civil War. Longstreet was Lee’s right-hand man for much of the war, though he had checkered results in battle.

After the war, interestingly, Longstreet switched political parties. Where Southern Democrats were the slave-holders, soldiers, and officers of the Confederate States, Longstreet became a Republican after the war. He supported, in a fashion, Reconstruction, and felt that compromise between the North and South was necessary to move America forward. This alienated him greatly from his fellow soldiers and many Southern policiticians.

What it's really about: How to succeed in business and in life. I’ve read over twenty books on the Civil War and am still thunderstruck by the simple mistakes that cost so many men their lives. Things like basic communication. How battle orders were not given, or given unclearly, affecting the outcome of the fight.

Longstreet was as culpable of this as anyone, though he was generally regarded as a brilliant tactician. At the battle of Chickamauga, Longstreet showed his tactical chops as he adapted his army’s fighting style to fit the unique woodland terrain and scored a decisive victory for the South. At the same time, Longstreet is often regarded as the reason Lee’s army lost the battle of Gettysburg. Longstreet had what, in retrospect, was probably a better strategy for fighting that battle. However, Lee went with a more straightforward plan. Longstreet disagreed vehemently with this plan and is accused of, for this reason, delaying his army’s engagement in the battle, costing many Southern lives.

Though seen by many Southern soldiers as a hero, Longstreet could be petty. His disagreements with his equals and subordinates could occupy much of his mind and his time, taking him away from more important work. This occurred during and after the war, when he spent more time than he should have trying to settle accounts, mostly laying the blame for his failures at the feet of others.

Good communication and taking personal responsibility are two pretty good skills to have in life.

Could this be a movie or tv series?: There is a lot of drama in Longstreet’s life, much of it his own making. I think there are the bones of a historical fiction film, probably made by Kevin Costner.

Of Note: Longstreet and his wife, Louisa, had ten children. Five of them survived to adulthood.

At West Point, one of Longstreet’s classmates, and his best friend at the school, was Ulysses S. Grant. Just another example of the tragedy of the Civil War – two great American generals on opposite sides, using their skills to try to kill the other.

Longstreet’s memoirs were a bit controversial as well, as he definitely told his story from his perspective, leaving out details that did not suit his narrative of being a hero. According to Wert, one of the details he left out was any mention of his first wife, Maria. Not sure why he did that.

Picking Nits: I found Wert’s perspective to lean a little heavily to defending Longstreet. I say this having long considered him a brilliant military mind. But he obviously let personal feelings get in the way of his leadership, and I don’t think Wert acknowledged that enough.

It is always hard to follow along with battle narratives without maps of the battlefields. Wert includes them, and the ones he included were actually very good. However, there was only one map per battle, showing the beginning positions of the armies. Especially regarding a battle such as Gettysburg, it would have been helpful to have additional maps showing the location of the armies as they moved.

Recommendation: I have long looked for a biography of Longstreet so that I could learn more. This was pretty good for that, particularly for his battle acumen and his relationships with other army and political leaders. Longstreet seems to be a complicated man but this did not delve into many of the reasons for his actions. I would have liked that (if it was available) for his more self-destructive behaviors. Still, a good survey of an important Civil War figure.

[Miles Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The shade of General James Longstreet owes his rehabilitation to Michael Shaara, whose classic novel "The Killer Angels" (1974) presented him as a rugged but level-headed warrior whose counsel, had it only been kept by Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg, could have won the Confederacy the battle and possibly, the war. Prior to that, and for over 100 years, Longstreet had been the scapegoat of the "Lost Cause" mythos -- the Judas whose incompetence, vainglory and egotism sabotaged Lee's genius, and who compounded his felony by siding with the Yankees after the war was over.

In this book, author Jeffry Wert tries to separate the facts from the fiction, both romantic and malicious, and give us an honest picture of Longstreet's life and career. I think he does a largely admirable job carrying out this difficult task, and the intense and very detailed research he performed his obvious. His basic thesis is that Longstreet, while far from perfect as a man or a soldier, was far closer to Shaara's somewhat gilded, fictive image than the half-diabolical, half-buffoonish one concocted by his political enemies after the war. He depicts "The Ole Bull of the Woods" (he also went by "Dutch," and U.S. Grant, one of his best friends before and after the war, called him "Pete") as a military genius who was far ahead of his time: a man who understood the power of defensive warfare -- particularly trench warfare, which he practically invented -- and the more nuanced power of the counterattack. A physically fearless man who refused to flinch at shellbursts and the near-misses of bullets and often poked fun at those who did. A man (usually) beloved by his troops for his courage, steadfastness, brains, and concern for their welfare. A doting husband and father and, for the most part, a devoted friend, whose abilities and counsel were prized by Lee. Wert, however, does not shrink from criticisms of the faults he discovers in Longstreet's character -- like Grant, he rarely accepted blame for his failures and often sought scapegoats for them, and he also had a taste for intrigue which did not match his ability in that department, often weaving tangled webs that caught only himself. Furthermore, like Jackson, he came up woefully short at several critical points in his fighting career, and after the war, made an unnerring series of political choices which, while sincere, fed his enemies with endless ammunition with which to blacken his name. Longstreet's worst enemy seems to have been not the Yankees, but himself.

To sum it up, this is an even-handed biography of a man whose reputation languished in a kind of unpleasant semi-obscurity for a century, but who continues to undergo a rehabilitation that I think Wert would agree is long overdue.

[Rick Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeffry D. Wert's book on General James Longstreet answered many questions I had about Longstreet's character, personality, leadership style, and decision making ability. As a student of the Gettysburg Campaign of 1863, I enjoy reading and studying about the various officers from the North and South who were involved as it sheds light regarding the hundreds of decisions that were made.

An interesting aspect of the American Civil War are the relationships that many Union and Confederate officers had with each other due to their time at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York; fighting alongside each other during the Mexican War; and service in the U.S. Army prior to the outbreak of the Civil War. Wert describes the friendship that Longstreet had with Union General and later President Ulysses S. Grant. This relationship went through several phases: academy classmates, service in the old Army, foes fighting one another in a war, reconciliation, and later when President Grant appointed Longstreet to more than one political position.

I believe that Wert has written James Longstreet's biography from an objective standpoint. Far too many authors either vilify or deify the subject of their work; however, Wert has not done that. He presents the good, the bad, and the ugly of Longstreet, his strengths and weaknesses. Wert also does a great job weaving the Civil War narrative against Longstreet's postwar writings which many times did not match actual events. Furthermore, Wert details the tremendous hatred including death threats, that were hurled at Longstreet after the Civil War when he encouraged national unification and when he changed political affiliations from the Democrat party to the Republican party.

This is a good read for students of the Civil War, military history, and leadership.

[Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely well written and well documented biography about the Confederacy’s most controversial soldier. The primary controversy revolves around the actions and inactions of Longstreet at the Battle of Gettysburg. The author does an excellent job of explaining the controversial situations on Day 2 and Day 3 of that battle. He presents both sides of the issue and puts forth what actual documentation exists to support each side. Sufficient documentation either never existed (i.e. not all orders issued were written orders) or at least didn’t survive the war and post war period to ever put an end to these controversies. But the author presents a well-reasoned conclusion that Longstreet doesn’t deserve all the criticism he received during the post war period for his actions at Gettysburg. In addition, Longstreet had strained relations with Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and with fellow generals A.P. Hill and Braxton Bragg. Again, the author covers these strained relationships with well-reasoned and well supported arguments. In fact, the author covers all of Longstreet’s important relationships with his contemporaries in the army and the Confederate government; such as Robert E. Lee, not just people with whom he had difficult relationships. Longstreet is shown to be an excellent battlefield tactician. He was valued and relied upon by Robert E. Lee. His shortcomings are also revealed and discussed by the author. However, in general, the overall score for Longstreet comes out as the best Lieutenant General in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. All the major campaigns that Longstreet participated in are covered in this biography as well. So, there is much to be learned and the controversies are explained and put into perspective by this author.

[Tom Lane]

Thoroughly enjoyed the book! Gen Longstreet was an amazing man who continued in public service long after the war. It's a shame some southerners view him as a traitor, and made him a scapegoat for losing the war. Some also see him somehow less a general than he actually was...likely because Gen Lee was to popular. President Grant, whom I respect immensely, recognized the worth of Mr. Longstreet and as he held several federal offices, beginning in the Grant administration. Right or wrong, my perspective on the war is that while many soldiers may have fought because they had no choice, several (likely the majority) fought to preserve a way of life that included slavery, and I could never agree with that. It was different times to be sure! But at the end of the day, southern generals were the losers, especially Gen Lee, and they should never be venerated, certainly never above northern generals, that fought to abolish slavery...most notably Gen Grant. I'm not naive, and I've read extensively on the war (200+ books), I know that slavery wasn't the only reason the war was fought. I'm not making a moral or ethical judgement of anyone, other than the southern Army lost and Lee was in command. To my knowledge he never blamed Gen Longstreet for the loss and neither should anyone else. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War and the men that fought in it. I also recommend it to anyone that thinks they already know everything about Gen. Longstreet.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading about a Confederate General, although I've lived in Virginia for more than ten years. Very well written. The challenge always with this subject matter is the sheer quantity of names. However, so many streets, metro stations and military bases share these names it was all oddly familiar. The author spends time on Longstreet's tactics and how they changed modern warfare as well as doing a great job telling of the momentous battles. Longstreet's life after the Civil War was also fascinating as he was embroiled in some political turmoil in New Orleans due to Reconstruction. He believed in supporting the Federal position and rebuilding, which got him in political hot water with Confederate veterans. After the events in New Orleans, the Southern community began to attack his legacy. This book attempts to reclaim his leadership and ingenuity. Next up I will read about General Tecumseh Sherman.

[Louis · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone who has read Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels, James Longstreet stands out as unique in the ranks of Confederate commanders. Although he admires Robert E. Lee, he obviously considers his chief's decision to invade Pennsylvania to be a disastrous one. Due to such bluntly expressed views and his support for postwar Southern Reconstruction, he has not been adequately studied by Civil War historians. Wert's biography attempts to solve that omission with limited success. For all the book's skill in looking at the Army of Northern Virginia's battles and generals, it somehow loses contact with its subject. Longstreet here is less an actor in events and more an observer (who often seems more concerned about avoiding blame for mistakes than winning battles). While I still believe Longstreet to be a fascinating figure from the Civil War, I do not think this book captures him at all.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good biography on the controversial general. The biography does a good job of cutting through myth and exposing Longstreet to history for what he was, a human. It also does a good job of restoring Longstreet to his proper place in Civil war historiography. The author finds a way to tell Longstreet’s story without glorifying him or unnecessarily criticizing him. Longstreet was an imperfect being, and it was interesting to read about the scandals he was involved in with Bragg and McLaws. But his accomplishments outlined in the book and undeniable, and it’s nice to see his reputation restored over time, and this book has contributed to that. However, my one complaint is I wish it would have expanded more on his postwar life. This book is a good piece of civil war reading, and good for anyone interested in Longstreet.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-balanced presentation of Longstreet's Civil War service, with emphasis on the actions Longstreet took and motivations behind them. Longstreet was vilified after the war as a scapegoat for the downfall of the Confederate Army, particularly after Gettysburg, and he spent his later years defending himself and his actions, sometimes to the point of embellishment and/or omission of relevant facts. The author does a good job presenting a fair and seemingly accurate depiction of actual events and intentions, based on his extensive research. I recommend this for anyone interested in one of the lesser known but vitally important leaders of the war.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really impressed with this book and from looking at the notes and bibliography, I would assume that Jeffry D Wert did his research. Which was really great compared to most of the politically motivated drivel that they call history books now.
Some of the best parts of it were the intersections that existed before, during and after the Civil War that really change how it is currently perceived. The author also didn't spare some details even when cast Longstreet in a poor light, but he also shared anecdotes that helped to understand why Longstreet made some of the decisions that he did before, after and during the war.

[Scott Lord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating history of a lesser remembered Confederate General

I was prompted to read this after an op ed piece by Andrew Comey. He was discussing why there were no prominent statues for General Longstreet. He was Robert E Lee’s most trusted General and very successful. The book doesn’t spend as much time on Longstreet after the war where he did become a Republican in the south and drew the ire of many southerners. The author was very good a pointing out the good and the bad about Longstreet, Lee and Jackson which I have found rare in reading history. Excellent book

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A more comprehensive biography of Longstreet than Piston's Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant, this is a very detailed account of Longstreet's army career, but Longstreet's post-bellum career (more interesting to me) is summed up in one chapter. Piston is better on the latter half of Longstreet's career, but this is a good basic account of his career as a soldier. Longstreet himself comes across as often a brilliant general, but also querulous, and occasionally capable of shocking mistakes and misjudgments of men.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this was more a 3.5 but I gave a 4 for quality of research and writing.

I was under the impression that this was a traditional biography, but I would call it more of a military history with some biographical detail.

It contains great research on Longstreet's military training and command during the Civil War. I did not find this super absorbing but would be valuable for the military historian.

I enjoyed the last chapter "The Final Journey" the most as it is a more traditional biographical chapter and focuses on Longstreet post-Civil War.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This definitive study of Longstreet’s military record is now thirty years old but still holds up. Wert’s study is aimed at battling the Lost Cause myth that the South could have, should have, and would have if not for Longstreet. It works. Those interested in Longstreet should read this and that of Varon, whose study is aimed at showing the post civil war career of Longstreet who worked to recognize and support Black rights, which earned him the enmity and condemnation of the creator’s of the Lost Cause myth.

[The Logophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a little bit disappointed in this book. It's supposed to be a biography about Longstreet, but it's actually a book about the Civil War with an emphasis on battles Longstreet participated in. That doesn't mean the information was bad, but it's not what I signed up to read. I was most interested in his life post the Civil War, but there was only one measly chapter dedicated to the last 40+ years of his life. Needless to say, I'm not that enthusiastic about the book. As someone who has already read a lot about the war itself, it was a waste of time.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most interesting individuals in the history of the Civil War. He gets blamed for a lot of bad things that happened to the Confederacy but in reality he was a brilliant general who should have been listened to at Gettysburg by General Robert E. Lee. Fortunately, he wasn't. After the war, Longstreet attempted to work with the United States and was even named an ambassador during the Grant administration.

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a little while and a couple of attempts to finish this book. It provides a good overview of the life of James Longstreet and the nature of his role in the Civil War. Longstreet was an interesting person in the confederate army. I enjoyed the parts of the book portraying his after war life. I learned from this book but found it dry at times to read.

[Steve Schinke · Rating 3 out of 5]

While a decent chronicle of the life of Longstreet, the underlying exploration of the politics in the confederate army make it a worthwhile read. It has motivated me to delve deeper into some of the other leaders of the Confederacy. My prior readings were limited to Lee, Jackson, and Johnston. From here I will explore Davis, Stuart, Bragg and others that pique my interest.