Longstreet

The Confederate General Who Defied the South

By: Elizabeth Varon

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Length: 14 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

An authoritative biography of the controversial Confederate general, who later embraced Reconstruction and became an outcast in the South.

It was the most remarkable political about-face in American history. During the Civil War, General James Longstreet fought tenaciously for the Confederacy. He was alongside Lee at Gettysburg (and counseled him not to order the ill-fated attacks on entrenched Union forces there). He won a major Confederate victory at Chickamauga and was seriously wounded during a later battle.

After the war Longstreet moved to New Orleans, where he dramatically changed course. He supported Black voting and joined the newly elected, integrated postwar government in Louisiana. When white supremacists took up arms to oust that government, Longstreet, leading the interracial state militia, did battle against former Confederates. His defiance ignited a firestorm of controversy, as white Southerners branded him a race traitor and blamed him retroactively for the South’s defeat in the Civil War.

Although he was one of the highest-ranking Confederate generals, Longstreet has never been commemorated with statues or other memorials in the South because of his postwar actions in rejecting the Lost Cause mythology and urging racial reconciliation. He is being rediscovered in the new age of racial reckoning. This is the first biography in decades and the first to give proper attention to Longstreet’s long post-Civil War career.

©2023 Elizabeth Varon (P)2023 Simon & Schuster Audio

An excellent biography!

Ms. Varon’s biography reflects her thorough and diligent research of the historic record and of the extant literature on Longstreet.

Confederate general going against the white leagues

Not your normal confederate general. Pro reconstruction it made him a target. To this day they seem to be coming after his records and fabricating a history to control the white southern narrative. Eye opening.

Standing Taller Out of Marble than Within

This is a fair and insightful look at the life of one of America's great men. This book shows the courage of the man. The author shows how history will have him standing taller than any of his CSA veteran contemporaries due to that courage, both during and after the war. Honest and even blunt at times it was a joy to listen to and subsequently read. Being no, "Marble Man" was a greatly poignant theme.

A Revealing Biography

Varon's incredible new biography of Longstreet thoroughly examines his post Civil War life and career to find the roots behind the attacks on his military career. It is a remarkable revelation in every way. The narration for the audio book is excellent. Highly recommended.

Disappointing

I can not recommend this book. While I do admire Longstreet and I appreciated that his being blamed for the confederate loss at Gettysburg is challenged, too much of the author’s own political biases bleed through. Also, the narrator had the most boring, monotone delivery I have ever endured.

Good story that is little known

The book details, sometimes in excruciating detail, Longstreet's conversion from slave owner and son of the confederacy to a more progressive person. There was a lot to learn about his life and his change of heart. Much of the book details the writings of those who wished to support his reconstruction stand and acceptance of the Union's victory and those of the Old South, who wished to show him as a fraud and traitor to the Lost Cause. The author give both versions with a tendency to give Longstreet the benefit of the doubt. He mostly avoids conjecturing on the motivations of his actions.