Robert E. Lee

A Life

By: Allen C. Guelzo

Narrated by: Jason Culp

Length: 22 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

A WALL STREET JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • From the award-winning historian and best-selling author of Gettysburg comes the definitive biography of Robert E. Lee. An intimate look at the Confederate general in all his complexity—his hypocrisy and courage, his inner turmoil and outward calm, his disloyalty and his honor.

"An important contribution to reconciling the myths with the facts." —New York Times Book Review

Robert E. Lee is one of the most confounding figures in American history. Lee betrayed his nation in order to defend his home state and uphold the slave system he claimed to oppose. He was a traitor to the country he swore to serve as an Army officer, and yet he was admired even by his enemies for his composure and leadership. He considered slavery immoral, but benefited from inherited slaves and fought to defend the institution. And behind his genteel demeanor and perfectionism lurked the insecurities of a man haunted by the legacy of a father who stained the family name by declaring bankruptcy and who disappeared when Robert was just six years old.

In Robert E. Lee, the award-winning historian Allen Guelzo has written the definitive biography of the general, following him from his refined upbringing in Virginia high society, to his long career in the U.S. Army, his agonized decision to side with Virginia when it seceded from the Union, and his leadership during the Civil War. Above all, Guelzo captures Robert E. Lee in all his complexity--his hypocrisy and courage, his outward calm and inner turmoil, his honor and his disloyalty.

©2021 Allen C. Guelzo (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year

"Allen C. Guelzo, an eminent Civil War historian, has now published exactly what the nation needs as it reappraises important historical figures who lived in challenging times with assumptions radically unlike today’s. Robert E. Lee: A Life, Guelzo’s scrupulously measured assessment, is mercifully free of the grandstanding by which many moralists nowadays celebrate themselves by indignantly deploring the shortcomings of those whose behavior offends current sensibilities. But by casting a cool eye on Lee, Guelzo allows facts to validate today’s removals of Lee’s name and statues from public buildings and places... Guelzo’s biography is necessary." —George F. Will, Washington Post

"In Robert E. Lee, Allen C. Guelzo punctures the Lost Cause mythology without indulging in culture-war polemics, and he examines Lee’s life and moral culpability with a judicious eye." —Fergus M. Bordewich, Wall Street Journal

"A deeply researched character study... Crisp and sound... Allen C. Guelzo’s fine biography is an important contribution to reconciling the myths with the facts." —David Goldfield, New York Times Book Review

Review of Robert E Lee

The author helps the reader to glean the truth from facts, across the level of time

Not top notch

I’m not happy with this trend of pointing out Roberty Lee’s treason. What with the statues been torn down and the new order coming in I’m finding it quite tedious to read a biography that does not truly understand the aristocracy and the worth of the southern culture. It doesn’t matter how efficiently you’re right and how talented you are if you’re going down the wrong highway you’ll never get to your destination
Kathryn Rogers

Excellent Bio

This is an excellent, balanced overview of Robert E Lee’s life, ably describing the man’s talents while being unsparing about his flaws and his crimes. Highly recommended.

Improvement in Knowledge about Robert E. lee

I learned that there was actually communication General McClellan And lee concerning an Attack upon Washington During the Lincoln administration

Well-written, informative, even-handed

As a Virginian, raised to revere Lee, and having been disappointed with some revisionist history of him, I found this book fascinating in the way the author pulled together many strands of evidence and presented a meaningful narrative of the man's life.

I strongly encourage others to read this biography. While it may not be the "final word" on Lee, it is certainly as even-handed as one can expect. Lee was a complex man. The author paints a plausible picture of Lee's strong character, human flaws, and noble intent, while addressing in his own way the charges of treason levelled at Lee.

The author has given me much to think about, and I deeply appreciate his work.

Outstanding biography, with great context material

Very pleased with this biography. I was already familiar with Lee's life & even more so, with the history of the Civil War, but still learned more about both subjects. Especially in the area of Lee's pre-war life, his family relationships, & his post-war life. I found the treatment very balanced, neither condemnatory or laudatory of Lee -- in terms of his racial/slavery attitudes, his strengths & weaknesses as a war strategist & tactician. The forward to the book led me to think it would be rather condemnatory of Lee's attitudes about slavery, but rather, in fact, he was remarkably mile (but still racist of course) compared to most other leaders of Confederate politics & military. The narrative is well-structured, never flags, the narration is outstanding.

questionable scholarship

The author was not aware that the Confederate position at Gettysburg was Seminary Ridge (a seminary was close by) not Cemetery Ridge (and said despite there not being a cemetery there.) Gettysburg is a well-known battle, not obscure by any means. Did he even go to the battlefield?

This could have been an editing issue, but at one point Robert E. Lee is called Robert Edmond Lee not Robert Edward Lee.

Guelzo writes as balanced a biography as possible considering the tumultuous backdrop. That's IF he got his facts straight.

The effort put into the research

Really enjoyed it. Well put together and read. Best un opinioned book about Lee I’ve read

Salute to ACG

The narrator was excellent! The book was well researched. This book is not about the fanciful nor the evil southerner Lee, but the human being. It was exactly what I was looking for and the author stayed nuetral and delivered the facts about the whole family. Well done!

A fair and balanced picture

I found this biography overall to be fair and balanced. The author in my opinion did a great job of painting a picture of Lee in America both past and present. As I’m going through the antebellum period in America I was very interested in seeing why the picture of Lee, someone who headed the military arm of the CS at one point is still remembered as he is. He is remembered as if he fought for the side of the North and emancipation and not the South and slavery. This book does a great job of painting a full picture and I highly recommend it.