BookSneeze Review: Lee, A Life of Virtue by John Perry

I recently obtained an advance review copy of this book from Booksneeze. I was intrigued by this statement on the back cover: "Traitor. Divider. Defender of slavery. This damning portrayal of Robert E. Lee has persisted through 150 years of history books. And yet it has no basis in fact." Strong words, these. Yet I was puzzled as well, for this supposed pervasive portrayal of Lee was something I failed to identify with. To the contrary, every previous Civil War book I had read, both pro and anti-Southern, conveyed only admiration for General Lee. Had I somehow missed something? This could hardly be reason enough to write a new biography about a man who has already had numberless words written about his life. The editor's note helped me to understand the motivation for this new series about American Generals. Stephen Mansfield asserts that most that has been written about the lives of American military leaders falls into two opposing categories, hagiography and revisionist history (in which the subject is a "reviled symbol of societal ills"). He states that it is time for a balance portrayal of our leaders, one that gives honour where it is due, and yet does not gloss over human frailty. More than that, the intent of the series is to "help us learn the lessons they [these generals] have to teach". (p.x) In the author's introduction, Perry proposes to answer the questions "Who was the real Robert E. Lee, how did he become the man he was, and how is the genuine article different from the myth?"(p.xviii)

As I read the biography, I was most struck by the difficulty Lee faced in balancing his sense of duty to his country with his devotion to his family. During his more than 30 years of service in the U.S. Army, he experienced many lengthy separations from his wife and children. Some of the agony he felt comes out in some of the letters to his wife, Mary Anna Custis, which the author quotes at length. Perry also brings out the close connection that Mary Anna's family had to George Washington, whose memory was still fresh in many American minds during the early 1800's. Even at such an early date, there emerge strong hints of the popular mythology that was to grow around the first President of the United States.

Drawing heavily from personal letters and J.William Jones' biography of Lee, Perry concludes that "Lee was not an infallible commander. His recurring flaw was to assume his subordinates had the same energy, bravery, resolve, and sense of self-sacrifice he did and then plan accordingly. ... Yet, ... Lee was a great leader...because he never abandoned his personal standards, [and] never wavered from doing what he thought was right even in the face of inevitable, crushing, devastating consequences." (p. 226) I found the book easy to read, and think that Perry a fair job in accomplishing his stated goals in writing the book. However, I would have appreciated more detailed references, rather than the rather short bibliography given at the end.

2010 in Books (Kara's list)

At the start of each new year, I like to look over all the books I read in the previous year. Sometimes I post the list on the blog. So here are all the new-to-me books I read in 2010, with my favourites in italics:

1. The Paideia of God by Douglas Wilson
2. Soul Survivor by Philip Yancey
3. Asterix the Legionary
4. Asterix in Spain
5. Asterix in Britain
6. Paddington Marches on by Michael Bond
7. One Flesh by Amelia and Greg Clarke
8. The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht
9. Asterix the Gaul
10. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
11. Chocolat by Joanne Harris
12. Riverside Cup of Tea Recipes by Linda Lamp
13. Tolkien's Gown and other stories of great authors and rare books by Rick Gekoski
14. For the Children's Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay
15. Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner
16. The Flying Inn by G.K. Chesterton
17. A Girl at Government House, ed. by Helen Vellacott
18. Pride and Predator by Sally S. Wright
19. Changing Planes by Ursula LeGuin
20. Bobby Brewster's Ghost by H. E. Todd
21. The Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears
22. Jane Austen by Peter Leithart
23. The Immortal Lovers, Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning by Frances Winwar
24. Henry Reed's Baby-sitting Service by Keith Robertson
25. Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren Winner
26. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
27. Wild Yam, Nature's Progesterone by Rita Elkins
28. The Mystery of the Screaming Clock by Robert Arthur
29. Pajama School by Natalie Wickham
30. Reformed is Not Enough by Douglas Wilson
31. The Chase by Louisa May Alcott
32. Monsoon Diary by Shoba Narayan
33. 50 Great Curries of India by Camellia Panjabi
34. Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
35. Healthy Indian in Minutes by Monisha Bharadwaj
36. Turkish Cooking by Ghillie Gasan
37. North African Cooking by Tess Mallos
38. Repairing the Ruins, ed. Douglas Wilson
39. Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt
40. Psmith Journalist by P.G. Wodehouse
41. Watership Down by Richard Adams
42. Curry (Dorling Kindersley)
43. A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
44. A Primer on Worship and Reformation by Douglas Wilson
45. Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
46. A Walk with Jane Austen by Lori Smith
47. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
48. Eating with Emperors by Jake Smith
49. Around the World in 80 Dinners by Bill and Cheryl Jamison
50. An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
51. The Age of Kali by William Dalrymple
52. Jamie's Dinners by Jamie Oliver
53. Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape
54. One Rue Tatin by Susan Loomis
55. Tarte Tatin by Susan Loomis
56. Amy's Bread by Amy Scherber and Toy Kim Dupree
57. Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
58. The Italian Baker by Carol Field
59. Turquoise by Greg and Lucy Malouf
60. Blessed are the Hungry by Peter Leithart
61. Cat O' Nine Tales by Jeffrey Archer
62. To Cut a Long Story Short by Jeffrey Archer
63. Lee, A Life of Virtue by John Perry
64. Heaven Misplaced by Douglas Wilson
65. Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
66. Eddie's Big Deals by Carolyn Haywood
    

Kara's Reading Goals for 2011

Last year I listed twelve books, chosen to fill out a well-rounded set of genres . This year, I just made a list of the books I want to read, and then found categories to put them in. I intended to stop at twelve, but just couldn't. So here are the thirteen books I plan to read in 2011.

Theology:

Eat this Book by Eugene Peterson

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

For some reason, I've not yet read this.

Letters to a Diminished Church by Dorothy L. Sayers

Biblical Studies:

Through New Eyes by James Jordan In progress

Gospel and Kingdom by Graeme Goldsworthy Finished

Both books highly recommended by my husband.

Nature:

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard Finished

This got a mention in Yancey's Soul Survivor, which I read a year ago.

Humour:

Jeeves in the Offing by P.G. Wodehouse Finished

Because one must always have some Wodehouse at hand.

Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome Began and finished in January

Because my dear sister says this is just as funny as Three Men in a Boat.


Children's book:

Redwall by Brian Jacques Finished

Biography:

A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

Poetry:

Untune the Sky by Douglas Wilson Finished


Travel:

In Xanadu by William Dalrymple Finished

Now that I've read everything else in the house by Dalrymple, it's time to read his account of travelling in the steps of Marco Polo.

Philosophy:

The Journey by Peter Kreeft