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242 reviews for:
Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause
Ty Seidule
4.4 AVERAGE
242 reviews for:
Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause
Ty Seidule
4.4 AVERAGE
Helpful, needful corrective to "Lost Cause" mythology. Seidule knows whereof he speaks and he's got the bone fides to be a compelling witness.
Could have used a bit more editing (sometimes reads as a collection of essays or op-eds rather than a cohesive book) but I hope more people will read this and wrestle with it.
Could have used a bit more editing (sometimes reads as a collection of essays or op-eds rather than a cohesive book) but I hope more people will read this and wrestle with it.
dark
informative
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Rape, Slavery, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Classism
informative
reflective
medium-paced
“Eleven southern states seceded to protect and expand an African American slave labor system. Unwilling to accept the results of a fair, democratic election, they illegally seized U.S. territory, violently. Together, they formed a new 'Confederacy,' in contravention of the U.S. Constitution. Then West Point graduates like Robert E. Lee resigned their commissions, abrogating an oath sworn to God to defend the United States. During the bloodiest war in American history, Lee and his comrades killed more U.S. Army soldiers than any other enemy, ever. And they did it for the worst reason possible; to create a nation dedicated to exploit enslaved men, women, and children, forever.”
Interesting historical perspective, and I completely agree with the author’s views. Did get bogged down with some details, especially about his alma mater Washington and Lee.
“When people tell me that I'm trying to change history, I point to the stories hidden from me in Virginia and Georgia. I don't want less history, I want more. The real question is: who chooses the history? Is it Jubal Early? The United Daughters of the Confederacy? Politicians? Few choices are more fraught for people than who decides which stories are taught to children - or to college students."
Oh…and we’re surprised that conservatives are banning this in school districts??
Really excellent in particular if you share the author’s patriotic bent, southern upbringing, or strong beliefs that the civil war was a lost cause fought to uphold “states rights.” If you’ve already rejected that premise or the lost cause myth, maybe a bit less so. Still learned a lot from this and am glad I read it (it was cool to see a West Point prof with a military background so openly call Robert E. Lee treasonous), but definitely less impactful for me personally than I was hoping.
Oh…and we’re surprised that conservatives are banning this in school districts??
Really excellent in particular if you share the author’s patriotic bent, southern upbringing, or strong beliefs that the civil war was a lost cause fought to uphold “states rights.” If you’ve already rejected that premise or the lost cause myth, maybe a bit less so. Still learned a lot from this and am glad I read it (it was cool to see a West Point prof with a military background so openly call Robert E. Lee treasonous), but definitely less impactful for me personally than I was hoping.
Excellent book about the stories we tell ourselves through history.
A no-nonsense look at the history behind the mythology around Robert E. Lee and the lost cause. The author's experiences and analysis are very insightful. Highly recommended.
Wow every white person raised in the south needs to read this. Also, important to note that the confederacy was not only 100% just about white supremacy and chattel slavery, but they were also traitors, losers, and when it comes to military strategy and war, hugely incompetent morons.
This is an outstanding book that every person in the United States should read. In the years I spent living in Virginia, attending high school and college there, I feel lied to. This book is refreshing and provides an accurate depiction of why Southern States seceded, and why Robert E. Lee fought against the United States: to perpetuate the system of chattel slavery forever.
Read this book. Outstanding scholarship and courageous indeed.
Read this book. Outstanding scholarship and courageous indeed.