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239 reviews for:
Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause
Ty Seidule
4.4 AVERAGE
239 reviews for:
Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause
Ty Seidule
4.4 AVERAGE
It was super to learn a historic chronicle of the civil war versus the crap I was taught in the 1970s-80s
A compelling and unflinching look at the history behind America's cultural response to the Civil War, where in the name of unity, traitors were deified rather than castigated, where the losers were allowed to control the narrative and whitewash the true causes of the rebellion. The book is especially powerful because it is told by a native son of the South, who grew up steeped in the lies and believing the myths. We can't change change history, and there is no way to truly make it right, but facing the truth is an important first step in seeking justice. Highly recommended.
A fantastic look at the Lost Cause of the South and faulty history believed by many Americans, not just southerners. I've read academic books on this subject before, but Seidule added a really interesting history of the US military establishment's acceptance and endorsement of the neo-Confederate version of history. He approached this topic by reflecting on his own upbringing in Alexandria, VA. We get a look at his encounters with Gone With the Wind, Uncle Remus stories, and the textbooks of the time. I found it to be a personable and effective approach to what to many is a difficult subject.
This is a FANTASTIC book in the Lost Cause in terms of evidence and argument, and because it’s written by someone who grew up with the Southern Lost Cause deep and their bones and serves in the military for decades, I think it’s the best choice to give people who still believe in the Confederate mythos.
informative
reflective
Listened to this as an audio book but I will definitely be picking up a physical copy to re-read again.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
I was pleased to have come across this book because I’ve never been convinced of Robert E. Lee’s greatness, though I certainly grew up with several of the myths surrounding the ‘Lost Cause’ that Seidule covers in his book. My opinion has always been that blue beats gray and that slavery is horrifying, so I never fell under the sway of the states’ rights argument. However, I have friends who are Lee apologists and that rubs me wrong, so here was someone willing to stand up and say that they lived the Lee lie and understood it to be just that. Do I believe that this book will change minds? Maybe, but that mind has to be open to the notion. For certain, this book carries the weight of a professional historian and soldier which should tip the scales for some in most regards. This is no blog post. This is a well-researched attack on white supremacy and its acolytes through the eyes of someone who emerged from under its shadowy insistence. Why only 4 stars? I feel like Seidule spent a fair portion of the book dealing with the problems of the South and with segregation which is extremely important, but did not adhere to the premise of Robert E. Lee and Seidule’s understanding of the complicity to revere Lee. But even those parts of the book are valid and do much to dismantle the lies that white supremacy uses to soften their image.
Still, one of the most damning segments against the book’s ability to effect change comes from Seidule himself in the introduction: ‘Nothing I could say would refute his upbringing, his feelings, and his history. Then I realized evidence didn’t matter; he had chose his own facts based on his culture. Despite the overwhelming evidence historians have gathered and my own passion to explain the cause of the Civil War and the violent segregation that followed it, I could convince no one.’
I was pleased to have come across this book because I’ve never been convinced of Robert E. Lee’s greatness, though I certainly grew up with several of the myths surrounding the ‘Lost Cause’ that Seidule covers in his book. My opinion has always been that blue beats gray and that slavery is horrifying, so I never fell under the sway of the states’ rights argument. However, I have friends who are Lee apologists and that rubs me wrong, so here was someone willing to stand up and say that they lived the Lee lie and understood it to be just that. Do I believe that this book will change minds? Maybe, but that mind has to be open to the notion. For certain, this book carries the weight of a professional historian and soldier which should tip the scales for some in most regards. This is no blog post. This is a well-researched attack on white supremacy and its acolytes through the eyes of someone who emerged from under its shadowy insistence. Why only 4 stars? I feel like Seidule spent a fair portion of the book dealing with the problems of the South and with segregation which is extremely important, but did not adhere to the premise of Robert E. Lee and Seidule’s understanding of the complicity to revere Lee. But even those parts of the book are valid and do much to dismantle the lies that white supremacy uses to soften their image.
Still, one of the most damning segments against the book’s ability to effect change comes from Seidule himself in the introduction: ‘Nothing I could say would refute his upbringing, his feelings, and his history. Then I realized evidence didn’t matter; he had chose his own facts based on his culture. Despite the overwhelming evidence historians have gathered and my own passion to explain the cause of the Civil War and the violent segregation that followed it, I could convince no one.’
This book really resonated with me. Seidule is a retired Army brigadier general, former head of history at the U.S. Military Academy, and the first professor emeritus of history at West Point. Growing up in Virginia, he idolized Lee and had to learn the hard way about the myth behind the man and the cause he fought for. I, too, grew up thinking Lee wasn't all that bad and that he only fought for the Confederacy because he felt a duty to his state. I figured out the Lee was not the mythical, mostly good guy torn by loyalties by adulthood, but I didn't realize just how pro-slavery he actually was until Seidule put Lee's own words in print. This book is so important and beautifully written by a man who has had to come to terms that his hero was actually a monster. An important book at any time but especially now.
Yes, yes, yes. The Lost Cause mythos has infected even the winning side, thanks to things like Gone With the Wind and the persistence of organizations like the Daughters of the Confederacy. The narrative promoted by white Southerners was expertly crafted and promulgated and didn't really have a counter-narrative to challenge it from the north (and honestly, racism is an everybody problem, not just in the south, so that kind of story gained even more traction).
The writing was clear and well supported and I appreciated the candor Seidule has in telling his own history. It's not easy to tell people that you were wrong, and even harder to tell others they are.
The writing was clear and well supported and I appreciated the candor Seidule has in telling his own history. It's not easy to tell people that you were wrong, and even harder to tell others they are.
