Reviews - Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause

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239 reviews for:

Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause

“I grew up with a series of lies that helped further white supremacy. That’s uncomfortable. To see real agony, think about the millions of people who lived their entire lives enslaved, knowing that enslavement would be the future for their children and their children’s children…the only way to prevent a racist future is to first understand our racist past.”

So concludes the epilogue of Seidule’s book. The first sentence of this quote succinctly describes why I picked up this book: I, too, am a southerner who was spoon fed the mushy, cotton candy “states’ rights” version of the Civil War through my school years - and even considered myself more logical and less emotional for seeing it that way.

I’ve unlearned a lot. So as Seidule.

Reading this was bizarre, because though I experienced the same Confederate fantasy gaslighting, it wasn’t as holy rolling as Seidule’s fanatical exposure to Lee. It was jarring to read his accounts of just how absurdly the man was (is) hero worshipped by some.

The key part of this book is it’s confrontation of the Lost Cause myth from the parapet of a man who is exposing his own flawed, racist viewpoint and describing how he learned it, and how he’s unlearning it. It takes guts to be forthright about the bad opinions you’ve held in the past - but it’s also very important to assess WHY Seidule, and many others, believe these things with such fervor. We can’t understand it or combat it without hearing accounts such as these, and that makes Seidule’s honest account useful,

It’s also laudable that he used his position as someone who fits the stereotype of one we’d ASSUME to be a raging Confederate apologist to debunk the grotesque shadow white supremacy has cast over the hard facts of our history.

This book has faults - I’m docking it a star because it is not written well (it’s so, so repetitive, too informal at times, and even screamy, which isn’t always in education), and I think Seidule is still a little too romantic about America. I also would have liked to hear more about how he addresses this with members of his family and circle who still believe and perpetuate these myths.

This is a respectable polemic that I enjoyed and relates to and value and will come back to in debates, but I wonder where it’s usefulness is. It preaches to the converted - but can it reach the true believers? I’m not sure - but I’m glad it exists.

wheatengator's review against another edition

5.0

"We find it hard to confront our past because it’s so ugly, but the alternative to ignoring our racist history is creating a racist future.” Mr. Seidule pulls the curtain back on why we have so many statues/monuments/memorials of Confederate "heroes".

shoelessmama's review against another edition

4.0

9/10. Could not "put it down", aka stop listening. This was enlightening. The first book in a while to change some of my preconceived notions and/or long-held beliefs. I couldn't help thinking about my recent read "Think Again" and how hopeful I am that people can hear what Seidule has to say and let him change their minds. I've long enjoyed reading about the Civil War ever since I read "Gone With the Wind" at age 11 and fell in love with the story and characters. I've had to come to accept in the past decade what is problematic in this book that I loved and have re-read many times. It was good to have my own reckoning with my love for that book backed up through Seidule's discussion on that classic novel. Where he really gave me new info. was, as the title would suggest, on my long held beliefs about Robert E. Lee. It's sad to let go of someone I've respected for his character and military strategy (not quite a hero, but I'd thought well of him) but I'm sufficiently convinced that in this case letting go of that respect is deserved.