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A review by mdreadsandreviews
Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause by Ty Seidule
5.0
I realized I accidentally posted an update (unable to edit) instead of starting a review, so I've restarted here.
Enjoying so far, will try to update with some notes a la Riq Hölle
- Seidule argues that Gone With the Wind (both the books and movie) may have had a greater impact on current US public perceptions of the Civil War than the war itself.
- I enjoyed the section on US Army forts named for Confederate generals and the investigation into why treasonous officers with poor to barely mediocre military talents received recognition.
- Great story of how African-American cadets at West Point forced Nixon to give up his desire for a Confederate memorial on campus.
- Related to the above point of recognition for Confederates, Seidule shows that the erection of statues and monuments to Confederates (many of them a century after the Civil War ended) was almost always a reaction to civil rights movements, not the reconciliation of the divided nation as is often claimed.
- Seidule’s final assessment of Lee is an overdue and justified reckoning. Lee was not pressured into joining by family or peers, most of whom stayed loyal to the United States. He betrayed his oath and his nation in order to defend the reprehensible institution of slavery. And his reputation as a postbellum advocate for reunification should be forever marred by his continued arguments against rights for Black citizens.
Overall, this is a fantastic book. Seidule’s decision, on advice of counsel - his wife, to blend personal memoir with historical account is precisely what makes his argument so compelling. His stories provoke discomfort and unease, but his aim is to educate, not condemn, his readers, some of whom may share his background. There is much more to his tale than what I can include in this review so I wholeheartedly recommend you read it yourself to see just how valuable his reflections are as America comes to term with its racist past.
Enjoying so far, will try to update with some notes a la Riq Hölle
- Seidule argues that Gone With the Wind (both the books and movie) may have had a greater impact on current US public perceptions of the Civil War than the war itself.
- I enjoyed the section on US Army forts named for Confederate generals and the investigation into why treasonous officers with poor to barely mediocre military talents received recognition.
- Great story of how African-American cadets at West Point forced Nixon to give up his desire for a Confederate memorial on campus.
- Related to the above point of recognition for Confederates, Seidule shows that the erection of statues and monuments to Confederates (many of them a century after the Civil War ended) was almost always a reaction to civil rights movements, not the reconciliation of the divided nation as is often claimed.
- Seidule’s final assessment of Lee is an overdue and justified reckoning. Lee was not pressured into joining by family or peers, most of whom stayed loyal to the United States. He betrayed his oath and his nation in order to defend the reprehensible institution of slavery. And his reputation as a postbellum advocate for reunification should be forever marred by his continued arguments against rights for Black citizens.
Overall, this is a fantastic book. Seidule’s decision, on advice of counsel - his wife, to blend personal memoir with historical account is precisely what makes his argument so compelling. His stories provoke discomfort and unease, but his aim is to educate, not condemn, his readers, some of whom may share his background. There is much more to his tale than what I can include in this review so I wholeheartedly recommend you read it yourself to see just how valuable his reflections are as America comes to term with its racist past.