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A review by starwarrior91
Robert E. Lee and Me: A Southerner's Reckoning with the Myth of the Lost Cause by Ty Seidule
5.0
“History is a set of lies agreed upon” -Napoleon Bonaparte
Without a doubt the most eye opening nonfiction book I’ve ever encountered. As an amateur American history buff my perspective on the confederacy and it’s legacy in the United States has been altered forever. I’m a white man who has lived his entire life in the north, I was aware of the inaccuracy of lost cause ideology and the reality that slavery was the cause of the Civil War, but I’m ashamed to say I still let the lost cause myth pervade my understanding of history. Growing up watching movies like Gettysburg, visiting the battlefield as a teen, and reading Civil War books as an adult, I would see the confederates as opponents but not necessarily enemies. Leaders like Lee I would accept as honorable opponents that were reluctant to fight the Union. Wrong in their beliefs certainly but equal in regard with men like Grant and Sherman. I’m here to tell you Ty Seidule set me straight. An author that’s not some political pundit or a newscaster with a 30 second opinion, but rather a man who has lived his life in the south, honorably served our nation’s armed forces for decades, and is a better expert on Civil War history than I could ever hope to be. Someone whose experiences, research, and conclusions I could easily respect. Someone who knows and deserves to be heard.
The lost cause myth is nothing more than a lie. Men like Robert E Lee were traitors that chose to disregard their oaths to the US military and fight to maintain the evils of slavery. It’s so strange how I’ve NEVER had these obvious facts spelled out in such a straightforward way before. I cannot recall a single documentary, history class, book, or film that portrays men like Lee, Pierre Beauregard, or George Pickett in such a complete light like this book did. Names of men historically honored and respected by many historians (and even the US military) that fought for slavery, committed treason and, in Pickett’s case, war crimes. I used to be conflicted on the issue of removing confederate statues and monuments on the country because I felt it was destroying history. It angered me to learn the truth of why most of the monuments were built: to perpetuate lies about why the civil war was fought and to resist desegregation efforts throughout the 20th century. With example after example the author highlights how the south won the narrative of the civil war and made so many people and organizations across the country, including myself, buy into the false history they sold the nation. Tear down all the confederate monuments. They only serve to hide the true history and the evils of slavery.
Language is so powerful, and I appreciated how Ty Seidule opts to use difference language to better illustrate the realities behind the civil war. Slave labor farm instead of the more idyllic “plantation.” His refusal to use the term “union army” when talking about the military history was inspired as well. Union and confederate gives the two sides a sense of equality when one side was actively against the United States Army and killed thousands of it’s soldiers. I’m going to follow his example in this regard when studying Civil War battles from now on.
Ultimately I’m thankful I happened to stumble upon an interview with the author recently on television, because it’s lead to a new understanding of my nation’s history and helped me overcome my own ignorance. It’s not easy to admit it was there to begin with, but accepting where you’ve been is the only way to be able to know where you’re going.
Without a doubt the most eye opening nonfiction book I’ve ever encountered. As an amateur American history buff my perspective on the confederacy and it’s legacy in the United States has been altered forever. I’m a white man who has lived his entire life in the north, I was aware of the inaccuracy of lost cause ideology and the reality that slavery was the cause of the Civil War, but I’m ashamed to say I still let the lost cause myth pervade my understanding of history. Growing up watching movies like Gettysburg, visiting the battlefield as a teen, and reading Civil War books as an adult, I would see the confederates as opponents but not necessarily enemies. Leaders like Lee I would accept as honorable opponents that were reluctant to fight the Union. Wrong in their beliefs certainly but equal in regard with men like Grant and Sherman. I’m here to tell you Ty Seidule set me straight. An author that’s not some political pundit or a newscaster with a 30 second opinion, but rather a man who has lived his life in the south, honorably served our nation’s armed forces for decades, and is a better expert on Civil War history than I could ever hope to be. Someone whose experiences, research, and conclusions I could easily respect. Someone who knows and deserves to be heard.
The lost cause myth is nothing more than a lie. Men like Robert E Lee were traitors that chose to disregard their oaths to the US military and fight to maintain the evils of slavery. It’s so strange how I’ve NEVER had these obvious facts spelled out in such a straightforward way before. I cannot recall a single documentary, history class, book, or film that portrays men like Lee, Pierre Beauregard, or George Pickett in such a complete light like this book did. Names of men historically honored and respected by many historians (and even the US military) that fought for slavery, committed treason and, in Pickett’s case, war crimes. I used to be conflicted on the issue of removing confederate statues and monuments on the country because I felt it was destroying history. It angered me to learn the truth of why most of the monuments were built: to perpetuate lies about why the civil war was fought and to resist desegregation efforts throughout the 20th century. With example after example the author highlights how the south won the narrative of the civil war and made so many people and organizations across the country, including myself, buy into the false history they sold the nation. Tear down all the confederate monuments. They only serve to hide the true history and the evils of slavery.
Language is so powerful, and I appreciated how Ty Seidule opts to use difference language to better illustrate the realities behind the civil war. Slave labor farm instead of the more idyllic “plantation.” His refusal to use the term “union army” when talking about the military history was inspired as well. Union and confederate gives the two sides a sense of equality when one side was actively against the United States Army and killed thousands of it’s soldiers. I’m going to follow his example in this regard when studying Civil War battles from now on.
Ultimately I’m thankful I happened to stumble upon an interview with the author recently on television, because it’s lead to a new understanding of my nation’s history and helped me overcome my own ignorance. It’s not easy to admit it was there to begin with, but accepting where you’ve been is the only way to be able to know where you’re going.