Robert E. Lee: Lessons in Leadership

Robert E. Lee by Noah Andre Trudeau is an excellent short biography of the career and leadership of one of the war's finest gentleman warriors. While not heavy in detail, it provides some details and analysis left out of many longer biographies, putting the pieces together, from a non-traditional viewpoint, that of the South. Many biographies and civil war histories are written from the perspective of the North. Trudeau tells Lee's story, with a balanced approach neither painting Lee with the unreasonable strokes of pure genius, nor paying undue attention to his failures. Lee is portrayed as an exceptionally charismatic leader capable of inspiring great confidence and great heroism in his men, but one who also possesses occasional weaknesses and is capable of errors in judgment. Lee is also portrayed as a man of great integrity, forced to choose between competing loyalties. I found this particular biography to be a great pleasure to read, and highly recommend it as additional reading along with longer and more detailed writings.