11/17/2014 Robert E. Lee was frequently compared to George Washington, not only because of his personality and “military genius” but also because he married Washington’s granddaughter, and his father had a close relationship with the Founding Father. But at the start of the Civil War, Lee made a decision that made such a comparison highly controversial: Lee rejected the Union and loyally followed Virginia into the Confederacy, despite his personal opposition to secession. Horn, a former White House speechwriter, puts a captivating spin on Lee’s story by comparing and contrasting the two great men. Detailed yet accessible descriptions of battles are coupled with stories of Lee’s personal life, revealing a man as complex as the war he reluctantly joined. Horn also points out the reverence for Washington during this time, and the way each side claimed him as their own. In the book’s oddly underdeveloped final strides, Horn condemns Lee for not following his initial opposition to rebellion, for “not being Washington.” That flaw aside, Horn takes a fair and equitable approach to Lee, his life, and his struggle over participation in a war that tore apart the nation. (Jan.)
Jonathan Horn’s fascinating book looks at Lee through the prism of yet another famous man, George Washington. His subtle and sympathetic examination of the Washington-Lee connection helps us understand the Lee question….textured….splendid….Horn’s story is fascinating, thought-provoking, and deeply sad.
Compelling….a modern and readable perspective on Lee’s enigmatic character.
Stirring and elegant….[Horn] chronicles Lee’s life with a vitality that captivates our imagination and keeps us glued to Lee’s story.With graceful vigor, he traces Lee from his childhood to his days at West Point…and ultimately to his decision to resign his commission in the U.S. Army….Horn’s illuminating study offers a fascinating comparison between two figures who shaped American history.
Jonathan Horn has brought us an intriguing, nuanced, close-up portrait of a complex American leader and his fateful moment of choice.”
"Very apt...well-written, fair-minded."
[An] interesting study….Jonathan Horn writes well and makes responsible, often vivid, use of his sources.
A brilliant, compelling book that relates the intriguing, poignant story of Robert E. Lee, his decision to leave the U.S. Army and join the southern cause, and the civil war that followed. A book that is both beautifully written and exhaustively researched, one that conveys the complications and tragedies of Lee’s decision, his role in the subsequent war, and his life and legacy in the peace that followed.”
General David H. Petraeus (U.S. Army
"For all the biographies written about Robert E. Lee, the South’s greatest hero and the North’s greatest threat remains something of an enigma—patriot or traitor, saint or sinner? In this beautifully written narrative, Jonathan Horn clears away the cobwebs of myth and gives us a Lee passionately committed to a specific vision of America and leadership, but endlessly tortured about how to deal with a divided Union. The Man Who Would Not Be Washington succeeds at offering soundly researched history, fresh perspective, and gripping prose. Even for those well acquainted with the story of Lee and the Civil War, this is a genuine page turner."
"[Horn] provides an outstanding book that will be enjoyed by all readers interested in Lee....Horn’s book is a thought-provoking, illuminating look at Lee written from a fresh perspective....extremely well written and recommended to all."
"Horn’s work is unique and appealing in that it gives a more human side to the story."
Thoughtful….Horn carefully draws the connections between the two titular subjects….simply fascinating. Horn is a graceful writer, and when the occasion warrants, has a suitable flair for the dramatic. The pages blaze by….Horn’s excellent book drives home the tragic magnitude of [Lee’s] decision.
The complexity and multifaceted nuances of most politicaldecisions are masterfully revealed…An excellent addition to the library ofCivil War books. Horn presents not only the historical record, but also thepathos, irony and tension involved in Lee’s decision and how it reflectedissues in his personal life. The author’s work reads very much like a novel andis suitable for both serious historians and lovers of engaging stories.
Jonathan Horn’s fascinating book looks at Lee through the prism of yet another famous man, George Washington. His subtle and sympathetic examination of the Washington-Lee connection helps us understand the Lee question….textured….splendid….Horn’s story is fascinating, thought-provoking, and deeply sad.
Compelling….a modern and readable perspective on Lee’s enigmatic character.
★ 11/15/2014 Horn's (former White House presidential speechwriter) thematic biography captures the many facets of Robert E. Lee's crowded life (1807–70). In it, the author covers Lee's constricted childhood caused by his father's abandonment of the family; his brilliant record at West Point; his protracted courtship with Mary Custis, the daughter of G.W.P. Custis, George Washington's adopted son; his marriage and numerous postings around the country as military engineer; his roles in the war with Mexico and as superintendent of West Point. Horn further delves into the man's refusal of General-in-Chief Winfield Scott's pleas to remain with the Union; his rise up the rebel chain of command from early victories to the Gettysburg defeat and subsequent military disasters; and his surrender at Appomattox together with his later career as a college president. Embedded throughout this fine work are adroit comparisons between George Washington and Lee. The author's superb epilog traces the subsequent unsuccessful attempts to tie Lee to the Washington legacy and memorialize his life in stone, concluding: "Because Lee was the man who would not be Washington–every child born as lowly as Lincoln can dream of being a Washington. Because Lee could not have his own way, we might all have ours." VERDICT A seminal contribution of significant historiographical value. Recommended for Old South and Civil War scholars, Lee biography enthusiasts, a lay audience, and all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, 7/21/14.]—John Carver Edwards, formerly with Univ. of Georgia Libs.
David Drummond adroitly narrates this well-researched account of Robert E. Lee with a sonorous bass voice. Lee was a distant relative of George Washington, his wife the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, his father-in-law Washington’s adopted son, and his father, “Light-Horse” Harry Lee, one of Washington’s favorites. Juxtaposing the tension between Lee’s family heritage and his ironic/hypocritical/traitorous (you choose) decision to go with Virginia and reject President Lincoln’s offer of Command of Federal Forces at the beginning of the Civil War, Drummond keeps listeners’ attention throughout. Drummond achieves an excellent match of text and reader with a seemingly effortless narration. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
David Drummond adroitly narrates this well-researched account of Robert E. Lee with a sonorous bass voice. Lee was a distant relative of George Washington, his wife the great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, his father-in-law Washington’s adopted son, and his father, “Light-Horse” Harry Lee, one of Washington’s favorites. Juxtaposing the tension between Lee’s family heritage and his ironic/hypocritical/traitorous (you choose) decision to go with Virginia and reject President Lincoln’s offer of Command of Federal Forces at the beginning of the Civil War, Drummond keeps listeners’ attention throughout. Drummond achieves an excellent match of text and reader with a seemingly effortless narration. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
2014-11-02 A romantic, rueful portrait of the Confederate general and the fatal decision that shut him out of history.Former White House speechwriter Horn finds Robert E. Lee (1807-1870) a deeply sympathetic American hero whom fortune seemed to have favored as heir to George Washington, if only Lee had thrown his lot with the Union rather than the South. That is certainly a steep qualifier, yet the author tracks Lee's rigorous antebellum loyalty to the Union, beginning with his father Harry's intrepid Revolutionary derring-do as captain of the light dragoons, gaining the nickname "Light-Horse" Lee and the admiration of fellow Virginian Gen. Washington, whose land speculations around the Potomac River spurred Harry to buy 500 acres. Although Harry ended up in debtors prison later in life and abandoned his surviving children from his second marriage in Alexandria, Harry "remained an apostle for Washington's glory" and coined the memorable phrase at the great man's funeral: "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Hence, it was surely fate that brought West Point graduate Robert and his rich cousin Mary Custis together: She was the daughter of Washington's adopted son who had built the showy Arlington mansion atop Alexandria's hills overlooking the capital city. Subsequently, Arlington would be the only home in Virginia the peripatetic soldier Robert would know until the Civil War, and with the death of his in-laws and the growing debility of his spoiled wife, he was entrusted with its care. In somewhat melodramatic fashion, Horn builds Lee's great tragedy around this idyllic Arlington inheritance, peopled by slaves he couldn't quite free, according to his father-in-law's dying wishes. Lee's tortured decision to resign from the Union Army rather than fight against his home state resulted in the loss of his homestead; ironically, it would become a national cemetery for the young men he sent to their deaths. Compelling research within an overwrought presentation.