Robert E. Lee and His High Command
No single commander in the Civil War seems to generate as much interest as Robert E. Lee. In this series of lectures Dr. Gary Gallagher discusses Lee and his top commanders in detail. Why did Lee make them his commanders? What were their strengths and weaknesses? How did they perform on the battlefield? What were their strategies during battle and how well did they work?
Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia was the most successful army of the Confederacy. As such he became the symbol of hope and to many southerners the representative of their cause. With his repeated successes he also gained the respect of many of the northern commanders.
So what were Lee, "Stonewall" Jackson, "Jeb" Stuart, James Longstreet, Jubal Early, A. P. Hill, John Bell Hood and the others really like? Professor Gallagher delves into their personalities, backgrounds, and strategies to bring them all to life as real people with traits that served them well and ones that did not.
This is a very even-handed treatment of Lee and his commanders that shows them as commanders worthy of respect and at the same time dispels many of the modern day myths about them and their cause. He spends a full lecture at the end of the series discussing the "Lost Cause" writers and their effect on how the Confederacy is remembered.
The enclosed booklet includes a timeline and glossary to help put the various events in perspective. "Robert E. Lee and His High Command" is a highly recommended lecture series for anyone interested in the Confederacy and the Army of Northern Virginia in particular.
Lecturer: Gary W. Gallagher
Publisher: The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100
Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
Copyright: 2004
Format: Audio CD, DVD, Audio Tape, Video Tape
Lectures: 24