The first comprehensive history of the Branch-Lane Brigade, based on many years of study and grounded on a vast foundation of sources that relate every aspect of the career of this remarkable fighting command.

A Life of General Robert E. Lee is a fascinating character study of Lee written by a Civil War veteran who regularly observed the Confederate General in thought and action on the battlefield. John Esten Cooke's book offers a unique perspective on both Robert E. Lee and the Civil War, using direct quotes of dialogue by the War's principals (including Lee), official military communiqués and personal letters, all of which brings the man and era alive.

Written as a memoir by Lee's nephew and fellow soldier, General Lee paints a vivid and admiring portrait of a brilliant general and a devoted family man who, though he disliked slavery and was not in favor of secession, turned down command of the Union army in 1861 because he could not "draw his sword" against his own children, his neighbors, and his beloved Virginia.

Reproduction of the original: A Life of Gen. Robert E. Lee by John Esten Cooke

With the exception of George Washington, perhaps the most famous general in American history is Robert E. Lee (January 19, 1807 - October 12, 1870), despite the fact he led the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia against the Union in the Civil War. As the son of U.S. Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee III, and a relative of Martha Custis Washington, Lee was imbued with a strong sense of honor and duty from the beginning. And as a top graduate of West Point, Lee had distinguished himself so well before the Civil War that President Lincoln asked him to command the entire Union Army. Lee famously declined, serving his home state of Virginia instead after it seceded. Lee is remembered today for constantly defeating the Union's Army of the Potomac in the Eastern theater from 1862-1865, considerably frustrating Lincoln and his generals. His leadership of his army led to him being deified after the war by some of his former subordinates, especially Virginians, and he came to personify the Lost Cause's ideal Southern soldier. His reputation was secured in the decades after the war as a general who brilliantly led his men to amazing victories against all odds. Despite his successes and his legacy, Lee wasn't perfect. And of all the battles Lee fought in, he was most criticized for Gettysburg, particularly his order of Pickett's Charge on the third and final day of the war. Despite the fact his principle subordinate and corps leader, General James Longstreet, advised against the charge, Lee went ahead with it, ending the army's defeat at Gettysburg with a violent climax that left half of the men who charged killed or wounded.

To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War, Diversion Books is publishing seminal works of the era: stories told by the men and women who led, who fought, and who lived in an America that had come apart at the seams. The commander of the Confederacy, “Light Horse Harry” remains one of the most fascinating figures of the American Civil War. These are his letters, the personal thoughts and insights from the great military mind and icon of the era.

This is a collection of wartime biographies of Robert E. Lee and his foremost generals.