GDG- Christmas Books

[Margaret D. Blough]

IIRR, the Lee letters published after his death but during his childrens' lifetimes were heavily edited by Lee children and others close to the family to omit material that either was deemed too personal or not strictly conforming to the image that the family and the so-called "Lee cult" wanted to project of Lee to readers. However, the original published letters never disclosed the editing. I've never heard that any of the omissions were particularly shocking in terms of a FFV scion who lived most of his life under the antebellum ancien regime, who was a West Pointer, and who was a career military man; they just didn't fit neatly into the "Marble Man" persona.

Regards,

Margaret

-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Tom Ryan" <pennmardel at mchsi.com> 

> Esteemed GDG Member Contributes: 
> 
> 
> <> books for Christmas on Gettysburg, the Civil War 
> or related topics?>> 
> 
> Two powerful and exceptionally well-written books are: 
> 
> "Reading the Man: A Portrait of Rovbert E. Lee Through His Private Letters" 
> by Elizabeth Brown Pryor. This book, based on his letters and writings -- 
> many of which have only recently become available, gives us a much better 
> view of the "marble man" as a flesh and blood individual. It holps debunk 
> many of the "lost cause" myths created about Lee. 
> 
> "This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War" by Drew 
> Gilpin Faust. The author examines the impact of extensive wartime 
> casualties on the soldiers who witnessed the carnage, and loved ones at home 
> who struggle to cope with this tragedy. The book will be out in January. I 
> just finished reviewing it. 
> 
> Happy holidays and happy reading, 
> 
> Tom Ryan 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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