Robert E. Lee: A Life
Allen C. Guelzo and James M. McPherson, Princeton University
December 2, 2021 · 4:30 pm—6:00 pm · James Stewart Film Theater, 185 Nassau Street
James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions
Join us for a talk with award-winning Civil War historian Allen Guelzo about his new book, “Robert E. Lee: A Life.” The New York Times praised the book as, “A deeply researched character study…Guelzo’s fine biography is an important contribution to reconciling the myths with the facts.” Professor Guelzo will be in conversation with Professor Emeritus James M. McPherson.
Robert E. Lee is one of the most confounding figures in American history. Lee betrayed his nation in order to defend his home state and uphold the slave system he claimed to oppose. He was a traitor to the country he swore to serve as an Army officer, and yet he was admired even by his enemies for his composure and leadership. He considered slavery immoral, but benefited from inherited slaves and fought to defend the institution. Award-winning historian Allen C. Guelzo has written the definitive biography of the general, capturing Lee in all his complexity—his hypocrisy and courage, his outward calm and inner turmoil, his honor and his disloyalty.
