Four Years with General Lee

by Walter H. Taylor

Book Overview

" . . . it offers a sure, quick, eyewitness assessment of all Lee's campaigns." --Southern Partisan

Walter Taylor was "first to last the closest" of all staff officers to General Robert E. Lee, and his intimate relationship with his commander gives Taylor's writings signal importance in any study of Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. A recognized classic, Four Years with General Lee first appeared in 1877 and was a collector's...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0253210747
• ISBN13: 9780253210746
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Indiana University Press
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A must read for Civil War buffs.

This book brings the Civil War to life with its vivid descriptions of the interaction of General Lee with those closest to him. A must read for Civil War buffs.

Four Years with General Lee

A history of the Civil War by Lee's aide Walter Herron Taylor. This is more a history than a memoir, and I get the impression that Taylor's other book has more personal reminiscence, though I haven't had a chance to see it yet. It clearly has served as a major source for generations of scholars; it describes most of the ANV's actions with a fair amount of detail and also discusses Lee's early campaign in West Virginia. The numerical strengths of the armies are tabulated in detail. Taylor's hero-worship of Lee is clear in his analyses of events and in the appended anniversary address, which doesn't make this a less useful source but should be taken into account.

Men of Character

Wonderful book describing the massive work and devotion to duty that General Lee adhered to. Written by his A.A.G. A must read for southern patriots.

A great history of General Lee

Four Years with General Lee is a well written book by his "right-hand man", COL Walter H. Taylor. COL Taylor served as the Adjutant General of the Army of Northern Virginia and as such, he was the authority on the strengths of the Confederate Army. So many books give estimated strengths or incorrect strengths for the various armies, but this one is accurate. Much of the book is based on personal letters sent home by COL Taylor to his wife during the war. This is a great book if you want to get the real facts about General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.