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The Man Who Would Not Be Washington: Robert E. Lee's Civil War and His Decision That Changed American History Kindle Edition

by Jonathan Horn (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 292 ratings

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The “compelling…modern and readable perpective” (USA TODAY) of Robert E. Lee, the brilliant soldier bound by marriage to George Washington’s family but turned by war against Washington’s crowning achievement, the Union.

On the eve of the Civil War, one soldier embodied the legacy of George Washington and the hopes of leaders across a divided land. Both North and South knew Robert E. Lee as the son of Washington’s most famous eulogist and the son-in-law of Washington’s adopted child. Each side sought his service for high command. Lee could choose only one.

In The Man Who Would Not Be Washington, former White House speechwriter Jonathan Horn reveals how the officer most associated with Washington went to war against the union that Washington had forged. This extensively researched and gracefully written biography follows Lee through married life, military glory, and misfortune. The story that emerges is more complicated, more tragic, and more illuminating than the familiar tale. More complicated because the unresolved question of slavery—the driver of disunion—was among the personal legacies that Lee inherited from Washington. More tragic because the Civil War destroyed the people and places connecting Lee to Washington in agonizing and astonishing ways. More illuminating because the battle for Washington’s legacy shaped the nation that America is today. As Washington was the man who would not be king, Lee was the man who would not be Washington. The choice was Lee’s. The story is America’s.

A must-read for those passionate about history, The Man Who Would Not Be Washington introduces Jonathan Horn as a masterly voice in the field.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Compelling….a modern and readable perspective on Lee’s enigmatic character.” (USA Today)

“Jonathan Horn’s fascinating book looks at Lee through the prism of yet another famous man, George Washington. His subtle and sympathetic examination of the Washington-Lee connection helps us understand the Lee question….textured….splendid….Horn’s story is fascinating, thought-provoking, and deeply sad.” (National Review)

"Very apt...well-written, fair-minded." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

“[An] interesting study….Jonathan Horn writes well and makes responsible, often vivid, use of his sources.” (Weekly Standard)

“Thoughtful….Horn carefully draws the connections between the two titular subjects….simply fascinating. Horn is a graceful writer, and when the occasion warrants, has a suitable flair for the dramatic. The pages blaze by….Horn’s excellent book drives home the tragic magnitude of [Lee’s] decision.” (City Journal)

"[Horn] provides an outstanding book that will be enjoyed by all readers interested in Lee....Horn’s book is a thought-provoking, illuminating look at Lee written from a fresh perspective....extremely well written and recommended to all." (Civil War News)

“The complexity and multifaceted nuances of most politicaldecisions are masterfully revealed…An excellent addition to the library ofCivil War books. Horn presents not only the historical record, but also thepathos, irony and tension involved in Lee’s decision and how it reflectedissues in his personal life. The author’s work reads very much like a novel andis suitable for both serious historians and lovers of engaging stories.” (The Missourian)

“Captures the many facets of Robert E. Lee’s crowded life…. A seminal contribution of significant historiographical value.” (Library Journal, STARRED review)

“Stirring and elegant….[Horn] chronicles Lee’s life with a vitality that captivates our imagination and keeps us glued to Lee’s story.With graceful vigor, he traces Lee from his childhood to his days at West Point…and ultimately to his decision to resign his commission in the U.S. Army….Horn’s illuminating study offers a fascinating comparison between two figures who shaped American history.” (BookPage)

"Horn’s work is unique and appealing in that it gives a more human side to the story." (Rocky Mount Telegram)

“Captivating….Detailed yet accessible descriptions of battles are coupled with stories of Lee’s personal life, revealing a man as complex as the war he reluctantly joined….A fair and equitable approach to Lee, his life, and his struggle over participation in a war that tore apart the nation." (Publishers Weekly)

"For all the biographies written about Robert E. Lee, the South’s greatest hero and the North’s greatest threat remains something of an enigma—patriot or traitor, saint or sinner? In this beautifully written narrative, Jonathan Horn clears away the cobwebs of myth and gives us a Lee passionately committed to a specific vision of America and leadership, but endlessly tortured about how to deal with a divided Union. The Man Who Would Not Be Washington succeeds at offering soundly researched history, fresh perspective, and gripping prose. Even for those well acquainted with the story of Lee and the Civil War, this is a genuine page turner." (Harold Holzer, Author of LINCOLN AND THE POWER OF THE PRESS )

“A brilliant, compelling book that relates the intriguing, poignant story of Robert E. Lee, his decision to leave the U.S. Army and join the southern cause, and the civil war that followed. A book that is both beautifully written and exhaustively researched, one that conveys the complications and tragedies of Lee’s decision, his role in the subsequent war, and his life and legacy in the peace that followed.”

(General David H. Petraeus (U.S. Army, Retired) )

“Jonathan Horn has brought us an intriguing, nuanced, close-up portrait of a complex American leader and his fateful moment of choice.”

(Michael Beschloss )

About the Author

Jonathan Horn is an author and former White House presidential speechwriter whose Robert E. Lee biography, The Man Who Would Not Be Washington, was a Washington Post bestseller. Jonathan has appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and PBS NewsHour, and his writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times’ Disunion series, Politico Magazine, The Daily Beast, The Weekly Standard, and other outlets. A graduate of Yale University, he lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife, daughter, and dog. His latest book is Washington’s End.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00IWTWQJO
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scribner; Reprint edition (January 6, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 6, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 30556 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 385 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #197,221 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #31 in Civil War Campaigns & Battlefields History of the U.S.
- #56 in History of the U.S. Confederacy
- #123 in U.S. Civil War Confederacy History

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Jonathan Horn is an author and former White House presidential speechwriter whose Robert E. Lee biography, The Man Who Would Not Be Washington, was a Washington Post bestseller. Jonathan's latest book, Washington's End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle, was published by Scribner in February 2020. Jonathan has appeared on CNN, CBS Sunday Morning, Fox News, MSNBC, and PBS NewsHour, and his writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times Disunion series, The Daily Beast, National Review, CNN.com, Politico Magazine, The Weekly Standard, and other outlets. A graduate of Yale University, Jonathan now lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife, children, and dog.

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James E. Kluttz

Enjoyable and Informative Read

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2015

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This book about the life of Robert E. Lee and a critical period in American history captured my interest and would not let go. Once having begun to read, putting it down became difficult because the important and interesting facts and associations just kept coming, and the author presents them with unmatched skill. First was the title, “The Man Who Would Not Be Washington.” Huh? What does Washington have to do with Robert E. Lee and how could Lee ever have been Washington? It turns out that there were many connections between the Washington family and that of Lee. But there is more to the title; Lee’s choice to abandon the union was directly entwined with Washington’s legacy as father of the union.

Like the rest of us, Lee was trapped in his slice of history. Unlike most of the rest of us, he had a chance to guide that history. What was he thinking as he faced his many challenges? Why did he and others around him do what they did at each stage? Why was J. E. B. Stuart not there when Pickett made his fateful charge at Gettysburg, for example? In fact, why was Lee at Gettysburg to start with? And on-and-on.

Was Robert E. Lee a patriot, a traitor or was he an honorable man dealing with the choices open to him and seeking only to do his duty as he saw it? Before you judge Robert E. Lee please read this book. But be warned that when you begin to read it you will not want it to end.

Let’s hope this author’s next book is out soon. History could become accessible under his pen.

30 people found this helpful

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The tragedy pf Robert E.Lee

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2015

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The title of this book is cryptic and consists of a series of non-sequiturs, requiring the diligence of the reader to establish its meaning. The title of the book is the first of many links, which the author intends to establish between Lee and Washington. “The Man Who Would Not be Washington” is directly tied to the idea that Washington was a man who would not be king. For this reader, the meaning is centered on decisions. In background was the decision by Washington to lead a rebellion against Great Britain. More central to the subject of the book is the decision of Lee to join the Confederacy in its goal to secede from the Union. It is no small irony that a decision centered on rebellion against perceived injustice would result in glory for one, and condemnation for the other. Their legacies diverged because of the meaning of the wars they fought. As a result of the American Revolution, a new nation dedicated to freedom and liberty would be born with Washington as the father. As a result of the Civil War, a nation based on white supremacy was fated to be stillborn, with no one claiming parenthood. Thus Lee would not be Washington. This is, in fact, the meaning of the title and the subject of the book.

The first five chapters explore how the lives of Washington and Lee intertwined both in their ancestry and in their personal and military careers. It is a masterpiece of factual analysis, but the familial links are complicated and the author fails to describe them in a clear fashion. For the casual reader, all family members appear to be named Custis, whether it is the name of Lee’s wife, the name of Washington’s step grandchildren or the first name of Lee’s son. The reader is never quite sure to whom the author is referring. There is a family tree tucked away in the appendix, but the author fails to signal its existence other than as the last entry in the Table of Contents following the Acknowledgements.
Both Washington and Lee came from similar backgrounds. Both were Virginians. Both were slaveholders and both families shared memories of each other’s homes, which became iconic symbols of the country. George Washington Park Custis, the adopted son of George Washington, built the Lee home, Arlington House. Mount Vernon, the Washington home, was once owned by the Lee family. In the midst of the Civil War, Mount Vernon became a haven for both Union soldiers and Confederates, with the only requirement being that the men could not wear their uniforms or carry their weapons into the house. The Arlington House was also affected by the Civil War. The Union government claimed ownership of the Arlington House. Although Lee made multiple attempts to reclaim the house, the country did not see fit to bow to his request. Instead, the property would serve as National Cemetery for all American heroes who gave their lives so that the nation created by Washington might survive.

Both Washington and the Lees were involved in the founding of the nation. Lee’s father, Henry “Light Horse Harry “served as one of Washington’s trusted lieutenants. On July 2, 1776, Henry Lee proposed that the colonies declare independence from Great Britain, a proposal that was formalized by the Declaration of Independence. Two Lees signed the Declaration of Independence, and although Washington never signed the document, he did read it aloud in New York on July 9, 1776. The eulogy for Washington, given by Henry Lee, described Washington as “first in peace, first in war and first in the hearts of his countrymen,” a bit of rhetoric familiar to every school child. With the death of Robert E. Lee the same words were said of him, unmistakably linking him forever with the memory of Washington.

The chapter entitled “The Decision” is the key chapter in the book. The decision referred to was actually twofold: the decision of the South to secede and the decision of Lee to abandon the North in favor of the Confederacy. With the coming of the Civil War, it was anticipated that Robert E. Lee would serve a central role similar to that of Washington, but it was not to be. Both North and South considered him for military leadership of their respective armies. Lee chose the Confederacy over the North. The definition of country was crucial to the decision. Washington had once declared that one should not raise his sword except to defend his country. For Lee, the State of Virginia was his country since he believed that sovereignty rested in the states. The controversy was as old as the republic. The decision to side with the South was a difficult one for Lee and was filled with painful ambivalence. His loyalty was to his home, not to the government to which he had sworn allegiance. For Lee, honor and loyalty were prime virtues, not to be surrendered easily. The pain was lessened somewhat when he concluded that the decision was not under his control and that he could do no other, reminiscent of Martin Luther who declared “Here I stand I could do no other. “ Lee’s decision doomed the South to defeat, and doomed him to be marginalized in our national memory.

If Lee abandoned his country, he never abandoned the memory of George Washington. The final chapters describe the role Lee chose for himself, as the guardian of the Washington memory. Prior to the war, he lived in Arlington House, a museum of Washington memories which housed the sacred relics of the sainted George Washington. When Lee defeated John Brown at Harper’s Ferry, it was Lee who rescued Washington’s sword from the rebellious abolitionists. When Lee chose to side with the South, his main concern was that the relics contained in the Arlington House might be subject to loss and sacrilege. Following the war, he was offered the opportunity to be governor of his native state. He declined the nomination and hence refused the opportunity to become the father of the lost cause. Instead, he became president of the small Washington College, eventually named the College of Washington and Lee, making Lee a partner of Washington forever.
With the passage of time, the legacy of Robert E. Lee varied depending on whether it was decided by Southerners or Northerners. Though many in the South continued to venerate him, the North consigned Lee to a peripheral role. The author puts the memory of Lee into perspective in the final pages of the book. The author finds that Lee’s fateful decision to go with the South relegated him to a marginal position in our American memory, much in the same way that his former home sits on the sidelines, separated from the national mall by the Potomac River. The fathers of the country, Washington and Lincoln, reside on the mall, facing each other with respect and honored glory. The man, who made the wrong decision, now sits on the sidelines of American history.
Both Washington and Lee were forced to make a decision concerning their roles in a rebellion against their governments. Washington was somehow able to judge the future and his decision came out on the right side of history. Lee on the other hand could not see the future but only the past. His loyalty was to his home, his sense of place, and hence to his identity as a son of the South. The maindifference between Washington and Lee is that Washington had vision for what the country might be, whereas Lee could only see the country that was. This was in fact the reason that Lee would not be Washington
While many in the South responded to its defeat by seeking excuses in the Myth of the Lost Cause, Lee was contrite, preaching reconciliation and loyalty to the nation of his birth. He thus rejected the legacy of rebel and instead sought a different legacy, the healer of the nation.

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Sheheryar Kabraji

Magnificent and unmissable account of a tortured genius

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2015

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This book is an elegantly, intricately, masterfully composed account of a complex and passionate man torn by growing up amidst the orthogonal shadows cast by his father and the Father of the Nation. By positioning Lee in contrast to President Washington and his legacy, Jonathan Horn leads to reader to a humanist understanding of this tortured genius. Lee's choice and its tragic consequences unfold with cinematic precision and energy across the pages, with alliteration and clever turn of phrase creating a lush and captivating narrative. Packed with historical detail and insightful analysis of both events and characters, the author's love of his subject and his craft is gratifyingly evident. At the book's end, you will be left in no doubt that the Potomac is the river of American history and you will have been grateful to have been reminded of (or introduced to) this by the masterful historian Jonathan Horn.

2 people found this helpful

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Ms Hughes

A Fresh Look at Robert E. Lee

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2015

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The book begins by telling about the family heritage of both Robert E. Lee and his wife, their courtship, marriage. and children. As a promising West Point graduate he was commissioned in the Union Army. He joined the Confederacy when Virginia left the Union. This was more out of loyalty to Virginia than a dislike of the Union of the States. As the author relates more of the Civil War battles he includes how the family was forced to leave their home and includes quotes from the letters they wrote to each other. The book is very well written and even though you know how it ends it keeps you reading. Much research went into the work and acknowledgments are gratefully credited.

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