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are few American families that feature such a collection of
characters, both heroic and ignoble, who have made such a
mark on history as the Lees. In The Lees of Virginia,
Paul Nagel chronicles seven generations of Lees, covering
over two hundred years of accolades and scandals. We meet
Thomas Lee, who dreamed of America as a continental empire,
and his son, Arthur Lee, who created a political storm with
his accusations against Benjamin Franklin. Arthur's cousin
was Light-Horse Harry Lee, a controversial cavalry officer
in the Revolutionary War, whose wild real estate speculation
led to imprisonment for debt and finally self-exile in the
Caribbean. One of Harry's sons, Henry Lee, further disgraced
the family by seducing his sister-in-law and frittering away
Stratford, the Lees' ancestral home. It was a third son, Robert
E. Lee, who would become the family's redeeming figure, a
brilliant tactician still revered for his lofty character
and military success. In these and numerous other portraits,
Nagel discloses how, from 1640 to 1870, a family spirit united
the Lees, making them a force in Virginian and American affairs.
This Bicentennial Edition, celebrating the birth of Robert
E. Lee in 1807, features a new Preface by the author in which
he discusses the ways in which family biographies can contribute
to the ongoing debate about what constitutes "family
values."
Paul Nagel is a
leading chronicler of families prominent in our history. His
Descent from Glory, a masterful narrative account
of four generations of Adamses, was hailed by Chicago
Sun-Times as "a magnificent embarrassment of biographical
riches." Now, in The Lees of Virginia, Nagel
brings his skills to bear on another major American family,
taking readers inside the great estates of the Old Dominion
and the turbulent lives of the Lee men and women.
Paul C. Nagel was Director of the Virginia
Historical Society until 1985, when he turned entirely to
writing biography. His most recent books include Descent
From Glory and The Adams Women. He is a contributing
editor of American Heritage, a trustee of the Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation, a fellow of the Society of American
Historians, and past president of the Southern Historical
Association.
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