The Mystery of Robert E. Lee

One of my favorite storytellers--Elliot Engel--is back in style with this somewhat misleadingly titled video. There is no ‘mystery' to Robert E. Lee; Engel engagingly presents him as a deeply principled man who was plagued with misfortune for most of his life. His father was a Revolutionary War hero known to all as "Lighthorse Harry" Lee, but historians have uncovered some unsavory facts about old "Lighthorse." Upset that he did not receive the adulation he felt he so richly deserved, "Lighthorse" brought disgrace to his family by turning against his fledgling nation and fighting for the British in the War of 1812. He was a lousy father as well; fortunately, however, Robert's upbringing was left to his loving mother, but he was barely in his teens when she died, leaving him to raise his younger brothers and sisters. Throughout Lee's life, he was his harshest critic and never believed himself to be as brilliant as the rest of the nation knew him to be. Professor Engel does his usual outstanding job of bringing an icon to life and his tales of Robert E. Lee will prove fascinating to anyone interested in history and in the lives of people who influence its course. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)