Monday 8 December 2008 Reinventing Lee and Grant

Published by the Virginia Historical Society in association with London-based fine-art publisher D Giles Limited Lee and Grant is a major re-assessment of the lives of two of America’s most iconic figures.

Since the end of the American Civil War, Generals Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant have been considered two of the most important and controversial figures in American history. Much has been written on their respective roles in that conflict. New information about their early lives and careers subsequent to the war has contributed to the debate about whether each should be viewed as a hero or a villain. Curiously, little has been published that looks at these two figures together and compares them over an extended period of time. Now for the first time, leading scholars William Rasmussen and Robert Tilton cover the entirety of both these major figures’ lives, from their boyhoods and early education to their military training at West Point, service in the Mexican War, civilian lives between the wars, and leadership roles in the Civil War, to their retirement. This authoritative, extensively researched and illustrated account is the first to examine how their lives interconnected and diverged.

Talking about this new volume Professor John Y. Simon, Editor of the Papers of Ulysses S. Grant, states that “ever since battles between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee ended the American Civil War, military analysis has differed as to the superior general. Diversity of views reflects the difference between these two great commanders. Their background, values, and ambitions stand in marked contrast throughout distinguished careers. Authors Robert Tilton and William Rasmussen have illuminated two fascinating lives by careful examination of correspondence and other documents. Two American icons descend from lofty pedestals for a close and revealing examination.”

This new book features over 270 fascinating images, including paintings, prints, engravings, photographs, and scenes from popular culture. In addition this remarkable book presents an enormous amount of fascinating information on both Lee and Grant families, and the America in which both lived.

Emory Thomas, Regent’s Professor emeritus, University of Georgia comments that “the manuscript is uncommonly sound and insightful. The authors have worked very hard to identify the salient issues and questions. They confront each topic with grace and good sense. Especially significant are the reinventing Lee and Grant sections which offer context and present a “past-present” perspective. I enjoyed reading the work and found it both entertaining and enlightening.”

This study, together with the accompanying national touring exhibition, provides a major re-assessment of the lives, careers, and historical impact of Lee and Grant, and traces the development of scholarly and popular attitudes towards both figures in the years since the Civil War. It also addresses the question, how should Lee and Grant be evaluated in 2007, the 200th anniversary of Lee’s birth?

Publication accompanies a major travelling exhibition at the following venues: Virginia Historical Society (October 2007); Missouri Historical Society (spring 2008); New-York Historical Society (fall 2008); and the Museum of Southern History, Houston (spring 2009)

The Authors:
William Rasmussen and Robert Tilton are both leading American historians. They have collaborated successfully together on previous publications, including George Washington: The Man Behind the Myths (1999) and more recently Old Virginia: The Pursuit of a Pastoral Ideal (2003). Robert Tilton is also well known for his Pocahontas: The Evolution of an American Narrative (Cambridge Studies in American Literature and Culture, CUP 1994).

LEE AND GRANT

352 pages, 9” x 11 1/2” (292 x 229mm)
175 colour and 100 black-and-white illustrations, hardback
Text: Up to 190,000 words
ISBN: 978 1 904832 36 2 (13 digit)
ISBN: 1 904832 36 9 (10 digit)

Price: US$65.00/UK£35.00
Publication date: November, 2007
Publisher: D. Giles Limited, London

Distributed in the UK and Rest of World (excluding US and Canada) by
Antique Collectors’ Club
Sandy Lane
Old Martlesham
Woodbridge
Suffolk
IP12 4SD
UK
T: +44 (0)1394 389950
F: +44 (0)1394 389999
Enquiries: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Distributed in the US and Canada by
Antique Collectors’ Club
Eastworks,
116 Pleasant Street, Suite 18
Easthampton, MA 01027
Toll-free orders: 800-252-5231

For Further Information and Review Copies:
In the UK contact:
Liz Japes
20 Lockitt Way
Kingston
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 3LG
Tel: +44 (0)1273 480225
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

In the USA contact: Karen Lunstead, Marketing Manager
Eastworks,
116 Pleasant Street, Suite 18
Easthampton, MA 01027
Tel: 1 413 529 0862
E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
About the Virginia Historical Society

The mission of the Virginia Historical Society, which was founded as a private organization in 1831, is to “collect, preserve and interpret the commonwealth’s past for the education and enjoyment of present and future generations.”