Seven Days: The Emergence of Robert E. Lee and the Dawn of a Legend

(Paperback)

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Dowdey brings to an encyclopedic knowledge of the facts a freshness that makes the story seem new.American Heritage

In the early spring of 1862, the Army of the Potomac invaded Virginia in the hopes of capturing the Confederate capital of Richmond and ending the war. Led by the lauded Gen. George McClellan, the Union forces landed in Marchand the Confederates led by Joseph E. Johnston slowly but surely retreated toward Richmond. Defeat seemed inevitable.

But when Johnston was wounded and taken out of action, an intelligent but little-considered officer named Robert E. Lee replaced himand nothing would ever be the same.

Taking advantage of McClellans slow reactions and overconfidence, Lee went on the attack, turning the tide with a combination of feints, harassing attacks, and tactical genius that soon had the Union army falling back. Over the course of one week, during which six battles were engaged, Lee outfought and out-thought his opponent at every turn, turning the great Peninsular Campaign into a humiliating defeat for the Union, proving his brilliance as a military leaderand dooming the nation to three more years of bloody warfare.

Here, those fateful days and Lees astounding generalship are explored as are the actions in military and political circles that ended the Unions hope for quick victory, and unleashed one of the most brilliant military minds of all time onto the Civil War battlefieldsand into history.

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This book is essential to any collections on American history and the Civil War.

Author Bio

Clifford Dowdey (1904-1979) was an American writer, best known for his fascination with the Civil War and American history. A native of Richmond, Virginia, Dowdey lived and worked in almost every region of the United States before returning back to his home state. He published his first best seller, Bugles Blow No More, in 1937 and would write over thirty-five books throughout his career, including Lee and His Men at Gettysburg and Lee's Last Campaign. He died in Richmond in 1979.