On the first day of July 1863, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia accidentally crossed swords with George Gordon Meade's federal Army of the Potomac. They clashed at a tiny Pennsylvania crossroads called Gettysburg. Three days later, at least 22,000 Confederate men and boys were dead, wounded or captured, and the Yankees held the field when the river of bloodshed finally stopped. Gettysburg was General Lee's worst defeat on an open field of battle. In The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee, a discouraged Confederate Congress summons General Lee to Richmond in December 1863, to face a board of inquiry on the Battle of Gettysburg. Through this speculative board of inquiry, the reader is drawn into the true history of the Army of Northern Virginia and the real political personalities and true political intrigue of Richmond in 1863. Will General Lee be relieved of command? Perhaps sent into retirement borne of catastrophic failure, leaving behind forever his beloved Army of Northern Virginia? The reader feels his pain and the anguish of a defeated general who wrote four months after Gettysburg that, "My heart and thoughts will always be with this army."
Douglas Savage is a critically acclaimed author of many books, including A Mouthful of Dust: A Portrait of a Writer in Search of His Own Red Badge of Courage, The Sons of Grady Rourke, Highpockets, Cedar City Rendezvous, The Glass Lady, and Incident in Mona Passage.
A brilliant premise, superb characterizations, fine historical research . . . as good as Killer Angels, Traveller, or The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer. -- David Martin, author of The Chancellorsville Campaign The interplay of history and fiction flows so skillfully through The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee that at times it becomes difficult to remember that this is, after all, a novel. -- William C. Davis, History Book Club News, author of Jefferson Davis: The Man and His Hour and Lincoln's Men The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee adheres more closely to the facts of history-and uses them more imaginatively-than any Civil War novel I have ever read. . . . Savage's creativity, eye for detail, and flair for character development make the book an irresistible combination of history, biography, and courtroom drama. -- Edward G. Longacre, author of The Calvary at Gettysburg It is a remarkable accomplishment. -- William Garrett Piston, author of Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant Chapters blend a fine portrait of Lee and his relationship with the Confederate government with a fast-paced, fictional trial which will intrigue readers of historical works. * Midwest Book Review * Here come to life are the personalities of the Confederate government and military, and the forgotten figures in Lee's personal life. . . . Here is a powerful work of fiction that takes us into the life of the Confederacy . . . a novel of deep fascination and literary rewards for the reader. * Wisconsin Bookwatch * Tense courtroom scenes of Lee's confrontations with his one-time subordinates and rivals alternate with vivid and highly-detailed reports of his campaigns. . . . Savage has created a convincing and compelling portrait of Lee and the events of the Civil War's biggest battle. * Military Book News *
