Evening star., 1925-09-29
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
ROBERT K. LEE, THE SOL DER.
Sir Frederick Maurice. HdGghton
MifT1in Co
i. C. NJ.

This study of one military leader by
another one carries upon its surface
an implication that here is a techni-
cal work designed for the use Of the
military student alone. Such Is not
the fact. True. this IL a deeply critical
examination of the military career OF
Gen. Robert E. Lee, by Gen. Sir Fred
erick Maurice. chief of operations on
the British general staff during the
World War and military writer of
high standing. 1t II at the same time.
however. study so free from the
pure technic of military operations
and terms as to furnish the lay reader
plain relief pattern Of the essen
tials of the Civil War. in 80 far as
these were demonstrated by the ac-
tivities Of Lee on the one hand and
those of his successive opponents on
the other.
Realizing that the special student.
the expert. becomes in any sense gen.
orally useful only as he translates the
technic of his science into the cur
rency of common speech. Gen. Maui
rice presents the military leadership
OF Lee in terms of one plain war
problem or another. a business prob
lem in effect-this thing to be done.
this way OF doing 1t. Touching the
of necessary illumination, he shows
Lee dominated by hatred of the war
and ardor for It's speediest termina-
ton. Such Is the mental and emo
tionaI complex under which the South
ern leaders most notable military
movements were made. For instance
his steady withdrawal from Rich
mond. seat of the Confederacy. toward
Wa shington. the Federal Capital. For
instance again, his determined will to
push the war into the North. Both
OF these moves were made to weaken
the basic strength of every fighting
country. its morale. Let the North
see the slaughter and the starvation
and the wreckase as the South was
seeing it-a tremendous blow this
would be to the fighting spirit OF the
North.
So, in every phase OF his work. does
this author make good use of the rea-
sons underlying the various war plans
of Lee. With these made clear the
movements themselves-campa and
ba tile, strategy and tactic-become
ineligible and illuminating to the ay-
erage reader, as they become also
substa ntial material for the military
student.
For 20 years has Lees leadership
Of the Confederate armies been sub
ject of study with this author. The
World War itself served to estab-
lish further the clarity OF Lees mill
tary insight, the soundness of his
pla ms, the true quality of his general
ship. This book. therefore, rounds to
discriminating and appreciative
study. 1t il. besides-and this is one
Of its fine features study that is
quite within the reach Of every read
er to whom IL gives fair setting forth
OF q nome ntous cha pter in America n
history. 1t closes in a euiogy that
goes back To the advice Of Napoleon
to his generals that they study the
camapigns of Alexa nder. Hannibal,
Caesar, Gustavus, Turenne, Eugene
and Frederick, as the only means OF
becoming great leaders and of master
ing the secrets of the art of war. To
this Sir Frederick adds. ITO that Sc
lect band of great comma nders the
name of Robert E. Lee must be add
ed. His exact precedence among
them l will not attempt to determine,
but that they have received him as a
soldier worthy OF their fellowship, l
do not doubt"