Rating: 
Summary: The Noblest of Americans
Review: Robert E. Lee was indeed "one of the noblest Americans who ever lived..." and is a model of integrity for all who aspire to lead. This book is historically accurate, well written, and required reading for my Introduction to Management students. Like William Danforth's, short but simple, I Dare You, Crocker's book is an inspiration for aspiring leaders. If all students (and executives) studied Robert E. Lee, we just might foster a renewed emphasis upon civility, integrity, and the kind of corporate responsibility invisioned by Chester Barnard. If we allow the politically correct crowd to render obscure the likes of General Lee, Thomas Jackson, and Jefferson Davis et.al., our future as a free republic will be bleak indeed. Give this book to everyone you know who loves America, values civilized society, and desires to lead others.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing example for all to follow
Review: After only reading the first 20 or so pages in this book, I already knew it would be a classic for my bookshelf. Never before has the example of one person so clearly crystallized what leadership should be about. Lee's wisdom and personal integrity allowed an enormously outnumbered and disadvantaged force to outmaneuver the Union army far beyond the Northern expectations.Far more than a simple biography, Crocker uses bullet points at the end of each chapter to clarify Lee's leadership style for the reader. Only in "Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun" have I seen a person's life so well translated into practical, leadership examples. In "Lee," however, Crocker takes actual, historical evidence -- rather than semi-fictional supposition, ala "Atilla" -- and places them in the hands of the reader as a living, breathing model. I have seen a number of hyper-critical reviews on this site which seem to be based more on pre-conceived notions about Lee and the motives of the South. When you read that Union generals and strategy are far more studied than their Confederate counterparts, don't believe it. The truth is that in modern war colleges, the successes of the tactics and strategy of generals like Lee, Stonewall Jackson and A.P. Hill are studied, while the failures of Union leaders are set forth. Now, in this book, we can study the personal example of the greatest leader in the Confederacy -- Robert E. Lee.
Rating:
Summary: Learn to lead from a leader!
Review: Being a fan of the Civil War and involved with managing a business, I found this book quite inciting and useful. Lee's methods for dealing with people throughout his life offered thoughtful approach to situations in modern times that anyone can find beneficial. This book covers Lee's early stages in life and strikes with a wealth of information regarding his involvement in the Civil War. Lee after the war and his death is presented with leadership examples that offer a great view of the man and his ability to handle many situations. In this coverage, author H.W. Crocker III captures important events in Lee's history and explains Lee's approach to being leader in them. What makes an interesting addition to this book is that Lee's triumphs are also covered as well as his failures. How Lee handles such events are dramatically conveyed and offer great value to the reader. I would highly recommend this book for everyone, as people who are not managers or involved in business can benefit. This is a great book for anyone looking to improve their life while offering peaceful and thoughtful resolve to conflicting situtations.
Rating:
Summary: Learn to lead from a leader!
Review: Being a fan of the Civil War and involved with managing a business, I found this book quite inciting and useful. Lee's methods for dealing with people throughout his life offered thoughtful approach to situations in modern times that anyone can find beneficial. This book covers Lee's early stages in life and strikes with a wealth of information regarding his involvement in the Civil War. Lee after the war and his death is presented with leadership examples that offer a great view of the man and his ability to handle many situations. In this coverage, author H.W. Crocker III captures important events in Lee's history and explains Lee's approach to being leader in them. What makes an interesting addition to this book is that Lee's triumphs are also covered as well as his failures. How Lee handles such events are dramatically conveyed and offer great value to the reader. I would highly recommend this book for everyone, as people who are not managers or involved in business can benefit. This is a great book for anyone looking to improve their life while offering peaceful and thoughtful resolve to conflicting situtations.
Rating:
Summary: "In the Company of a Great Gentleman"
Review: Crocker has done a brilliant job of identifying and then analyzing various "executive lessons in character, courage, and vision" from Lee's career. He organizes his material within 11 chapters which range from "Understanding Lee" to "The Marble Man." One of the most interesting sections in the book is the Appendix in which Crocker discusses Lee's "lieutenants": Stonewall Jackson, A.P. Hill, Jeb Stuart, and James Longstreet. I also appreciate the "Select, Critical Bibliography" which suggests other sources for those who wish to increase and extend their understanding not only of Lee but of the much larger historical context within which he lived and, yes, struggled. This is not a biography of Lee. Rather, it offers a sharply focused analysis of a military strategist whose human strengths and weaknesses were revealed throughout the Civil War. Crocker observes that "One should never underestimate what the War Between the States cost Robert E. Lee." The book highlights Lee's principles (which were never compromised) while providing numerous examples of the leadership he provided to his troops. For me, amidst everything that can be said of Lee, what impresses me most is his dignity...especially when Lee's personal "cost" to which Crocker refers was greatest. Throughout most of one of history's bloodiest wars, Lee's principal adversary was Ulysses S. Grant. After the war, Lee became president of Washington College. Consider this especially revealing response by Lee to a professor: "Sir, if you ever presume to speak disrespectfully of General Grant in my presence, either you or I will sever his connection with this university." Adversaries, yes, but Grant and Lee had great respect for each other's qualities of character as well as military skills. I leave it to each reader to select from among the various "lessons" provided those which are most relevant to the reader's own needs and interests. Once having read this book, we are better able to understand Douglas Southall Freeman's comment after he completed his four-volume biography: "I have been fully repaid by being privileged to live, as it were, for more than a decade in the company of a great gentleman."
Rating: 
Summary: A Leader, a Legend
Review: I first picked up this book as part of a project for school. Once I was done, my views about life and other people's character had completly been changed. Crocker uses the experiences of Robert E. Lee to draw an example that anyone wishing to succeed should follow. His use of Lee's own beliefs, triumphs, and failures to analyze human character is a great compliment to the history that is displayed throughout the book. The reader learns of American history during the Civil War, as well as lessons in persona. I would recommend this book to both those who wish to learn a little more about General Lee, and those who need motivation or inspiration. The use of one legend's personal experiences and beliefs to set examples for the people of today, is a superb way of presenting the authors ideas. "Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Character, Courage, and Vision" is a classic that analyzes both a great man, and his ethics. Both aspects help the reader to better understand history, and human features.
Rating:
Summary: A Leader, a Legend
Review: I first picked up this book as part of a project for school. Once I was done, my views about life and other people's character had completly been changed. Crocker uses the experiences of Robert E. Lee to draw an example that anyone wishing to succeed should follow. His use of Lee's own beliefs, triumphs, and failures to analyze human character is a great compliment to the history that is displayed throughout the book. The reader learns of American history during the Civil War, as well as lessons in persona. I would recommend this book to both those who wish to learn a little more about General Lee, and those who need motivation or inspiration. The use of one legend's personal experiences and beliefs to set examples for the people of today, is a superb way of presenting the authors ideas. "Robert E. Lee on Leadership: Executive Lessons in Character, Courage, and Vision" is a classic that analyzes both a great man, and his ethics. Both aspects help the reader to better understand history, and human features.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless Reflections of a Great Man and Leader
Review: If you are looking for a Robert E. Lee biography, or a detailed historical account of Lee's civil war experiences, this book is not for you. The subtitle to this book, "Executive lessons in character, courage, and vision," is precisely why I recommend it to anyone interested in developing as a person of character and as an effective leader. As a fan of military history, Crocker's use of Lee's civil war experiences as the primary setting for this masterful analysis of Lee's leadership was as informative as it was entertaining. Crocker also used Lee's pre- and post-war experiences to present a complete picture of Lee the man as well as Lee the soldier. Ten of the book's eleven chapters ended with concise, bulletized leadership lessons that highlighted the chapter's key points. Lee's leadership was not always perfect, and the chapters' lessons allowed me to learn from and understand Lee's failures and successes. Crocker's expert use of quotes complemented his descriptive narratives and in-depth analysis to create an easy-to-read character and leadership primer. Consider the following examples... * In a letter to his son: "Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage." * General Grant's recollection of Lee's April 9, 1865 surrender at Appomattox: "[Lee] was a man of much dignity, with an impassable face... my own feelings, which had been quite jubilant on the receipt of his letter [agreeing to discuss terms for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia], were sad and depressed. I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought." * "...obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character...As a general principle you should not `force' young men to do their duty, but let them do it voluntarily and therefore develop their characters...Young men must not expect to escape contact with evil, but must learn not to be contaminated by it. That virtue is worth but little that requires constant watching and removal from temptation." Robert E. Lee was devoutly loved by the men he was privileged to lead, deeply respected by the commanders who opposed him, and always recognized as a true gentleman by all who knew him. Read this book and you will learn why Robert E. Lee remains one of the most revered American leaders in history.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless Reflections of a Great Man and Leader
Review: If you are looking for a Robert E. Lee biography, or a detailed historical account of Lee's civil war experiences, this book is not for you. The subtitle to this book, "Executive lessons in character, courage, and vision," is precisely why I recommend it to anyone interested in developing as a person of character and as an effective leader. As a fan of military history, Crocker's use of Lee's civil war experiences as the primary setting for this masterful analysis of Lee's leadership was as informative as it was entertaining. Crocker also used Lee's pre- and post-war experiences to present a complete picture of Lee the man as well as Lee the soldier. Ten of the book's eleven chapters ended with concise, bulletized leadership lessons that highlighted the chapter's key points. Lee's leadership was not always perfect, and the chapters' lessons allowed me to learn from and understand Lee's failures and successes. Crocker's expert use of quotes complemented his descriptive narratives and in-depth analysis to create an easy-to-read character and leadership primer. Consider the following examples... * In a letter to his son: "Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage." * General Grant's recollection of Lee's April 9, 1865 surrender at Appomattox: "[Lee] was a man of much dignity, with an impassable face... my own feelings, which had been quite jubilant on the receipt of his letter [agreeing to discuss terms for the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia], were sad and depressed. I felt like anything rather than rejoicing at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered so much for a cause, though that cause was, I believe, one of the worst for which a people ever fought." * "...obedience to lawful authority is the foundation of manly character...As a general principle you should not 'force' young men to do their duty, but let them do it voluntarily and therefore develop their characters...Young men must not expect to escape contact with evil, but must learn not to be contaminated by it. That virtue is worth but little that requires constant watching and removal from temptation." Robert E. Lee was devoutly loved by the men he was privileged to lead, deeply respected by the commanders who opposed him, and always recognized as a true gentleman by all who knew him. Read this book and you will learn why Robert E. Lee remains one of the most revered American leaders in history.
Rating: 
Summary: hmm
Review: lesson # 1: break your officer's oath and lead armed treason against your country? (isn't america a wonderful place? if lee had been a primary figure in a rebelion against ANY other state, his head would have been piked! thank lincoln and grant for that.)
if one can overlook the fact that this book ignores lee's most pitiful and destructive leadership decision, that of taking up arms against his own countrymen, his own fellow SERVICEMEN, i'm sure one will find it enjoyable.
hypocrisy is lined up along the sidewalks. remember to wear blinders, walking through the town.
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