General George E. Pickett in Life and Legend

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Summary: A good effort but their still are to many holes in the story
Review: George Pickett could be one of the biggest mysteries of the Civil War. After the war and then his death 10 years later his wife became a celebrated author. She wrote several popular books about the Civil War and specifically George Pickett including one that was suppose to be a collection of his letters to her during the war. The problem is Sallie Pickett's books were more fiction than fact. Creations of her imagination to glorify her husband.

The result is in trying to write a proper biography of George Pickett one has to deal with Sallie Pickett and try to separate the truth from the fantasy. This problem is compounded by the fact that Pickett's actual wartime letters and other papers are locked away and not available to modern scholars.

This is why it is so difficult for a biography of Pickett to be written. It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from another puzzle in the box. Every time you pick up a piece you have to try and decide if it even belongs with the puzzle. That's the very difficult task that Lesley Gordon faced in trying to write this book.

Gordon does do a decent job of weeding out the fiction from the facts. Her writing style is very good and the book is an enjoyable read. She holds no punches and is tough on Pickett when the need requires but also gives him credit for the good things. The problem is there simply are to many gaps in the story which cause her to literally skim over important parts of Pickett's life. His life after the war is barely even touched and Gordon skims over some rather important events, most likely because there is so little factual information available about Pickett concerning those times. Perhaps not Gordon's fault but we as readers are still left scratching our heads wondering what went on.

Lastly due to lack of direct sources i.e. Pickett himself, Gordon is forced to use other indirect sources that aren't always reliable. For example in discussing his being wounded at Gaines Mill Gordon quotes Major John Haskill who accuses Pickett of cowardice. The problem is Haskill had a strong and well known dislike of Pickett and his story is so absurd that I was surprised Gordon chose to even include the account at all.

I think the definitive book on Pickett is still to come. There are simply still to many gaps in his life. Perhaps someday in the future his actual letters and papers will be made available to scholars and then a true in-depth biography of the man can be made. In the meantime this will do.

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Summary: Well Done Bio on the General Associated with Great Disasters
Review: Lesly Gordon does a well done bio on Pickett the General associated withh three of the greatest disasters of Lee's Northern Army of Virginia. Pickett is obviously associated with the great charge at Gettysburg but also the crushing disaster at Five Forks and within a week the final crushing blow at Saylers Creek where Lee lost over 6,000 soildiers. The bio covers Pickett's early years with the Mexican War where he takes the flag from a wounded Longstreet to bound up the steps at Chapultepec, his realtionship with an Indian maiden that may have included marriage and the son that he seemingly abandoned and left in the northwest. Picket also is involved with a virtual skirmish with England over islands in the northwest near Pugent Sound.

But the best part of the book is Gordon's filling in of Pickett's Civil War career. After an early wounding during the Peninsula Campaign, Pickett's career stays on the back burner until Gettysburg. After discussion of Pickett's role and actions where he actually participates in 1/3 of the charge that holds his name Pickett has other assignments such as the retaking of North Carolina towns and his early defense of Petersburg where he holds back the Union forces with just a few thousand men until Beauregard arrives to take command. Pickett's miring in controversy is well brought out such as his decision to hang former Confederates that were captuted while fighting for the Union in North Carolina and his infamous part in the Five Forks battle where he was away from the fight eating shad and partaking in drink with Rosser and Fitz Lee while his command is virtually wiped out. The later is whispered but little known until after his death. His remnants of command are virtually captured at Sayler's Creek and Lee allegedly discharges him with Anderson and Bushrod Johnson days before Appomatox.

Gordon's bio is fascinating as Pickett seems to be a brave and valiant soldier but one that is immature such as his leaving the lines in Suffolk to visit LaSalle`his future wife who lived a few miles in Chuckatuck, his stepping away from command to party behind the lines at Five Forks and his penchant for writing emotional and whinny battle reports. The latter is probably why Lee had Pickett tear up his Gettysburg report. LaSalle is revealed as a dedicated wife but one that fabricates history to enhance Pickett's reputation. Alleged letters from Pickett that she published are in many cases most likely written by her own hand and recent scholarship has shown gross plagerism and in some cases illogical history where the facts dispute her version of the truth such as Lincoln stopping by to see the Picketts in Richmond. A fascinating account of inconsistencies, Pickett stems the tide at Petersburg abnd fights well at Dinwiddie Court House against Sheridan but then relaxes too much at Five Forks in a very difficult and unsupported position which in the end results in the collapse of Lee's right wing. Gordon does well in removing some of the mystery about Pickett who today is burried near his men at Hollywood Cemetery but seemingly isolated from other Generals burried there.

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Summary: General George E. Pickett in Life & Legend
Review: Unlike the previous customer reviewer, and like the scores of accredited professional reviewers itemized in part in Amazon's own professional listings, I found Gordon's new biography to be first rate. It is meticulously researched and introduces new materials about the general's life heretofore unpublished. And if Gordon's interest in the role that Pickett's marriage played in shaping his 'life' is offputting to some reactionary types, then so much the better. Biography requires the evocation of an individual's entire cultural ethos, both on the battlefield and off, and Gordon's evenhanded work here help us round out the picture of an important, if enigmatic historical personage.