Kathy the history sleuth
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2020
'Robert E. Lee' Review: A Marble Man, But No Pedestal https://www.wsj.com/articles/robert...guelzo-marble-man-but-no-pedestal-11632946621
Anybody who isn't caught up with an agenda of one sort or another can read it and decide the merits for themselves - pro, con, or in between. Not releasing a book because "it's too heavily politicized a moment" would be an insult to people who are capable of looking at things objectively.
I may not have been clear. You're correct insofar as it may be a purely "marketing" decision, but that has nothing to do with whether anybody should read the book - now, 2 years down the road, or whenever. It would be unfortunate if somebody could not have access to worthwhile scholarship because of some extraneous climate fueled by "interest group agendas". And there are multiple such blind agendas with opposing viewpoints in this area, lest we fool ourselves into thinking it's all one way.If it were as simple as that of writing your thoughts and the audience taking or leaving it I doubt the author would have had that discussion with his editor. He did because he has to go on news sources that have been in several years of trench warfare using Lee as a proxy for their modern political battles and who are not emotionally amenable at the moment to have their minds changed in any way.
If I were his editor I would have advised him to release it now if you want to sell more copies or in a few years if you want to have any hope of changing any opinions or having an honest even handed dialogue.
Not releasing a book because "it's too heavily politicized a moment" would be an insult to people who are capable of looking at things objectively.
"And Lee was not the author or even one of author's of the Constitution. I think it is safe to say he's not a good reference on secession."
That doesn't leave us with many who are, and certainly none by 1861. So he was as good a reference as Jeff Davis, Alec Stephens, etc. And last I looked the same applies to John Calhoun.