BOOKS WE’RE READING

"Adhere to history and ethical authors of unrivalled character" ~Henry Lee III to Charles Carter Lee, Dec. 1, 1816

In the final years of his life, living in the Caribbean far from his Virginia home, General Henry Lee III found himself separated from his family and stripped of his station. What remained was the counsel of a father determined to pass on hard-earned wisdom. In a series of letters written in 1816, Lee urged his children to avoid frivolous authors and instead devote themselves to "the best poets, the best orators, and the best historians," from whom one might draw "principles of moral truth, axioms of prudence and material for conversation." Elsewhere, he encouraged the serious study of history, ethics, and those writers capable of shaping both intellect and character.

At The Generals Redoubt, we strive to follow that same counsel. Though separated from Lee by more than two centuries, we share his conviction that good books remain among the surest guides to wisdom, judgment, and virtuous citizenship. In that spirit, we are pleased to introduce "Books We're Reading," a recurring feature highlighting works that have informed our members and enriched the conversations taking place throughout the organization.

  • THE LAST ADIEU: LAFAYETTE’S TRI- UMPHANT RETURN

    RYAN COLE (2025)

    Nothing compares to the grand and patriotic fervor that greeted the Marquis de Lafayette’s return to America in 1824. Ryan Cole vividly recounts the aging hero’s farewell tour and reminds us why, 250 years after the Revolution began, the American founding remains worthy of celebration.

  • THE LOST INDICTMENT OF ROBERT E. LEE

    JOHN REEVES (2018)

    Did Robert E. Lee commit treason? John Reeves looks beyond the question to the legal and political complexities surrounding Lee’s June 7, 1865 indictment. This forgotten tale reminds us just how uncertain Lee’s fate remained when he accepted the presidency of Washington College 4 months later.

  • CORRESPONDENCE OF SHELBY FOOTE AND WALKER PERCY

    ED. JAY TOLSON (1998)

    For more than 40 years, Shelby Foote and Walker Percy corresponded on literature, history, faith, and philosophy. By turns insightful, humorous, and deeply personal, their letters provide a telling introduction to the ideas and personalities that shaped Southern intellectual life in the 20th century.