Warrior in Gray: General Robert Rodes of Lee's Army

This was a well written biography on a forgotten soldier who is just getting his due. Highly recommend this fine historical study of Confederate division commander in action!

Robert Rodes finally gets the biography he has deserved for years. In James Swisher's fine book the casual Civil War buff will be introduced to one of Robert E. Lee's best Division commanders. Historians have stayed away from a book on Rodes because of a perceived lack of information, but Swisher's passion for fellow Lynchburg, Virginia resident Rodes gave him the patience to unearth much undiscovered material on his subject. Like all Civil War Generals, Rodes had his good days (Chancellorsville, Wilderness, Spotsylvania) and his bad days (Gettysburg), but his superb leadership and bravery put him in high esteem with both his men and his superiors. Many felt there was no better commander in the Army of Northern Virginia. Because Rodes was killed at 3rd Winchester in September of 1864, and because many of his principle subordinates were killed during the war there was no one to write his book. James Swisher's biography of Rodes, besides being a great work of scholarship, is highly readable. Swisher has a great writers gift of taking cold facts and making his subject come to life...warts and all. This is a long overdue biography that every Civil War student will want to read. Many good maps and photographs. I recommend it highly!