Leader of the Charge by Edward G. Longacre 1995, Hardcover: items on eBay.com

Publisher's Note
The leader of the most famous charge in American history, George E. Pickett was destined for immortality, but the man behind the famous name has remained a mystery. This, the first full-length scholarly biography of the general, reveals the complex personality and explores the contradictory behavior of one of Robert E. Lee's most enigmatic subordinates. What emerges is a portrait of a gallant leader who risked his life on many fields but refused to accompany his troops into the jaws of death at Gettysburg; an incisive, quick-witted tactician who graduated at the foot of his West Point Class; and a chivalrous Virginian who in 1865 barely escaped trial as a war criminal. This biography of one of the Civil War's most celebrated commanders, a general whose career both greatness and tragedy touched, is based largely on published and unpublished primary sources. The book provides a multi-faceted portrait of an officer whose life has long been obscured by error, stereotype, and myth. As the first Pickett biography published since 1899, Leader of the Charge debunks a century of myth-making about him, exposes two postwar collections of letters reputedly written by Pickett as fiction concocted by his widow, and publishes for the first time numerous authentic Pickett letters.

Industry Reviews
The name of General George Pickett is readily recognizable owing to his role in the Battle of Gettysburg, yet this is the first biography of him since 1899. Longacre (Mounted Raids of the Civil War, Univ. of Nebraska., 1994) has written an excellent account of a gallant leader who risked his life in earlier battles but did not accompany his troops into the battle that still bears his name. Longacre depicts in a well-rounded manner Pickett's life and actions, from his days at West Point through the Mexican War, and details his leadership in the Civil War. The author also draws on Pickett's personal life to show how it affected his military life. Overall, Longacre's well-written study refutes most of the earlier accounts written about Pickett, yet gives a clear picture of his life and military exploits. Recommended for all libraries. W. Walter Wicker, Louisiana Technical Univ., Ruston
Breitman

This first modern biography of the man who led the final Confederate attack at Gettysburg depicts neither an archetypical cavalier nor a shallow incompetent. Though Pickett's promotion owed something to the patronage of his superior Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, he had an excellent record of brigade command and did as well on July 3, 1863, as anyone was likely to have done in the circumstances. Nevertheless, Pickett lost the confidence of Robert E. Lee and spent most of the rest of the war on peripheral assignments in North Carolina and southern Virginia. Performing adequately under direct supervision, Pickett showed no aptitude for independent command despite some successes, notably in organizing the defenses of Petersburg in 1864. Longacre's sympathy for his subject leads him both to overestimate Pickett's military capacities and to understate Gettysburg's impact on a man who in its aftermath arguably suffered from what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder. This work is still a useful addition to the literature on Confederate command in the Civil War. Illustrations. (Feb.)
Bernstein

Details the life of General Pickett, revealing the complex personality and contradictory behavior of one of General Lee's most enigmatic subordinates and debunking myths surrounding him. Contains b&w photos and maps, and authentic Pickett letters, previously unpublished. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
Reference & Research Book News (08/01/1996)

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