The Army of Northern Virginia

The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia was one of the greatest fighting formations in history: a combination of an outstanding commander and an excellent fighting force. For four years, Robert E. Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia on a series of campaigns that subsequently became lessons in how to maneuver and manage in battle a mid-nineteenth-century army. The Army of Northern Virginia is an in-depth study of why this formation was so successful against Union armies that often had a wealth of resources and manpower, as well as some very able leaders. Almost always outnumbered, Lee's forces were able to inflict a number of notable victories by giving free reign to subordinates and utilizing the fighting qualities of the army's units to the full. But more than anything else, The Army of Northern Virginia looks closely at the human dimension of Lee's army: the quality and individuality of its generals and their ability to interpret their superiors' orders; the fighting spirit of the average 'Johnny Reb', who believed he could whip anyone; and, above all, the leadership of Robert E. Lee himself, who became one of the nineteenth century's greatest generals.