Soldier, statesman, landowner, historian of the young republic, and member of one of the best Virginian families - Henry Lee endeavoured throughout his life to realise his dream of a free and prosperous America. His career embodied the visionary promises that inspired the American Revolution, as well as the inability of the revolutionary generation to put all its ideals into practice. Charles Royster shows how, both during the war and afterward, Lee continually risked himself in the service of his vision and how he repeatedly failed to win the victories he sought. This book was first published in 1981 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., and has already won wide critical acclaim. It will appeal to general readers as well as students of American history.