According to the historian Samuel Eliot Morison, "There are but a handful of men who seem to stand above history. Robert E. Lee is preeminent among them." Although the Civil War proved to be one of the bitterest epochs of the American experience -- dividing families, sundering communities, and enforcing fierce regional enmity -- this one man was admired and respected by partisans from both sides. He was offered the command of both the Union and Confederate forces, precisely because the men of his day recognized that he was a man of impeccable character and unimpeachable courage. Indeed, his legacy recalls one of the few bright lights in a distinctly dark age. In this new biographical study, J. Steven Wilkins examines the attributes of life and service that enable Lee almost to transcend the controversies and conflicts of the moment to become a model of leadership for all time. Captivating, informative, and inspiring, Call of Duty is a substantial contribution to the wide-ranging scholarship of the Civil War.