James Longstreet is one of the more controversial participants of the Civil War. His fortunes closely mirrored those of the Confederacy-early success followed by a string of defeats. His criticisms of Robert E. Lee and support for Union Republicans after the war did not endear him to Southerners. He became a convenient scapegoat for the "Lost Cause." In From Mannassas to Appomattox, Longstreet explains the war and defends his decisions. Any historian who wishes to better understand the war would benefit from studying and critiquing this expansive primary source.