A distinguished Civil War historian unravels the complex character of the Confederacy's greatest general. Drawing on previously untapped manuscript sources, the author refutes such long-standing myths as Stonewall Jackson's obsessive eating of lemons and gives a three-dimensional account of the profound religious faith frequently caricatured as grim Calvinism. Though the author capably covers the battles that made Jackson a legend--Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, etc.--he emphasizes "the life story of an extraordinary man." The result is a biography that will fascinate even those allergic to military history.


From Library Journal
Robertson (Jackson & Lee, Rutledge Hill, 1995) has put together an exhaustive account of the life of Stonewall Jackson from his early years as an orphan until his death after being accidentally shot by his own troops. Robertson describes Jackson as "a man of arms surrounded by the tenets of faith," and so he was. He was a devout, reticent man who surrendered himself to the will of God. Even the deaths of his first wife and his children and his own agonizingly slow death didn't shake his faith. Yet he was also a great military strategist and stern disciplinarian who inspired great loyalty in his troops. Lee considered him his best general and was shaken by his death. Extensively researched and well written, this compares well with Byron Farwell's masterly Stonewall: A Biography (LJ 9/1/92). Recommended for Civil War and American history collections.?Judy R. Reis, Cochise Cty. Lib. Dist., Bisbee, Ariz.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


The New York Times Book Review, Stephen W. Sears
. . . [T]wo dozen writers have attempted biographies, and there are any number of special studies, monographs and essays. Now going straight to the head of the class of Jackson biographers, and likely to remain there, is James I. Robertson Jr. . . . Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend gives us far and away the sharpest picture we have ever had of this enigmatic figure.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The passage of 130 years has only deepened the fascination and reverence for Confederate general Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson. He ranks today as among the half-dozen greatest soldiers that America has produced. Military academies in both hemispheres still teach his tactics. Revered by his men, respected by his foes, Jackson became seemingly invincible. When he learned of the general's fatal wound, Robert E. Lee sent his "affectionate regards," saying, "He has lost his left arm but I my right arm." Jackson's early death in 1863 was the greatest personal loss suffered by the Confederacy and one that permanently crippled the wartime South. This eagerly awaited biography is based on years of research into little-known manuscripts, unpublished letters, newspapers, and other primary sources. It offers for the first time a complete portrait - not only of Jackson the brilliant military strategist and beloved general but also of Jackson, the man of orphaned background, unyielding determination to conquer adversity, and deep religious convictions.

FROM THE CRITICS

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