Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend

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Summary: Stonewall Jackson has won an unprecedented 8 awards.
Review: With eight awards to its credit thus far, including the Douglas Southall Freeman Award, and the Jefferson Davis Award, Stonewall Jackson is one of the most successful Civil War books in history. Robertson's insightful examination of the "extraordinary man who became a great general" has touched the hearts and minds of readers on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line.

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Summary: The most complete and accurate bio I've ever read on the man
Review: R.L. Dabney wrote a biography on Jackson in the last century. This bio is similar in form but MUCH more detailed and accurate. Highly recommended. Gives a true account of the man on the battlefield and in his prayer closet.

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Summary: This is an excellent, painstakingly researched book.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this major text on the South's most enigmatic and arguably, greatest general. Especially informative is the material on Jackson's childhood,West Point career, and Mexican War involvement that shed much light on his Civil War personality. The detailed presentation avoids pedantry while being truly enlightening. Unquestionably the bext text on Jackson of this genre.

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Summary: Best Civil War Biography
Review: Author Robertson is not only a great historian, he is also an incredibly good wordsmith. Seldom in an historical biography have I seen such excellent writing combined with such in-depth and (relatively) unbiased research. This book is jammed with detailed information about Jackson: socially awkward, agonzingly shy and diffident, odedient to orders to the point of insanity, absurdly religious.Yet, this is my "take" on the book. The author never literally comes out and states this. He presents information. It is up to the reader to form his/her own opinions......After 40 plus years of studying Civil War history, I am long past hero worship. I never saw Jackson or Lee or any other general as a god - and I do not now. I don't believe that was the author's purpose. I believe his pupose was to present all the facts he could about Jackson in an organized and entertaining fashion. That the author is also a great writer makes this work all the more enjoyable. .......This is probably the BEST biography I have ever read, both in terms of scholarship and the quality of the writing. My only regret was that I did not get to read the many items that were left out of this already lengthy book by the authors and editors. I was not quite ready for Jackson to go.

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Summary: Well written, insightfull, and readable
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It took me to new levels in understanding the man and his role in the war.

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Summary: This is what we miss....
Review: How nice to immerse oneself in the story of a man of character, a true hero. I found it to be a perfect antidote after reading the NY Times and Washington Post. What a salve in this age of cynicism, agnosticism and mediocrity.

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Summary: A biography of Jackson saturated with rich detail
Review: Robertson's biography of Jackson is like a bricklayer's work: a steady, thorough layering of mortar and stone, all the details fashioned with precision, care and attention to the final result. Reading about Jackson's early life, his family tragedies and struggle to find purpose through religion and service to his country, one is amazed that, even in his day, Jackson was considered a man apart from his peers, an "eccentric", and a mysterious personality that found his true voice in battle. Robertson's prose is simple, yet absorbing in its narrative of Jackson, his time and those around him who lived and died in mid nineteenth-century America. By the book's last chapters, you feel as if you had reached the top of the wall Roberton has built, brick by brick, to witness the last hours at Chancellorsville. The author's style is subtle: I found myself missing the wit and sweeping cast of Bruce Catton, but Robertson's attention to his subject, the almost day-by-day account of Jackson's life and demeanor lead you to be moved finally at the moment of triumph and tragedy at the end. Even those who are familiar with this chapter of the Civil War will appreciate the insight into one of history's rarest individuals.

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Summary: True source of courage revealed
Review: Robertson's seminal work provides immense depth to the man of mythical stature. Jackson's true source of strength and courage is revealed through documented and thoroughly researched examination of his youth and pre-war experiences.

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Summary: A historian who can write!
Review: At last, a historian who can write an interesting book. More than just history, this is a real biography in which Robertson brings the reader close to the man. As good a biography as I have read, perhaps the best. An absolute must read for Civil War buffs. I had the privilege of hearing Professor Robertson speak on General Jackson recently and the speech was as interesting as the book, a truly pleasurable and informative evening.

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Summary: Simply the Best!!!
Review: As a life-long student of the Civil War, native Virginian, current Georgia Civil War Commissioner, and #1 fan of General Stonewall Jackson, it would take a lot to convince me another biography of Jackson was needed. But having just finished Dr. Robertson's book...I'm convinced!!! In a nutshell, it's the BEST book EVER written on Stonewall Jackson. It may NEVER be topped!!! On a scale of 1 to 10, it's a 12!!! Steve Longcrier ([e-mail]) Augusta, Georgia