Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson

by S.C. Gwynne

Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the epic New York Times bestselling account of how Civil War general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson became a great and tragic national hero.

Stonewall Jackson has long been a figure of legend and romance. As much as any person in the Confederate pantheon—even Robert E. Lee—he embodies the romantic Southern notion of the virtuous lost cause. Jackson is also considered, without argument, one of our country’s greatest military figures. In April 1862, however, he was merely another Confederate general in an army fighting what seemed to be a losing cause. But by June he had engineered perhaps the greatest military campaign in American history and was one of the most famous men in the Western world. Jackson’s strategic innovations shattered the conventional wisdom of how war was waged; he was so far ahead of his time that his techniques would be studied generations into the future.

In his “magnificent Rebel Yell… S.C. Gwynne brings Jackson ferociously to life” (New York Newsday) in a swiftly vivid narrative that is rich with battle lore, biographical detail, and intense conflict among historical figures. Gwynne delves deep into Jackson’s private life and traces Jackson’s brilliant twenty-four-month career in the Civil War, the period that encompasses his rise from obscurity to fame and legend; his stunning effect on the course of the war itself; and his tragic death, which caused both North and South to grieve the loss of a remarkable American hero.

Genres: History, Biography, Civil War, Nonfiction, American History, American Civil War, War

688 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2014

About the author

S.C. “Sam” Gwynne is the author of two acclaimed books on American history: Empire of the Summer Moon, which spent 82 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the Texas and Oklahoma book prizes; and Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson, which was published in September 2014. It was also a New York Times Bestseller and was named a finalist for both the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pen Literary Award for Biography. His book The Perfect Pass: American Genius and the Reinvention of Football, was published in September 2016, and was named to a number of “top ten” sports book lists.

Sam has written extensively for Texas Monthly, where he was Executive Editor from 2000-2008. His work included cover stories on White House advisor Karl Rove, NASA, the King Ranch, football player Johnny Manziel, and Southwest Airlines. His 2005 story on lethal Houston surgeon Eric Scheffey was published in “The Best American Crime Writing, 2006” by Harper Perennial Press. In 2008 he won the National City and Regional Magazine Award for “Writer of the Year.” He also writes for Outside magazine. His articles include a 2011 story about running the remote Pecos River in Texas, a 2012 piece about Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific, where the Americans tested atomic weapons, and a 2017 profile of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.

Prior to joining Texas Monthly, Sam worked for Time Magazine as Correspondent, Bureau Chief, National Correspondent and Senior Editor. He traveled throughout the United States and to England, Austria, France, Belgium, Spain, and Russia to report stories for Time. He won a number of awards for his Time work, including a National Headliners Award for his work on the Columbine High School shootings. He also won the Gerald Loeb Award, the country’s most prestigious award for business writing, the Jack Anderson Award as the best investigative reporter, and the John Hancock Award for Distinguished Financial Writing. He has also written for the New York Times, Harper’s, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, California Magazine, Boston Globe, Dallas Morning News, and other publications.

Earlier books were Selling Money, about Sam’s adventures in the international loan trade, and The Outlaw Bank, about the global fraud at Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).

Before his career in journalism, Sam was a French teacher and an international banker.

Sam has a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University and a master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University, where he studied under the acclaimed novelist John Barth. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, the artist Katie Maratta.

From: https://scgwynne.com/author

Reviews

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 5 out of 5]

”He wore a tattered, faded, and mud-flecked uniform whose shoulders had been bleached yellow by the sun, large artillery boots, and a soiled cap pulled down across the bridge of his nose so that much of his face was obscured. His hair was long and his beard unkempt. He was what most of the thousands of people who saw him and later recorded their observations might have called nondescript.”


Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson

General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was one of those men that blossomed because of war. Jackson had always been a strange bird. A man difficult to hold a conversation with. A man so rigid in self-discipline that he proved at times impossible to like. He was orphaned early in life and book learning was never easy for him. This self imposed discipline was without a doubt one of the reasons he was able to overcome his disadvantages and survive a strict course of study at West Point. He graduated in the class of 1846 which just happened to be the same class as the celebrated Union general George B. McClellan. ”a class that eventually produced more generals----twenty-two, twelve Union and ten Confederate, including two lieutenant generals and fourteen major generals---than any West Point class in history.”

It reminds me of a show I watched on the great Robber Barons of American history. They were all born within a few years of each other, basically, they were born at the right time to take advantage of a huge opportunity in advancing technology. The same could be said for the West Point class of 1846. They were born at the right time to be at the proper point in their careers to take the best advantage of the fast promotions available during war time.


George B. McClellan, please do not scuff his boot or tarnish a button on his splendid jacket.

McClellan always dressed like an exquisitely designed toy soldier, too polished to be a man at war. Jackson dressed more like a man down on his luck than a celebrated Confederate General. McClellan drilled his soldiers to perfection and spent more time preparing for war than actually fighting the war. Jackson on the other hand with his ragged army, many without shoes, didn’t spend much time on drilling, but was always spoiling for the next fight. McClellan was looking to the future with a Presidential run as his ultimate prize. He thought he could be the one to reunite the Union and didn’t want to bloody his hands more than necessary in suppressing the very people he felt would support him over that “ape” (the term of “endearment” that McClellan used when discussing the President) Abraham Lincoln. Jackson never gave politics much of a thought. He was intent on winning the war with bullets and blood not through speeches or negotiations.


Lincoln trying to entice McClellan into battle.

There is certainly a difference in the mentality of the North and the South regarding the war. Jackson had a controversial view of the war. ”He proceeded to lay out for the amazed Smith a full-blown plan to lay waste to the North, its armies, its industries, and its cities that would see Philadelphia in flames and Confederate armies camped on the shores of the Great Lakes.”

He believed in total war.

The North at the beginning of the war had no such thoughts. They really just wanted to win enough battles to force the South to the negotiation table. It was easy to see the way the Union Generals made decisions and even the way the troops responded to the conflict that the North didn’t really want to fight. The Confederacy felt different about the war from the very beginning.

”The people of the Confederacy had fully expected a splendid victory. They had been quite certain that a Southern boy could whip several times his weight in cowardly Yankees, and they had been proven right. They had believed that, faced with Confederate resolve and Confederate gumption, the Federals would turn and run like scalded dogs, and the Northern boys had given them the truly immense satisfaction of doing precisely that.”

When you read the rhetoric coming out of the South, they were looking forward to killing Yankees. They had resentments against the North that the North didn’t reciprocate. The typical Yankee soldier didn’t hate the Rebels, but the typical Confederate soldier felt a lot of animosity towards the North. The Confederate soldiers as a group were a lot more motivated and thus more supportive of the war than the Union soldiers. As the war progressed and people in the North were being personally affected by the war this changed the perceptions towards the war and towards the South. President Abraham Lincoln also found a General in Grant who was willing to embrace the Jackson concept of total war.

Where the typical Union soldier saw the war as a necessary evil, the typical Southern soldier saw it more as a glorious quest.

”What the Confederacy had desperately needed, in a war it was obviously losing, was a myth of invincibility, proof of their notions of the glorious, godly, embattled, chivalric Southern character were not just romantic dreams. Proof that with inferior resources it could still win the war. Jackson, in his brilliant, underdog valley campaign, had finally given it to them.”

Jackson was a truly a gifted tactician. He moved whole armies as if they were ghost soldiers. They disappeared into the mist and reappeared where they couldn’t possibly be. He possessed, like his commanding officer Robert E. Lee, the ability to assess his opponents strengths and weakness well beyond just the man power and artillery available, but also down to the decisions their opponent was most likely to make during battle. They could be bold while the Union General on the other side typically...hesitates.

A Union General just knowing that Thomas Jackson commanded the Confederate troops in front of him would automatically be more likely to think defensively than offensively. Jackson with his stream of victories was as famous and as lauded in the North as he was in the South. Yankee prisoners would cheer him when he passed by. The Richmond Whig summed up how important Jackson was proving to be to the Southern cause.

”The central figure of the war is, beyond question, that of Robert E. Lee. His the calm, broad military intellect that reduced the chaos after Donelson to form and order. But Jackson is the motive power that executes, with the rapidity of lightning, all that Lee can plan. Lee is the exponent of Southern power of command; Jackson, the expression of its faith in God and in itself, its terrible energy, its enthusiasm and daring, its unconquerable will, its contempt of danger and fatigue.”

Jackson typically put himself in the thick of things. Something that his troops loved, but his general staff hated. He was reckless with his life believing that God would spare him or take him whether he was in the middle of a beehive of bullets or safely observing from a far hill. What made him so valuable to Lee was that he understood his orders well beyond what was discussed with Lee. He could anticipate changes in strategy the exact same way that Lee would. A subordinate like this is not only unusual, but invaluable. Lee and Jackson were very different men in upbringing and in their ability to communicate, but when it came to looking at a battlefield they were peering at it, seemingly, with the same eyes.

Stonewall Thomas Jackson

Jackson rarely got enough sleep which sometimes slowed his thinking processes. When this happened his staff who were used to lightning fast, well thought out decisions, were sometimes compromised because Jackson rarely shared his battle plans. Jackson was vindictive and rigid when it comes to enforcing military policy. Over the span of his career, even well before the Civil War, he brought many officers up on charges, some not provable. He even accused a commanding officer of immoral conduct. During the war that harshness was still part of his personality. He wanted to shoot all deserters, but resisted only because he knew the public sentiment would not stand for it. What was irritating to me was at times he disciplined fellow officers or removed them from command for breaking rules that he himself had broken. He obviously saw himself above the law, but felt that everyone else must comply or face harsh consequences.

Jackson was willing to sacrifice his men, sometimes ruthlessly. The more impossible the requests he made of his men, the more they loved him. The Northern Generals never had the luxury of such devoted soldiers that were willing to follow their commanders to the gates of hell. Some of that was a lack of dynamic, forceful leadership that was so prevalent among the Confederate armies, but some of it was also a reluctance to destroy people who they still considered to be fellow Americans.

Lee certainly missed Jackson at Gettysburg. If Jackson had been there maybe that battle would have turned out differently and the tide of the war would not have changed so dramatically at that specific moment in time. It wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the war, but he certainly might have helped to prolong it.


Stone Mountain Memorial to Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, and Thomas Jackson.

Like a hero of mythology Jackson does not have to taste defeat. He is shot by his own men near the end of the Battle of Chancellorsville when he and his staff were mistaken for Union cavalry. His arm is amputated and there is hope that he will recover, but he succumbs to pneumonia a little over a week after he is wounded. S. C. Gwynne brings Jackson out of the mists of history and presents what made him such an effective leader. He reveals the thorns of his personality along with the brilliance of his tactical mind. Jackson saw the future of how to win the war long before either side was willing to admit the amount of butchery and the destruction of assets that would be required to finally reunite the country and end the war.

How fascinating (and bloody) would it have been to have had two like minded warriors such as Grant and Jackson to meet in battle?

I also recently read and reviewed the new book by Michael Korda on Robert E. Lee. Clouds of Glory

If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone knows some things about the American Civil War, don’t they? And don’t they also know some things about one of the conflict’s most famous generals, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson? I’m going to assume that the answer to both questions is yes, because if I start writing about the war and Jackson’s role in it the review will take on a life of its own causing the eyes of any brave reader to glaze over.

So why don’t I just cut to the chase.

S.C. Gwynne, the author of Rebel Yell, is not a trained historian. In fact, he has a Master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins, and after a time working in the financial sector, he became a journalist. In 2011, he struck pay dirt when he published his first historical study, Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History, which was a best seller and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize (and must have been in the running for longest subtitle).

With Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson (apparently still striving for the longest subtitle) he turned his attention to another conflict, the American Civil War and one of its most famous warriors. Historians and buffs (those nitpickers) have criticized Gwynne’s book on several counts. They have found a few errors of fact (no surprise in a book of almost 600 pages of text plus 50 pages of notes), but there are no major errors. They have criticized the fact that he relied heavily upon secondary sources and that as a result there is nothing new that hasn’t already been written about Jackson. And that’s true, too.

But guess what? Gwynne doesn’t care. He has written another best seller while academic historians struggle to get their books published and readers to read them if they are published. Here’s what Gwynne has had to say about it:

My audience was a general interest audience, and I thought of them as being very intelligent, but not necessarily expert. I’ve got to sell them – tell them what I am writing about, tell them why and be clear. If you write well, you can make a story of a confederate general just as interesting as Kim Kardashian’s love life.

Well, I reckon! But somehow I doubt that people who are interested in Kim Kardashian’s love life are interested in a Stonewall Jackson biography, but I could be wrong.

The formula is apparently working. He has written back-to-back best sellers that are extremely popular with the Goodreads crowd. Empire of the Summer Moon has received over 28,000 ratings, been reviewed almost 3,000 times, with an average rating of 4.15. Rebel Yell hasn’t done quite as well, but the numbers are nevertheless impressive: over 4,000 ratings, 516 reviews, and an overall rating of 4.41.

While academic historians are writing books that are read by other historians and buffs, Gwynne is aiming his efforts toward the readers that flock to the thoroughly researched, expertly written books of such popular historians as David McCullough, Nathaniel Philbrick, and Hampton Sides.

What the historians and buffs do agree on, however, is that Rebel Yell is well-written (that writing degree from Johns Hopkins comes in handy) and that it is a good source for people who are aware of Jackson, but not experts on him or his military exploits.

Mission accomplished.

-----------------------------------------
FYI: There are forty-three books on Goodreads that have rebel yell in their titles, including Partisans Adult Coloring Book: Rebel Yell and Heroic Battles Inspired Adult Coloring Book. It has no ratings, no reviews, and no average rating. You could be the first.

[Fred Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rebel Yell, is one of a number of books about Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Some say, Stonewall was one of the greatest generals of the Civil War. The book's title is of course, the name given the actual screech of charging Confederate soldiers that "sent chills up the spine" of Yankee soldiers. It was Stonewall Jackson's men at the First Battle of Manassas that started the phenomenon. Stonewall was said to be a "cold blooded killer". As a leader, he was not "touchy, feely", but his men would follow him anywhere because he won battles. He was lost early in the war, killed by his own men when they mistakenly believed he and his staff were the enemy when returning to camp at dusk. Jackson would later die due to poor care after the amputation of the left arm. When Robert E. Lee heard of "Stonewall's" death, he commented: "Jackson lost his left arm and I have lost my right".

If you like history, this is a good one, well researched and written.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.C. Gwynne sure knows how to tell a story. I was a little afraid that a 700-page book focused on one person in the Civil War would be a little tedious, but I couldn't have been more wrong. This book is fascinating. I got caught up in it like I normally would a novel. It's intense, sometimes really sad, and sometimes really funny.

I was also a little surprised that I found myself sympathetic with Stonewall and his troops as they move through the story. This was my first Civil War book from the perspective of the South. Seeing it through Jackson/Lee/Davis' eyes didn't make me change my mind about the outcome (or about the causes) of the war. But it did help me understand the southern mindset a little better.

Maybe the most interesting part of this book is that you figure out pretty quickly why the Civil War ended up being so brutal. The first couple of years were basically a stalemate because nobody yet understood that total annihilation was the only way either side would win.

Anyway, I highly recommend it.

[Donna Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gwynne describes his biography of Jackson as an amateur effort, and as such, it is a strong one. He documents meticulously, using both primary documents and highly respected secondary sources. It is a sympathetic portrait of Jackson, generally speaking, although the author maintains a reasonable professional distance and objectivity. Sometimes his point of view is that of the dispassionate observer, and at other times, he speaks as if he were Jackson's friend, a quirky touch that I found oddly endearing.

I should mention two things next. One is that although I have read a good deal about the American Civil War (and taught about it), I have never read a Jackson biography before, so I don't have a basis for comparison. This is a bare spot in my own Civil War scholarship that I hope to rectify. The second thing I should say is that my copy came to me free, courtesy of Net Galley and Gwynne's publisher, Scribner. I've really enjoyed the read.

I encountered one obstacle in reading this otherwise well written work, and also what I believe is a flaw. The obstacle--and it's happened more than once and is no fault of Gwynne's--is that history can't be read really well on an e-reader. Elaborate battle plans are described, and then this teeny weeny map pops up. Even if I had been able to use the zoom feature (which on a galley is not offered), I still would have needed to see the whole picture at once to really understand what he did. If you are a reader who is satisfied to know that he did something unconventional and brilliant, this may not bother you, but much of the biography is devoted to specific military tactics, since it is primarily this that brought Jackson his fame. It only whetted my curiosity, and in one way or another, I will follow up at a later time and get maps of those battles on paper in a readable size. If you feel the same, and if you get this book, I strongly advise you to buy the hard cover edition rather than e-reader or audiobook (unless it goes to paperback, which would be both useful and more affordable).

The other thing that bothered me is that Gwynne tries to do too much. The first twenty percent or so goes off onto unnecessary tangents, trying to provide us with a thumbnail version of the entire Civil War from its inception to the time of Jackson's death. This is both off topic, since the book is a biography, not a Civil War history, and of course also an inadequate history. At the end of the book he does the same thing, trying to thumbnail sketch the ultimate fate of every player in the parts of war in which Jackson participated, and some others also.

On the one hand, maybe this makes it more approachable to someone unfamiliar with the Civil War, but really nobody should plunge into a biography of a Civil War general without first becoming familiar with the basic facts of the war. I would have preferred he consider the basic outline of the Civil War to be assumed knowledge, and move forward, focusing exclusively on Jackson and whatever other information is necessary to set context.

I felt he did well in his detailed sketch of Jackson. His religion was an integral part of his personality, and though I am an Atheist, I have known others who have had the same capacity to carry their faith into everything they do. They don't remind others constantly to give God the credit for whatever achievements bring them praise, but this is a different time; the period just after the Industrial Revolution saw a much wider and more visible Christianity throughout the US.
Others were assumed to be Christians unless they went out of their way to say otherwise. Therefore I agree with Gwynne's assessment that Jackson's religious behavior was not a sign of mental illness, but merely a personal trait distinguished by its consistency.

Like other heroes of the Civil War such as Sherman and Grant (my own favorites), Jackson was not successful until the war broke out. He grew up poor and by his own determination succeeded in procuring a military education, which was tuition free. Afterward he became a teacher, but was by all accounts just dreadful. His delivery was mumbled and unenthusiastic, his discipline harsh even for the time, and his instruction consisted of assigning students to memorize passages of the text without his first explaining the meaning of the text or offering a chance for students to ask questions. Students called him "Tom Fool" behind his back and made fun of him in his presence.

The war transformed him, and somehow when it came to training soldiers, he was a wonderful teacher. Anyone who did not seem to understand what to do was drawn aside by Jackson and given one-on-one training. He wanted to invade the Northern states right away, under a black flag (so shoot everyone and take no prisoners). He found this entirely consistent with his religion, since like so many warriors before and after, he was persuaded that God was on his side.

His men at first despised him for his long, forced marches through all kinds of terrible weather and terrain, but it was victory that made them love him. Most of them were young, and what better way to march into manhood than a structured situation in which one is guided in his actions, and meets with nearly immediate success? The battles were traumatic, to be sure, but given the circumstances, they would have been drawn into battle, one way or the other. Under Jackson they found an unassuming leader who took no luxuries for himself and didn't ask his men to do anything that he himself would not do. He became the ultimate father figure for many.

His campaign in the Shenandoah Valley made him famous; his successes at both battles at Manasses (Bull Run), the 7 Days battle in the Wilderness, and others too numerous to list--in fact, I was surprised how many, since I had come to regard Jackson as a star who had shown brightly but briefly--made him a hero even Union soldiers would cheer, and the Confederate news source that claimed that "Stonewall" would become as much a legend as "Old Hickory" (Andrew Jackson) actually understated what posterity would hold for this humble man.

His fearlessness was due to his absolute and utter conviction that God had sent him on a mission, and nothing could happen to him until God was satisfied that his purpose had been fulfilled.

This gives me pause. At what point does one draw the line? He didn't do anything clearly foolhardy such as jumping into raging rivers or leaping off cliffs, and yet he thought nothing of exposing himself to a hail of bullets near the front of the battle, convinced that he was covered by a magical shield provided by an omnipotent God. Again, I don't say he was crazy, but it makes me curious. This is one character for whom I'd love to go back in time and have a conversation.

Gwynne's writing style is lively, his transitions smooth as butter. Another book of his, which I'd like to read, was a finalist for the Pulitzer, and that word-smithery is evident here also. He turns a compelling narrative that at times may make one forget that this is nonfiction, not unlike The Guns of August (by Barbara Tuchman). If he were to refine his format to a more laser-like focus on Jackson, maybe he'll be nominated again; hell, maybe he will anyway.

A wonderful read; get it in paper format!

Post-script 3 years later: what I said about maps and e-readers no longer holds true. The quality of maps on digital readers varies tremendously now. Some are clear and crisp, and on an e-reader can be expanded to show one area or another enlarged; others cannot. Some have precious, historical font that pixelates badly when enlarged and nobody ever can read it. I don't know whether the maps on this book are any better now digitally than when it first became available, but having made a sweeping statement, I felt moved to provide an update.

[robin friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stonewall Jackson's Way

Before the battle of Antietam in September, 1862, an anonymous Southern poet wrote "Stonewall Jackson's Way", which was subsequently set to music and became a favorite Confederate song. The poem's second stanza offers the following description of Jackson.

"We see him now, the old slouched hat
Cocked o'er his eye askew;
The shrewd, dry smile, the speech so pat,
So calm, so blunt, so true.
The "Blue-Light Elder" knows 'em well;
Says he, "That's Banks, he's fond of shell;
Lord save his soul! We'll give him hell,"
That's Stonewall Jackson's way."

S.C. Gwynne discusses "Stonewall Jackson's Way" together with much else about Jackson in his outstanding and popular biography, "Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson." (2014) Jackson has been written about extensively. Gynne's book manages to be scholarly and accessible while presenting fresh insights into its subject. The book captures the character and accomplishments of a complex, enigmatic individual.

The clear writing style and the creative organization of this biography go a long way towards helping the reader understand Jackson. Rather than taking a strictly chronological approach, Gwynne begins his account at a climactic moment in Jackson's life: Stonewall is on his way to Richmond to help Robert E. Lee in what would become the Seven Days Battles following Jackson's string of brilliant military movements in the Shenandoah Valley in the Spring of 1862. Gywnne shows something of Jackson's character and toughness, including his role at First Manassas, before doubling back to show Jackson's initial attitude towards the war and his years as a professor at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington. At various interludes later in the book, Gwynne again works back in time to discuss Jackson's childhood, his years at West Point, his early military career, and his two marriages. The organization allows a broad look at Jackson's life and character beyond his military activities. Similarly, the book integrates well lengthy sections of descriptive writing about Jackson's battles and other activities with commentary, both from the author, from other writers, and from Jackson's contemporaries reflecting on the events and their significance. The book encourages a reflective approach to Jackson on behalf of the reader.

Gwynne's biography shows the many eccentricities of character long associated with Jackson while also showing some lesser-known traits: his romantic nature, his passion for his two wives (his first wife died in childbirth), his love of literature and gardening and architecture, and a trip he took to England in the 1850s. The book places a great deal of emphasis on Jackson's religiosity. Jackson's devotion to his religion and to God, as he understood devotion to God, comes through fully and with a great deal of sympathy in this book. Jackson exhibited religious activism throughout his life -- before the outbreak of the Civil War he founded a Bible school in Lexington to teach young people held in slavery.

Still, Gwynne's book stresses, as it must, Jackson's Civil War. Jackson was born to be a leader and a soldier. With the outbreak of the war, the gifted, taciturn and peculiar individual found his place in life. Gwynne offers a full portrayal of Jackson's mostly brilliant career as a general, including First Manassas, the Valley campaign, the Seven Days, Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and a number of smaller battles. The descriptions of the battles are clear and easy to follow for readers not accustomed to the sometimes ponderous descriptions in Civil War books. In addition to showing troop movements, Gwynne helps bring the reader into Jackson's mindset. He also shows well the strengths and weaknesses of Jackson's battlefield opponents and of Jackson's own comrades, including Lee, Stuart, and Longstreet. The book shows Jackson's high expectations, some of his shortcomings as a commander, and, in particular, his frequently difficult and unfair treatment of his subordinates.

Portions of the book show Jackson unsympathetically and emphasize his rigidity and violence. He initially called for a "black flag" war including an immediate invasion of the North and a policy of taking no prisoners. As the book continues, the overall tone becomes much more sympathetic, as Gwynne allows the reader to get inside this strange, gifted man.

The book offers a good overview of the course of the Civil War in the East up to the time of Jackson's death in May 1863 following the Battle of Chancellorsville. Gwynne offers a moving, full description of Jackson's funeral and of the irreplaceable loss his death caused the Confederacy. Most of the book is written from the standpoint of the Confederacy. Gwynne recognizes slavery as the primary cause of the Civil War. But the book shows the Confederacy and some of its leaders, together with the ordinary soldiers, more sympathy than do some contemporary accounts, recognizing their bravery, fortitude, carrying on with inadequate weapons and supplies, and commitment. There is no "Lost Cause" mythology in the book, but Gwynne allows his readers to see the war from a fresh point of view.

I have been reading about the Civil War for many years; and like, many, was fascinated by Stonewall Jackson from childhood and adolescence. I was glad to visit him again in Gwynne's account and to look back. Gwynne's book does indeed capture the "violence, passion, and redemption" of, for all his personal flaws and the flaws of his cause, an American hero.

Robin Friedman

[David Zimmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all the reading I have done on the history of the United States, and of Americans that have made history, one of my biggest gaps is the era of the War Between the States. Through general education, I was introduced to the major personalities of that period. I have visited some of the battlefields. Yet, of the battles themselves, or the men who fought them, my knowledge is scant, at best. That is one reason why I was attracted to this book, to fill in some of the gaps. Rebel Yell turned out to be an excellent choice.

Rebel Yell is extremely well-written. I can honestly say, I never for a moment became bored or distracted while reading. The story is well-told, the author masterfully weaving his way through the war years of Stonewall Jackson, and the events of the early years of his life that molded Jackson into the man he became. Though I have nothing to compare it with, the work came across as an honest and fair representation of Jackson's life.

The writing is far from pedantic. Gwynne writes with passion and emotion. His accounts of the battles and their outcomes often left me emotionally disturbed, and grieved. Though I would not describe Gwynne's descriptions as overly graphic, they were intense, communicating something of the horror and violence of the war. The large numbers of casualties inflicted in a single battle were shocking. It isn't that I was unaware of how many lives were lost in the war, but for the first time, Gwynne put me on the battlefield, to be an eyewitness to the conflict, and to feel something of the weight of the decisions that cost so many good men their lives, not least among them, Jackson.

Jackson appears to have been a complex individual, a man at once rigid in his duties, having high expectations of himself and of others. Yet, he was given to kindness and compassion, and known for it. He was also recognized as a man of intense faith, a faith he felt deeply and desired for others to share. He was both a feared and respected leader. The fact that he was mourned in death almost as universally in the North as he was by the South speaks volumes about his influence and character.

If your interest goes to good biography or well-written history, I highly recommend Rebel Yell.

[happy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a masterful telling of the life of the Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Mr. Gwynne really brings to life the man who was probably the best tactical General of the Civil War. From the opening prologue, the Jackson the author presents is not a man who is big on appearances. He is dressed in such a way as to be almost unnoticeable on a crowded train platform.

In this well written account, the author tells the story of Jackson’s life and brings to life the contradictions and motivations of the man. For example, a devout Christian, Jackson almost always attributes his success to God’s will. This leads him to an almost reckless attitude for his own safety in battle and to care greatly about his men, both their physical and spiritual needs. At the same time his uncompromising Christian morality gets him into trouble in the prewar army when he accuses a superior officer of adultery without a good case and doesn’t allow him to marry the woman he apparently loves after his first wife dies, his late wife’s sister. Later he seems to find happiness in a second marriage.

Before the war he is presented almost a fish out of water. After he leaves the army and ends up at VMI, he is an indifferent professor at best. His struggles as a professor are well presented as well as his home life. The coming of the war seems to give Jackson purpose. From the time he leads his students out of VMI through to his death at Chancellorsville he is presented as the consummate tactician, able to run rings around his opponents. The one exception to this was his performance in the Seven Days battles. Mr. Gwynne seems to excuse this do to his ill health and exhaustion.

As I mentioned above, Mr. Gwynne really brings out Jackson’s religious faith. It colors everything he does. He is always giving credit to God for whatever happens, both good and bad. Also his self-discipline and devotion to duty are well depicted. From his preparing his lessons where he would spend all night in a darkened room, memorizing his what he is going to teach to his battlefield performances where his he and his men march up to 35 miles in a day, earning them the nickname of "Jackson’s Foot Cavalry". He expected his men to have the same devotion to duty that he himself had. One example that Gwynne cites is to an officer applying for leave to bury his family who had died in an epidemic. The letter Jackson wrote back to him is very moving and shows empathy for the man’s plight. However, in the last sentence, Jackson denies the leave saying simply duty requires everyman be present at that time.

In writing about Jackson’s battlefield generalship, I feel Mr. Gwynne gives a good accounting of Jackson’s performance as well as his opponents. In telling the story of the 1862 Shenandoah campaign, Jackson seems to have been blessed with less the stellar enemy generalship. That doesn’t discount his accomplishments however. He kept them off balance and ran them out of the valley. His opponents just couldn’t conceive that an army could move that far, that fast and hit that hard.

Mr. Gwynne also does a nice job with Jackson’s death. After the first days fighting at Chancellorsville, the lines were so mixed up, Jackson went out after dark to try and determine exactly who was where. In returning to his own lines he was shot by confederate soldiers. He lost an arm, but was expected to recover. Unfortunately for the south he developed pneumonia and passed away 8 days after being wounded.

In summary, Gwynne does a masterful job of blending the Civil War General’s public exploits and actions with the personal, private side of the man. Despite a few minor factual errors, this is a definite 5 star read.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Draw the sword and throw away the scabbard.”

I’ll start with my usual disclaimer that I can’t speak to the accuracy of the history in this book. In fact, my prior knowledge of Stonewall Jackson, and indeed the whole Civil War, could fairly be described as non-existent. But Gwynne has clearly done a huge amount of research and, assuming the accuracy, the only word that I can find to describe the book is superb. In terms of the quality of the descriptive writing, the structure and skilful use of language, and the depth Gwynne brings to the characters of Jackson and his comrades and friends, the book stands not just as an outstanding biography but as a very fine piece of literary writing.

As Jackson and his force of cadets set out to war, Gwynne tells us of his pre-war life as a rather strange and awkward man, deeply religious, suffering from poor health and perhaps a degree of hypochondria. Having overcome his early lack of education to scrape into West Point, he took full advantage of the opportunities on offer there, dragging himself up from the bottom of the class to graduate in a fairly high position. The first signs of his heroism were seen in the Mexican war when his courageous – some might say reckless – actions against a much greater enemy force were crucial to the success of the assault on Mexico City. But after this war, Jackson had taken a position as professor at the Virginia Military Institute, a job for which he seemed remarkably unsuited. Unable to control his unruly classes and an uninspiring teacher, he was seen as something of an oddity by his pupils. Gwynne shows how that all changed as he became one of the Confederacy’s finest leaders, with many of these same pupils ending up willing to follow him anywhere and die for him if necessary.

To them, Jackson’s movement east with his vaunted Army of the Valley meant that he was coming to save Richmond, which meant that he was coming to save the Confederacy. And the soldiers of the beleaguered Army of Northern Virginia believed to the bottom of their ragged, malnourished rebel souls that he was going to do precisely that.

This is very much a biography of Jackson and a history of his military campaigns, rather than a history of the Civil War itself. Therefore Gwynne doesn’t go too deeply into the politics of why the war came about, nor does he make any overt judgements about the rights or wrongs of it. Although in the course of the campaigns, we find out a lot about some of the commanders and politicians on the Unionist side, the book is rooted within the Confederacy and the reader sees the war very much from their side. As we follow Jackson through his campaigns, Gwynne, with the assistance of clear and well-placed maps, brings the terrain to life, vividly contrasting the beauty of the country with the brutality and horrors of the battlefields. He gives such clear detail of the strategies and battle-plans, of troop numbers and movements, of weaponry and equipment, that each battle is brought dramatically to life. In fact, my lack of knowledge was something of an unexpected benefit since I genuinely didn’t know the outcome of the battles and so was in a constant state of suspense. And found that I very soon had given myself over completely to willing Jackson onto victory. The image of this heroic man mounted on his favourite horse in the midst of mayhem, the light of battle in his eyes, one hand held high as he prayed for God’s help while the bullets and artillery thudded all around him, is not one I shall soon forget.

On the way back to headquarters Jackson, riding now with McGuire and Smith, said nothing until they neared their camp, when he suddenly said, “How horrible is war.”

“Horrible, yes,” McGuire replied. “But we have been invaded. What can we do?”

“Kill them, sir,” Jackson said. “Kill every man.”

From the beginnings of the creation of the Jackson legend in the Shenandoah Valley campaign, then on through the series of battles where he snatched victory from what should have been certain defeat, till his final stunning achievements as the right-hand man of General Robert E Lee, Gwynne shows the growing admiration and even love of his troops for this man whose total belief in the rightness of his cause and God’s protection led him to take extraordinary risks. He drove his men brutally hard, marching them at unheard-of speeds, on half rations or worse, and he threw them into battle even when they were exhausted and weak and hugely outnumbered. But his personal courage and strategic brilliance turned him into a figurehead – a symbol for the South, whose very name could make the Unionist commanders tremble. Cheered and adulated by soldiers and citizenry everywhere he went, he consistently insisted that all praise for his victories was God’s due, not his, and remained awkward in the face of his growing celebrity to the end.

Men were fixing dinner and taking naps or relaxing, listening to the distant music of a regimental band, or perhaps discussing the Confederate retreat, when suddenly all nature seemed to rise up in revolt around them. Through their camps rushed frantic rabbits, deer, quail, and wild turkeys, then there was an odd silence, and then Jackson’s massive, screaming, onrushing wall of grey was upon them.

But amidst all the warfare, Gwynne doesn’t forget to tell us about the man. We see the other side of Jackson – the family man, grieving for the death of his first young wife and then finding happiness with his second, Anna. Through extracts from his letters, we see the softer, loving side of Jackson and also learn more about his deeply held conviction of God’s presence in every aspect of his life. We learn how the war divided him from his much loved sister who took the Unionist side. And we’re told of the efforts he made to nurture religion amongst his troops. A silent and somewhat socially awkward man to outward appearance, we see how he opened up to the people closest to him, taking special pleasure in the company of young children. A man of contradictions, truly, who could hurl his men to their almost certain deaths one day and weep for the death of a friend’s child the next.

A biography that balances the history and the personal perfectly, what really made this book stand out for me so much is the sheer quality of the writing and storytelling. Gwynne’s brilliant use of language and truly elegant grammar bring both clarity and richness to the complexities of the campaigns, while the extensive quotes from contemporaneous sources, particularly Jackson’s own men, help to give the reader a real understanding of the trust and loyalty that he inspired. As Gwynne recounted the final scenes of Jackson’s death and funereal journey, I freely admit I wept along with the crowds of people who lined the streets in wait for a last chance to see their great hero. And I wondered with them whether the outcome might have been different had Jackson lived. If only all history were written like this…

NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Scribner.

www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poor man! I���m not really hearing much about the war, or as one Southern belle I met ages ago called it “the great misunderstanding “ (she was in KY at the time soooo…) I’m really just learning about who he was as a younger man, he breaks my heart. At one point I was bawling like a baby. I really wonder, if the biographer is writing true, he might have been neurodivergent. He’s so quirky, hyperfocused, set on rote patterns, excellent memory but has such a difficult time expressing himself. He, to quote a description I once read, is such a”an unfortunate man”. I can’t imagine what one’s life must be like to be called that. This is what I’m assuming. I did not think I would enjoy this much, but so far I’ve been so wrong.
2/9 i recently learned that Spotify has audiobooks. I picked this one as my first because he is a “warrior” I’ve wanted to know more about as well as more about the strategies and tactics of the civil war. Man fighting this great fight sounds simply horrid-no shoes, no food, no ammunition, no shelter, no education, the list goes on. I do have a better understanding of the “brother vs brother” concept. Between this and the revolution Americans had it pretty rough, but I still think we don’t know just how fortunate we are on this side of the planet. 🌎 I can’t speak for the 1812. I think I have one book about that war. It’s really not even touched on in classrooms. I digress. The focus is on this great general with his strange ways, his never say die attitude, so really what is discussed about the war is from that perspective for the most part. I will say this: another civil war book, another piece of evidence that McClellan is a waste of space as a general. I’ll probably get some flap back on this but he reminds me so much of MacArthur. Lord that busybody. I won’t start that discussion because it has nothing to do with this book. This is a long book, so I’m glad it’s audio format. Besides Spotify only allows you so many hours in a certain amount of time to listen then you either buy minutes or wait 14 days.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

There have been a few biographies of Civil War Generals lately and this book can be added to the list. Everyone knows that little fazed General Thomas J. Jackson, at the first battle of Bull Run came the famous quote “Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall.” S.C. Gwynne writes a very detailed and most readable biography of Jackson.

The Virginian born Jackson went to West Point and fought in the Mexican-American War. Jackson was a professor of physics at the Virginia Military Institute when the Civil war started. Jackson was religious and was not proslavery but chose to fight for his State of Virginia rather than the Union.
Jackson’s strategic innovations shattered the conventional wisdom of how war was waged; he was so far ahead of his time that his techniques would be studied generations into the future. The author shows that Jackson was a master of deception and movement. Jackson’s army could out march, outflank, out maneuver the Union Army. He was always outnumbered but he racked up victory after victory. The author delves deep into Jackson’s private life, including the lass of his first wife and his regimented personal habits.

The book is written with the swiftly vivid narrative that is Gwynne’s hallmark and is rich in battle lore, biographical detail, and intense conflict between historical figures. The author’s battle scenes are marvels of description and action. The book is meticulously researched. Gwynne used both primary documents and highly respected secondary sources. Gwynne maintained his objectivity and presents an unbiased biography. One minor annoyance was the fact the author provided more information about the war and other people, he needed to stay more focused on his subject Stonewall Jackson.

The author points out that Jackson went from obscurity to fame in twenty-four months in the Civil war. Jackson had a stunning effect on the course of the War. In 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville Jackson was shot by one of his sentries. His tragic death caused both the South and North to grieve. If you are interested in Civil War history you will enjoy this outstanding biography of one of the War’s greatest Generals. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Cotton Smith narrated the book.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I held off on reading this for a long time because I half expected (from the book's subtitle) that it would take an "all Confederates were scum" approach. I couldn't have been more wrong. Gwynne is entirely fair, crediting Jackson a lot more than pouring over his faults (but he does find fault and rightfully so, as Jackson was far from infallible). Adding to the extraordinary person Jackson was is Gwynne's ability to tell the story without becoming mired in data. You get the numbers, the history, and the battlefield movements but in a way that aids the narrative. Really quite good.

[Anthony Whitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best biographies you will ever read. Gwynne introduces you to Stonewall Jackson and you will come to understand he is every bit the legendary Civil War leader you have heard about. But Gwynne also takes you on an exploration of the man behind the hard driving commander that excelled on the battlefield. Be prepared to form an emotional attachment with Jackson well crafted by an outstanding author. Excellent work and highly recommended!

[Rick Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vividly drawn portrait of an oddball professor, brave warrior, and faithful Christian man.

[Jason Herrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a really good book. I enjoyed it more than I expected. Maybe that’s partly bc I haven’t read a lot about the Civil War era. Jackson was definitely a complicated man. But I found Gwynne’s exploration of his life and what could be known of this thoughts & beliefs to be fascinating. He seemed to often earnestly desire to give God glory in all things & to do the God-honoring thing. Yet he also fought on the side of this war seeking to preserve slavery as an institution.

[Socraticgadfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, as with previous book, Gwynne had taken a charismatic figure of American history, and delivered some good insights, but made some major, elemental errors at the same time, along with doing some major punch-pulling on interpretive history.

In "Empire of the Summer Moon," it was giving Comanche chief Quanah a white man's last name that he never had, and knowing better than to do that, being a Texan.

This time, the main factual error, or constellation of errors, in this book is promoting Jackson at the expense of James Longstreet, basically indulging old myths about Old Pete.

He perpetuates the myth that Longstreet was somehow "less than" or that Lee was often disappointed.

He also gets something flat-out wrong when claiming Lee had both promoted to lieutenant general on Oct. 10, 1862.

Longstreet's promotion was a day earlier, and Gwynne either should have known it and was lackadaisical in not actually knowing it, or else he's deliberately perpetuating a falsehood.

Indeed, most modern histories that don't have such bias make clear that Longstreet's earlier promotion was deliberate, by Lee's design.

Also, at 2nd Manassas, confuses D.H. Hill with A.P. Hill in one reference. He later corrects that, but it really shouldn't have been made in the first place. (And, per an ongoing lament of mine about the book industry, it shouldn't have gotten past copy editors, either.)

Gwynne does show that Jackson's cantankerousness toward fellow officers started long before the Civil War. He also notes that he had too much secrecy about battle plans with sub-commanders. However, in his downplaying Longstreet, he also fails to note that not only was Old Pete better at this, but that he had a better, more professional, staff in general.

That said, he also could have critiqued Jackson more than he did for not recognizing that fast pursuit against retreating foes by large "civilian" armies in the Civil War just wasn't as possible as Jackson might have wished. And, while he mentions Jackson's "black flag" ideas at the start of the war, he doesn't critique them as much as he could.

Finally, while noting Jackson's kindliness as a slaveowner, Gwynne doesn't go more into his attitude toward slavery as a whole. (As best we can tell, he "accepted" it as under the control of the same predestinarian Calvinist God that informed his religious beliefs in general.)

And, while noting Jackson's religiosity, and its depth, Gwynne has a surprisingly narrow interaction with it; besides how it impacted his views on slavery, how did it impact his views on rebellion? How did he square it with his "black flag," ie, "no quarter" ideas — already at the start of the war — for invading the North?

In short, since Gwynne is a Texan, why doesn't he look in more depth at the idea that Stonewall Jackson wanted to be some sort of Santa Anna?

I was originally going to 3-star this, but thinking more and more on how Gwynne didn't delve into these and other issues related to Jackson's known religiosity, it goes down another star.

[Eddie LaRow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was beyond words. I only wish I could give it more than 5 stars. The description of Jackson, and his military campaigns, were thorough and enjoyable to read. From First Bull Run, to the Valley Campaign, and up to Chancellorsville, each exposition details Jackson's unique and often risky style of battle. I further appreciated the author’s graciousness when describing Jackson's faith. Jackson was no doubt a devout Christian, but even within this framework, he often came across as harsh and strict to the rules. My favorite description of Jackson is as follows:

"Jackson by this point in his meteoric and still ascendant career cast a large shadow, far larger than the sum of his flesh-and-blood parts. There was something fateful about him, something foreordained, as though he had been born to occupy precisely this moment in time and space, as though his strange and mystical communion with God had granted him special power over both his own men and his enemies. His personal oddities now fueled the legend." (527)

[Creighton · Rating 5 out of 5]

History is filled with people who are like comets: they shine brightly, but unfortunately are with us for a short time. Stonewall Jackson was definitely a comet like figure, except his light continues to shine, and I personally think it is rightly so. I guess I am one of the relatively few Americans who can truly say he admires Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson as much as he does Ulysses S Grant, William Sherman and Abraham Lincoln. All of these men left an indelible mark on this country, and for those of us who can sift past the hatred, we can see them all as Americans who deserved to be remembered.

Like the title of his book, S.C. Gwynne shows us Stonewall Jacksons life was exactly like his title: violence, passion, and ultimately redemption. Violence in that Jackson argued from the very beginning for total war, not because he relished in the chaos it started, but because like Grant and Sherman, he believed it would cause the bloodshed to end much earlier. Passion has several meanings for me in this book; passion in that Jackson was such a dedicated Christian, and everything he seemed to do he wanted to include God in his life, and passion in that he was passionate in a personal sense with his wife, family, friends, and those whom formed his close circle; passion in a martial sense because he fought with a passion that often seemed to allow him the advantage of defeating his enemies. Lastly, redemption in this book was that Stonewall Jackson's reputation, and his stature among the world and those who knew him went from a strange, eccentric, backcountry and laughable VMI professor, to a hero of the Confederacy. Overall, I think it was a really good book, and I wasn't exactly sure if I was going to read it or even finish it at first, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

[Farris Lyons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not often been so enthralled by a book. A remarkable man.

[Heather C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Civil War has never been my strong point in history – but knowing that, I decided that it would be a good thing for me to make an effort to better understand this part of US history, especially from the side of the Confederacy. Stonewall Jackson is the only other Confederate General I could have named besides General Lee, and all I could have told you was his name. Well, now having read Rebel Yell I have come to admire this man in such a way that he has become one of my favorite figures is American history. It feel weird to make that previous remark – I have been born and raised in New England with all of the northern states history that comes with that. While I may not agree with the defense of slavery, I find him admirable for his passion, commitment to his cause, and the defense of his homeland and way of life. And while I think he might have been just a tiny bit crazy, there is no doubt that he was an amazing military commander.

It is clear that S.C. Gwynne has done his fair share of research on Jackson. The man comes to life from the pages and I felt like this was someone that I actually knew. I will admit to actually shedding a tear or two when I found out that he had actually died during the war and didn’t get to live out a long life. Gwynne does a fantastic job of getting into this man’s head. I have been expounding facts about Stonewall Jackson to pretty much anyone that would listen for the several months it took me to finish reading it. However, at no point did the book feel like I was being overwhelmed by facts put there for purely the purpose of the fact.

I learned so much about the actual battlefield war of the Civil War, whereas previously I knew mostly about the political battlefield. Sometimes reading about battles can get bogged down in technicalities, which is not so here. In Rebel Yell, Gwynne adequately describes battles enough for a layperson to understand, without simplifying it too much.

This was a great read that I can’t recommend enough.

I had an interesting experience reading/listening to this book. Apparently the tracks got jumbled on my i-pod and for a good 8 hours I was listening to chapters out of order. So then I re-started the book all over again, this time on the actual CDs that I had received. The narration was very well done and I could feel the narrator’s passion while reading the text. His pace and tone were well matched to the text. The only thing that I would have liked would be for the narrator to actual sing the song, Stonewall Jackson’s Way, instead of just reading the lyrics.

This review was previously posted at The Maiden's Court blog.

[Alexw · Rating 5 out of 5]

While no one can question Jackson bravery or brilliant strategy during the Civil War, I found that I would dislike the man. My dislike is because he advocated without mercy, executing all Union soldiers when they surrendered. He also was extremely determined to court martial someone whom his staff repeatedly told him that same man was actually brave in battle. My final dislike is that he had a complete nervous breakdown during the war.

[David Bird · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good enough thing of its sort, but it is, for me, a problematic sort: this is the Civil War with slavery de-emphasized, with the Confederate self-image unchallenged. It does not argue in favor of slavery or racism, but no one of the 'it's heritage, not hate" way of thinking will encounter anything to challenge their worldview. As with the Confederacy of the nostalgic artist Mort Künstler, Gwynne's Jackson dwells in a world where African-Americans are mostly offstage.

He owned slaves, yes, but we are told half were charity cases, and the other half loyal to his wife from her childhood. He "held no strident, proslavery views." We have only the views, however, of white people on what sort of master he was. He did found, run, and fund a Sunday school for African Americans, but again, there is no deeper discussion of this.

It may seem unfair to emphasize this one angle, but the use of the Confederacy and its heroes in the succeeding century and a half as a polite face of a racist status quo provide justification enough. The use of figures like Jackson and Lee as moral exemplars invites, and honesty demands, examination of not only aspects of their character that are admirable, but those which, when examined, have not aged well.

The reliance of Confederate armies on slaves, their treatment of recaptured freed-people, and even their abduction of free African Americans are important but inconvenient parts of the story. They have often been ommited from pro-Confederate narratives. A general with Jackson's attention to detail must have had cognizance of all of these matters, but they are absent here.

When Gwynne writes that Jackson was universally mourned in the South, he falls into the convenient and popular habit of forgetting that a large portion of the South's population was enslaved, and the vast majority of those were not the favored house slaves who benefitted from paternalism, but ruthlessly exploited field workers. One may doubt whether they shed many tears over a man who was ultimately fighting, admit it or not, for the perpetuation of their enslvement.

Gwynne compares Jackson's death to that of Lincoln, but misses one importantf point: the importance of distinguishing between sources describing the living man, and those attempting to shape (and employ) posthumous legacy. Indeed, one may make the same point about the Confederacy as a whole.

The writing is clear and brisk. The exploration of character is good, as far as it goes (we do see violence, and some passion, but I missed the redemption that forms the third element of the subtitle). This volume provides a pleasant read for those who enjoy military history as a diversion, but much less for those who turn to history to better understand the present.

It may also bear noting that while the publisher has provided numerous maps, they often do not provide information truly necessary to follow the complex manouvering that earned Jackson his reputation. This is especially true with the Valley campaign.

[Pam Walter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebel Yell is the story of the iconic Civil War General Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson.

I find it so hard to fairly rate a biography when I dislike the central character. While recognizing the excellent job the author has done in portraying the man as he truly was, and acknowledging that the research was in-depth and accurate given nearly 100 pages of notes at the end, I just disliked the man.

A devout Calvinist, he believed some are chosen by God to be delivered of a knowledge of Himself, and these are selected solely based on His own will and not due to any exceptional behavior or merit of those chosen. Jackson may have believed he was one of those chosen; elements of Calvinistic beliefs evidenced themselves in his Civil War career. At the end of battles won, he would bow his head and raise his arm in praise to the almighty for guiding them to this glorious success.



He claimed he was a mere instrument of God. He truly believed that God was on the side of The Confederacy. Of course the Union soldiers believed that God was on the side of the Union. And so it goes in all wars. In the end death drew parallels between public acclaim of Lincoln and Jackson. Tens of thousands lined up from Richmond to Lynchburg to pay homage to Stonewall Jackson. In New York alone seventy-five thousand people followed Lincoln's cortege. Both men were Christian heroes who believed that God was with them and against their enemies, and to their followers and supporters they seemed to be evidence that God in fact, was on their side.

Jackson grieved inconsolably at the loss of those close to him and yet could sit his horse on a battle field unflinchingly as men of both sides fell like rain. He filed courts-martial against Confederate generals that he felt threatened by, or who failed to follow orders which were, in their opinion, inordinately cruel. Jackson was for many Northerners the embodiment of the "pitiless, fanatical, religiosly-obsessed warrior." But for others he was emerging not simply as a Cromwellian zealot in a cause they despised, but also as someone with qualities they otherwise might actually admire: competence, fearlessness, valor in the field, humility and devotion to God. To his enemies he was the strangest, most intriguing, and most threatening of all the Confederate generals.

I learned a lot from Gwynne's book but confess having a difficult time getting through many of the battle scenes with multiple approaches detailing troop movements, battalions, regiments and ordinance, then counter movements. Had I listened to audio version I could have fast forwarded through troop movements and perhaps I could have mastered the "Rebel Yell."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mGAe...

[Alexander Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about making a connection. I would argue Stonewall Jackson is the most misunderstood, mystified, and iconic player in the Civil War. While he was on the wrong side of the conflict and his allegiances to the institution of slavery can be questioned, I feel there is much more to him then just some radical rebel. He was religious, patriotic, passionate, severe, strategist, cynical, practical, and above all an incredible leader. I want to make this very clear in this review I’m a true patriot and I believe the Confederacy was a pure evil and I do not support any of the southern point of views due to there principles of racism and slavery. That being said, Rebel Yell tells a story of a simple man who turned what should have been a quick war into the bloody carnage we have known it to be today. After reading this book I truly feel the war would have been union victory within the first year of the conflict. Jackson put everything he had on the table and outsmarted, out flanked, out performed any of his rivals. He embraced total war far beyond grant or Sturat or for that matter anyone else in the conflict. Damn with politics he was in it to cause damage and by god he did. In any case, here are (5) reasons why you should give this beautifully written book a read.

Aesthetically written

S.C. Gwynne is a well known journalist and a quite accomplished writer. You can clearly see this in Rebel yell. He writes on Stonewall Jackson in a very personal narrative and he writes as if one would be interviewing him today. While the book may have been a little long I found it written perfectly from the start of Jackson’s humble poor upbringing, his time and academic fame at West Point, to his heroic assalts in the American Mexico war, and his rise to fame in the fist battle of bull run all the way to his fall in the battle of Chancellorsville. All of the chapters bleed together and there was no gap in terms of generalization of what he was going through. Not to mention his personal life at VMI, his love life, and his religious domination of his personality. It goes to show the amount of work that went into this book and the best part it flows so effortlessly.


You don’t need to know the Civil war to pick up the information.

I’ll put it simple, you don’t need to be a crackpot civil war historian to enjoy this book. I barely have read 3 books on the conflict and I fully grasped all the information presented in Rebel Yell. The best part about this book and kinda explains its length, is the author ability of giving good back story on certain players and events creating the tension of the civil war. The ending pulls it all together too in putting Stonewall Jackson’s impact to the war if he would have survived after the battle of Chancellorsville. There is a lot of speculation on that front but the author puts a little effort on that unfortunately. Only thing I wish was he put more effort on the legacy factor in Jackson’s death. That would be the only petpeve I had in the end.

Unbiased review

I was a little nervous reading a Confederate leader biography, but I actually got nothing on southern sympathy or the advocation of the “Lost Cause” push. There is a great deal of information on the information of slavery in the book and the author makes it very clear. The south fought for a an unjust cause. Plain and simple. At the same time the author takes a dig on Jackson point of views who did in fact have slaves but advocated for there rights in some religious ways. The author does not dig to much on his prerogative of slavery or the souther cause of spreading slavery across the country. The author says Jackson hated the idea of separation or the union but knew he could not fight against his home state, as most southern solders flocked to the ranks to fight the union to begin with.

Insane battle field narrations

Last but not the least S.C. Gwynne did not fail in his delivery in painting the big and small pictures of the numerous battles described that Jackson participated in. In the end of the book I felt like I lived in all the battles by their authors grasp of feeling of violence that S.C put into describing the carnage of the war. Ultimately I got the impression that the battles were just meat grinders and Sronewall Jackson and his men were butchers in so many battles. There was a reason why he was so feared and reverend. I have read a good deal of “war books” and while most do ok with portraying build up of armies and the actual fights, very few deliver the punch of death in a battle or the drastic change of events. In Rebel Yell I felt like i was I n the movies it was that good and the author did a great job in his writing skills in pulling his readers into the pages.

The Book moves with ease
One last thing, do not be discouraged with the amount of pages, 600 pages is not that bad bro lol. It moves and the only reason it took me a couple of weeks was because I’m on a deployment right now and my days are long. But I loved having breaks jumping back in a time with so much glory, death, and a nation so vastly divided. Something I fear sometimes our own nation will revisit if we don’t get our act together. In any case if I can leave you anything about Stonewall Jackson is he was a patriot, an American to the bone. And he never accepted defeat or retreat or withdrawal, something our leaders today I wish would advocate his spirit more often.

Thanks for reading,
-Alex

[Steven Walle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book which I forgot to rate and write upon. Anyway I will give you a full review later this day. Enjoy and Be Blessed. Diamond

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stellar.

[Porter Broyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've picked up a few books on Jackson, but this is by far and away the best one that I've read.

I lived 15 minutes away from Manasas during Middle School so one of the names I grew up knowing was "Stonewall Jackson". My parents dragged me to all of the battlefields and museums, but the name that stuck with me was Jackson. Robert E Lee was big, but learning about the legend of Jackson was bigger.

I've picked up several books that have talked about Jackson, but they never seemed to live up to or explain the phenomenon. S.C. Gwynne's book does.

This book helps to confirm a belief that I've had concerning biographies---that the best biographies are the one's that are not afraid to stray away from their ostensible subject. Gwynne often departs from Jackson to discuss the backstories of other characters or events. This helps to provide context and understanding as to Jackson's character and backstory.

One of the points that comes across clearly is that Jackson was an idealist. He saw the world in black and white, right and wrong, good and evil. While we disagree with his reasons, he firmly believed that he was operating in a manner acceptable to God.

His faith drove him.

This is the second book by Gwynne that I've read and I've enjoyed both.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read S. C. Gwynne's "Rebel Yell, the violence, passion, and redemption of Stonewall Jackson", I cannot longer claim convincingly that the rebels where the bad guys and the Yankees the good ones!!!
For me this book has turn to be the source of a great and multi-layered blessing as follow:
First of all let me say that Gwynne's magnificent narration describing Jacksons life and the American civil war in spite of covering nearly 700 pages, never becomes insipid or dull.
Indeed, the pages fly rapidly and fast, as you becomes more and more involve in Jacksons world....

Then again it's a book describing the atrocities and bloody slaughters of the American civil war.
And how many young people died and sacrificed their lives for his country!!!
At Jacksons time, the U. S. A. was a deep divided country, and so it is again.....
Different life style and view points about slavery and other issues were splitting up the peoples from each other.

Jackson was a great warrior and a deep believer in the Bible, he was a Christian and a charismatic leader!!!
Gwynne in his book understands it to bring to life the battles and the amazing military hero who was Stonewall Jackson...

But at the same time he shows us the man behind the legend.
Gwynne gives us accounts of sufferings and hard fate strokes in Jacksons life;
i.e. his first wife--she was Jacksons great love-- giving birth to a stillborn baby, died......
So Jackson nearly lost his mind, and this kind of pressure and heat forms and gives us this astounding and tragic hero!!!

I'm thankful for having such a book, and for me Jacksons warrior-spirit and deep Christians convictions remains a rich source of encouragement and strengt!!!
Gwynne has done a great work, very well researched and illustrated with different kinds of pictures.....

I recommend it with five stars to all my goodreads friends!!!!

Dean;)

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, this is an excellent study of Jackson and his generalship in the Civil War. Gwynne has written a highly readable account of one of the Civil War's most brilliant strategists. His untimely death due to friendly fire was a great loss to the Confederate cause.
Gwynne also breaks down the Union Army of the Potomac's actions during the various campaigns from 1861 to Spring, 1863. These demonstrate that the Union Army was not as inept during this period as some historians have implied. It was led by a string of poor generals true, but the rank-and-file often performed admirably despite it.

[Justinmmoffitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before purchasing this book, do know that it is an hagiographic tome. Expect to learn where every Civil War general landed in their class at West Point, the name of all of their assistants, and the backstory of said assistants. You’ll learn all about Jackson’s wartime exploits, a fair amount of problematic minimization, and how to stare at a map of Virginia.

If that’s you’re kind of thing, maybe you have absorbed just about everything on the Civil War and crave these kinds of minute details, this is the book for you. If not, eh, save your money or go to the library (I couldn’t, thanks covid)