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.
#731664 in Books imusti 2012-04-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .80 x 5.00l; .50 #File Name: 1444707965274 pagesHodder Stoughton
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Good Story; Poor Structure and WritingBy Readin'Writin'FoolThis really was a fascinating story; but the reading was difficult at times. The author jumped around in time quite a bit without much transition and it became very confusing. He had a tendency to use adjectives to describe characters but didn't explain further what he meant (for example describing someone as arrogant but not backing it up with examples)and was often repetitive and long winded in the imagery.He billed the book as one that would discuss class differences and while he did that he failed to completely draw the parallel between his grandfather and Astor he was looking for. I was also frustrated by the relation of certain conversations and stories without supporting documentation.Overall; I did enjoy the book because the story itself is interesting; but the way it was written; failure to meet its advertised objective and structure made it a difficult read.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good Read OverallBy Kristine MikaI am very glad I read this book. I'm intrigued by the Titanic and know little of its aftermath. This book gave me lots of background that the days that followed were not always filled with grieving relatives who would 'go on.' It gave me a sense that there were families whose lives were not just disrupted but changed forever by this event; bringing out both the good and bad intentions in the remaining family members. Briefly; I hope; I have listed my likes and dislikes of the book. I gave this 4 stars because it is a gem in the rough. I am glad that I read it. Here are my likes and dislikesLikes1) The story is captivating. The loss of 21 year old; band-member; Jock Hume's life on the most famous sinking of the Titanic had a ripple effect on the lives of two families and a score of other people. It was a compelling story and one that couldn't be made up for fiction - no one would believe it.The author does a really nice job of taking one on this journey of how one event leads to another and another.2) The background story of the ship that picked up Titanic's dead. It was difficult to read but helpful in completing a picture of the days that followed the sinking. A lesser known story of the following days had highlights in this book.3) I liked the Epilogue and its brief follow-ups to many of the persons of this book. It's a good 'wrap-up' technique that allows the author to remind the reader that; while there is not enough time to write at length about everyone; there is time for a short paragraph that gives a quick summation for each person who shared some of the spotlight in the book.Dislikes:1) The book wandered a bit and left some prominent players behind. Astor and his wife Madeleine had a featured role in the book and yet; they dropped out of sight mid-way through the book. Because they were so prominent; I found myself checking out Wikepedia to see what happened to Madeleine and her son. Once I read that; I was able to get on with the book comfortably knowing that I would not read of them again. And given what I read; Madeleine's story would have been a great juxtaposition to the story of the Humes and Costins. The lack of follow-up on Mary Costins. A great deal of time spent on Alexander Hume years after the sinking of the Titanic; the court battles and the endless lies and self-absorption. Mary was consigned to the Epilogue once her court battles had concluded.2) There were many diversions that were unnecessary. Too much detail about violin making. I play violin and found it interesting; but distracting from the overall flow of the story.3) There was an air of sentimentality to the book that sometimes gave a one-dimensional aspect to the members of the Humes family. It was clear which family members were to be liked by the reader and which were not.In the end; this book reminds the reader that; good or bad; everyone has a life and a history - even a 21 year old violinist who died while playing on the Titanic.Kristine Mika0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Titanic band member's storyBy MelissaNot as good as I thought it would be. It was interesting that one of the band members grandsons wrote the book. I was hoping it would be more about the band member and his fiance; not as much as the ship that picked the bodies up. It was interesting that the band member's father was trying to get money from white star lines and stole from his grandaughter. Still a good book.
