PDF Rebel Yell: The Violence; Passion; and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson by S. C. Gwynne in History

Review

223 of 233 people found the following review helpful. "Draw the sword and throw away the scabbard."By FictionFanI'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.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.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.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.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A man of many layersBy Andy GlassThis is an outstanding biography. While it specifically covers the years leading up to the Civil War; Gwynne does weave in enough detail about Jackson's earlier years to provide a pretty complete picture of the man. Prior to reading this my impression; based on many other books on the Civil War; of Stonewall was a hard; serious man with an unbending religious code. While the aspects of his faith were consistent with other things I've read; this book really painted a more human image of Jackson. It was interesting to learn about the layers of his personality and the fact that off the field of battle (and sometimes on) he was a man of compassion and good humor. After reading this; I wondered how the final stages of the war would have played out had he survived; and what he would have done following it. This was an excellent biography with a strong; engaging narrative. A great addition to the library of anyone who enjoys history.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Very Readable and EntertainingBy BruceThis is an very readable account of the life of Stonewall Jackson. I have read mostly books from the viewpoint of the north and about northern generals; such as Ulysses S. Grant; so I went into this endeavor a little unsure as to how I would take it. However; it was very enlightening. Each side felt it was on the moral high ground. Jackson was very religious and attributed his victories to God. Perhaps God did raise this man up for the very purpose he served. He was instrumental in leading the south to believe it had a chance - in fact; he seemed unbeatable. Without him; the southern war effort may have faltered before it got going; and the emancipation proclamation may have never come to be. Slavery may have continued until a time when it would result in even greater upheaval in this nation.Although some of Jackson's victories seemed to be by good chance and could have been disastrous had things gone a little different; Jackson brought about his own success by his willingness to bring the battle to the enemy. I particularly liked the part on the battle of Chancellorsville where Lee sent Jackson to the front to coordinate the coming battle against a force in good position that significantly outnumbered his own. They were digging trenches to prepare a defense against the expected union attack. Jackson told them to throw down their shovels - they weren't going to need them. And he lined them up for an attack that resulted in the union being put at great peril. This was before his incredible encirclement of the union army around its flank. The beginning of the south's decline in the war at least in the east can probably be traced to Jackson's being wounded in the battle of Chancellorsville (by his own men). As Lee said of Gettysburg - Jackson would never have given up the high ground and if the high ground was held; the battle could have turned out much differently. This was a very good and entertaining read and I highly recommend it.