Customer Reviews

Stonewall

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

John Dwyer has taken history, and turned it into live action while sprinkling in a healthy dose of spiritual excitement and emotional stimulation. I feel as if I have ridden with Stonewall through many of the historic battles of the pre-Gettysburg Civil War. He strongly displays the reliance Gen. Jackson and others had on their God and their relationships with Jesus Christ. I recommend this book without reservation or condition.

I thought this would be another blood-and-guts war novel like "The Killer Angels" and the other Shaara books. Boy, was I wrong. It does have some of the most gripping and "you are there" battle scenes I have read, but "Stonewall" is a grand epic in the old style, a 40-year long, adventure-filled journey of loss and redemption, full of colorful characters and some of America's most legendary events. I only thought I knew what would happen in this book.

I read a lot of novels, but I have read very few written in the last fifty years that exhibit the literary grace and power of this one. These characters are so real and 3-dimensional--especially the great Confederate general Stonewall Jackson and the book's lead female, the poetess Maggie Preston--that I found myself caring much more for them than I usually do the figures in a dramatic work.

This book kept me awake half the night--AFTER I had finished it. Strangely, I felt myself at once haunted and inspired by it. It has also spurred me to read more about Stonewall Jackson and some of the other characters, such as Jeb Stuart, Robert E. Lee, and Oliver O. Howard.

"Stonewall" has adventure, romance, intrigue, faith, and history. It powerfully demonstrates how strongly great men and women on both sides--some of them devout Christians--believed in their respective causes. And I have NEVER read a Civil War book that so poignantly reveals the hopes and sorrows of those on the home front.

This is one of the five most inspiring books I have ever read.

I am John Dwyer's literary agent, and I was the acquisitions editor at Broadman & Holman Publishers who got the Stonewall novel contracted.

When John and I first talked in 1991 about writing a novel on Stonewall Jackson, I knew then that this Confederate commander would make a wonderful subject for a fiction treatment. Little did I know, though, how creatively yet historically accurate John would write Stonewall's story. I knew John had the writing ability and talent, and I knew he had the historical grasp of the Stonewall figure. But when I saw how well John pulled the entire story together, I knew the novel was going to be something very special. And that it certainly has turned out to be.

Stonewall is a powerful epic set during America's most tumultuous, heart-renching period of history. The novel shows us how a person of genuine good character can overcome what for many people would be overwhelming odds and humbly rise to such a high stature that even his enemies admired him.

A love story. Adventure. War. A faith on fire for God. A social conscience that challenged the accepted morals of the day. Tragedy. Humor. Heroism. Incredible achievement made in the face of doubters and cynics. The Stonewall novel has it all.

Do yourself a favor. Buy Stonewall for yourself and enjoy it from cover to cover. Then buy more copies and give them as gifts. Neither you nor the others who receive copies of this wonderful read will be disappointed in the least.

I'm not a fan of war stories. I don't like romance novels. But this story weaves both and more into a historical tale that at times you wish just weren't true. I didn't know Stonewall Jackson was such an interesting, amusing and REAL person. History does that to you; makes you forget that the people were real and their lives full of joys and hurts just like your own.

I have renewed compassion for those who fought in the civil war. I have renewed patriotism for those who survived and rebuilt our nation. I have renewed faith.

I look forward to Mr. Dwyer's future writings. I look forward to the places I can visit and the feelings I can share with those who came before me. Thanks for making history so alive.

This book is truly worth reading, especially for Christians. It gives you a view of Stonewall Jackson's personal life as well as of the Civil War. His faith was the most important thing in his life and he wasn't afraid to share it with others. In fact, he was instrumental in the spirtual revival of the Southern soldiers during the war. I learned so much about him personally and also about how the South suffered so much at the hands of the Union. It was a wonderful book and I look forward to reading more books by Mr. Dwyer, who also is a man not afraid to share his faith.

This book is masterful. It displays the power of God to lift his people above overwhelming sorrow and trouble; to thrive depite all opposition. It speaks eloquently and richly of a TRUE HERO - faults included. Dwyer's writing is rich in heritage and significance. The book speaks compellingly on several levels: of the insanity and complexity of the war, the very personal pathos of families and the inner struggles of great men and women. INSPIRING. FAITHFUL TO HISTORICAL RECORDS. A MUST-READ FOR ALL CIVIL WAR BUFFS.

This is truly an outstanding book. Well done John Dwyer

I have re-read John J. Dwyer's books on Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. They have been among the best of my life and I'm 69. Mr. Dwyer's great talent of history and the novel make these books of the highest honors. They have inspired me to seek to live the qualities of character and faith these men modeled so consistently.

"Stonewall," an engaging novel starring Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, represents a significant achievement on the part of its author, John Dwyer. The work combines historical fact and exciting fiction as it relates the story of the great man and humble Christian, Stonewall Jackson. Dwyer takes the reader from Jackson's childhood through his struggles as a student and teacher, his triumphs as a military leader, and his slow but steady advances as a Christian in his walk with God. At times, the plot drags and dialogue is weak, and Dwyer's sentences tend towards length and awkwardness, but on the whole, the book engages the reader, holds their attention, and satisfies their curiosity and emotions. Due to some gory battle descriptions, profanity, and tasteless references to Jackson's sexual relationship with his wife, I would hesitate to recommend this book. For teens and adults, it may prove interesting and enjoyable; however, younger readers should approach this book with caution. In conclusion, "Stonewall" contains some significant flaws, but also presents a good opportunity as a work of historical fiction for learning and pleasure.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. It made me want to be more like this man in his faith, passion for Christ, and fervor for life. Incredible!