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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Splendid Narrative..Breathes Life Into The Jackson Legend, September 29, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: They Called Him Stonewall (Hardcover)
If one is to be introduced to T.J. "Stonewall" Jackson, this is the book to do it. With a generous helping of nonintrusive scholarship and a dash of literary license, Burke Davis has produced a vibrant tale of one of the most charismatic of the Confederate leaders. Liberally supported by quotes from the private correspondence, reports and memoirs of Jackson, his second wife, Anna, his sister-in-law, Margaret Preston, and various acquaintances, colleagues and contemporaries, Davis' tightly-knit narrative covers Jackson's life, with a primary emphasis on his astounding military achievements in the American Civil War. In my opinion, Davis' literary skills accomplish for Jackson what Connell did for Custer and Shaara did for various Union and Confederate commanders, albeit on a somewhat more modest scale. (see "Son of the Morning Star"/Connell & "Killer Angels"/Shaara, M.) Jackson is an individual whose story must be handled deftly, otherwise he may solidify into a "concrete man," dissolve into caricature or disappear behind a cloak of legend. Davis' lyrical retelling of "Stonewall's" story avoids these pitfalls handily while helping us to understand the characteristics of the times in which Jackson lived and the uneven personal development that Jackson experienced, aspects of which would later be enshrined as the odd behavior and personality quirks of a "military genius." Davis clarifies and places in perspective Jackson's religious fervor as well as many of the behaviors (e.g. standing while eating), habits (e.g. sucking lemons) and afflictions (malaria, deafness, dyspepsia, etc.) which may have contributed to Jackson being perceived as distant, uncommunicative or bizarre. (see also "Medical Histories of the Confederate Generals"/Welsh) In accomplishing his mission, Davis arranges the anecdotes (both apocryphal and documented) which developed around Jackson in context such that they do not overwhelm the man. As an example, Jackson's penchant for secretiveness in withholding his tactical and strategic plans, even from trusted subordinates, becomes far less curious when we realize that military security in those times was at best a "permeable membrane" and at its worst, nonexistent. Further, Jackson's employment of a wide variety of seemingly strange remedies for his various illnesses also appears far less curious in a time period when medical knowledge was so primitive as to rely upon amputation as a primary treatment for battle wounds and to allow 400,000 men to die of disease and infections. Davis' book allows us to see Jackson as a complex individual who was a study in contradictions. As an illustration, the aloof, detached and determined side of Jackson is balanced by the picture of a man capable of enjoying tender moments with his family, writing to his wife virtually anytime and anywhere, laughing in appreciation of a sly joke directed toward him, weeping openly at the death of a comrade or playing a practical joke. Of further consideration is the apparent irony of a man at times almost hypochondriacal in his personal health concerns yet unable to avoid or mitigate at least a portion of the physical and mental exhaustion which was likely causal to his uneven performance in the early period of the Seven Days campaign. Indeed, we are presented with the picture of a well-travelled man who had viewed some of the great cathedrals of Europe and walked the ground of some of Napoleon's celebrated victories and defeats, yet one who at times dressed so poorly that he often went unrecognized by comrades and enemies alike. Although published some years ago, "They Called Him Stonewall" holds up well. The book is not only informative, but it is fun to read and will be enjoyed by casual readers and both novice and dyed-in-the-wool Civil War buffs alike.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mighty Stonewall., January 7, 2004
This review is from: They Called Him Stonewall (Hardcover)
This book has come in for some criticism from other reviewers and many of their points are well taken. One has to remember however that this book was first published in 1954, a time when the cult of the lost cause was still very much alive and kicking. This is a prime example of civil war literature of that era. Davis actually shows a good deal of courage in that he did criticize the mighty Stonewall at all. No, this book does not compare favorably with some of the civil war studies that are available today, but it still has a place. In fact this would be an excellent book for someone with no background in civil war studies. For someone who has never heard of A.P. Hill or Richard Ewell this book offers an excellent introduction to the campaigns in Virginia. Davis has a pleasant writing style, which makes this an easy book to read. He sprinkles his narrative with amusing antidotes which add greatly to the book and he does not get bogged down in battle the battle details that derail so many books of this sort. The map of the valley campaign does allow the reader to get an idea of the relation of the significant points to each other but a few more maps sprinkled here and there would be of a great deal of help. Jackson of course wore his religion on his sleeve and Davis deals with that extensively. Calvin's influence is obvious although I found it interesting that while in Mexico the General flirted with the Roman Catholic Church. Some of Jackson's habits however cannot be explained by his religious beliefs and some of his behavior is frankly quite odd. Davis gets points for pointing out that Jackson absolutely refused to take any responsibility for failure, always looking for a scapegoat. This of course explains the long running feuds he had with some of his generals. In 1954 circles that criticism of the much revered Stonewall must have raised some eyebrows for as every southerner who is over 40 knows, Stonewall was always right and we would have won easily at Gettysburg if he had only been there. Every time we go to Gettysburg my wife points that out to me and thinks I am crazy because I don't necessarily agree with her. I do have a problem with the fact that Davis does not have the courage to take on the Jackson legend so far as to point out his failures during the Seven Days Battles. I realize that it would have been a hard sell in 1954 but Davis fails to do much more than point out that Jackson was unusually slow during this period and does not really even attempt to answer the questions raised by the General's behavior. In fact, had Jackson not failed so badly during this campaign the Union army might have been almost destroyed. After Jackson's failure below Richmond it is indeed almost a miracle that Lee would later have enough confidence in Jackson to give him command of a corps. A lot more detail would have helped in this area. Overall though, I found this to be an excellent biography. There is to be found here what was new information in 1954. This book in fact has been the foundation for many of the later and yes, better studies of Stonewall Jackson. This book has remained in print now for fifty years. That in itself should be a clear indicator that this is one of the all time classic studies of the civil war.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent and Easy To Understand!, July 23, 2003
This review is from: They Called Him Stonewall (Hardcover)
This is a well written and easy to follow book on the life of "Stonewall" Jackson. The book not only covers Jackson's military genius, but probes into the mind of the man himself. You come away from this book with a deeper understanding of Jackson, his strong religious convictions, his military fierceness, his strict discipline and his gentle side as well. Upon reading this book, one realizes that Jackson was a complex man. Highly recommended reading for all Civil War buffs!
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