by S. C. Gwynne
First published 2014
S.C. Gwynne chronicles the meteoric rise of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson during his brief but spectacular Civil War career. The author of Empire of the Summer Moon examines Jackson's transformation from an unremarkable Confederate officer in April 1862 to one of the most celebrated military minds in American history by June of that same year. Gwynne traces Jackson's innovative battlefield tactics that confounded Lincoln and Union commanders, threatening the North's ultimate victory. The biography explores Jackson's personal struggles, including the death of his first wife and his strict daily routines. Jackson's strategic brilliance during his twenty-four months of Civil War service created military innovations so advanced that future generations would study his methods. His campaigns gave the Confederacy renewed hope while instilling dread in Union forces. Gwynne combines detailed battle narratives with intimate biographical material, revealing both Jackson's public triumphs and private character. The book covers Jackson's journey from obscurity to international fame, his profound impact on the war's trajectory, and his untimely death that mourned by both sides of the conflict.
Genres: biography, american-civil-war, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-figure, military-tactics
Setting: Confederate States of America, Union
Period: 1862
672 pages · Hardcover · Scribner