Stonewall A Stonewall Jackson Bookshelf

One of my favorites is The Family and Early Life of Stonewall Jackson by George Bird Cook. There are several editions of this, including the first in 1924. I don't remember where got mine but I do remember that it was hard to find. I probably paid way too much for it, but it has material you literally won't find anywhere else, including in Robertson. Cook covers Jackson's prewar life in tremendous detail but also includes a chapter about the war years. If you are mostly interested in Jackson the person rather than Jackson the general, this book is for you (provided you can find it).

I think you mean Roy Bird Cook. That was one of Robertson's sources, and in a footnote he highlights at least one place where Cook contradicted himself in two different writings.
 
I think you mean Roy Bird Cook. That was one of Robertson's sources, and in a footnote he highlights at least one place where Cook contradicted himself in two different writings.
You're right about the name. I must have been thinking about George Bird Grinnell. There are lots of contradictions, since his research consists primarily of interviews that he mostly didn't do himself with people thinking back half a century or more. I do think Cook includes information that writers who were looking at the whole of Jackson's life might find too obscure. I was looking for info on Uncle Cummins' racehorses. Found some..not as much as I would have liked.
 
I think I forgot to mention...we finally made it to the Mill on the way home when we had been in Gettysburg at the first big shindig...it was everything I imagined. Pretty much like the video--like John Denver sang, "Almost Heaven." If you haven't been there, run and don't walk. It's beyond my GPS capabilities--so use a good map and good directions (follow the creek and turn at the little convenience store!) The scenery is beautiful, for this West Texas kid, the trees and green grass are amazing, and the site is beautifully preserved.
 
One of my favorites is The Family and Early Life of Stonewall Jackson by George Bird Cook. There are several editions of this, including the first in 1924. I don't remember where got mine but I do remember that it was hard to find. I probably paid way too much for it, but it has material you literally won't find anywhere else, including in Robertson. Cook covers Jackson's prewar life in tremendous detail but also includes a chapter about the war years. If you are mostly interested in Jackson the person rather than Jackson the general, this book is for you (provided you can find it).

Dang! I'm surprised Robertson didn't use it or its sources in his bio, as detailed as it was. :tongue:
 
Has anyone read Calamity at Chancellorsville?
I'm glad you brought this up. I found this book really useful and easy to follow. Good maps, too. Dr. Lively goes into tremendous detail about Jackson's last day on the battlefield. His conclusion about the location of the wounding differs from that of many other scholars, but I found him convincing.
 
I want to ask about shorter full life biographies on Stonewall.The only two I have heard of but have not read are Stonewall Jackson By Ethan Rafuse and Stonewall Jackson by Allen Tate.Would anybody be able to reccommend either of those titles or any shorter full life Biographies that they have read?
 
I want to ask about shorter full life biographies on Stonewall.The only two I have heard of but have not read are Stonewall Jackson By Ethan Rafuse and Stonewall Jackson by Allen Tate.Would anybody be able to reccommend either of those titles or any shorter full life Biographies that they have read?
I personally haven't read either of those. For a short military biography there's Stonewall Jackson as Military Commander by British author John Selby and for more personal detail in a still relatively manageable length there's Burke Davis' They Called Him Stonewall.
 
even though both are older works has anybody read are or they familiar with the two volume series By Lenoir Chambers On Stonewall or the one by Dabney to know or say if they are any good?
 
For those that have read the biography by James Robertson for starting out at least as a beginner book is Robertson a very dry book or is it more of entertaining and easy to read?
 
For those that have read the biography by James Robertson for starting out at least as a beginner book is Robertson a very dry book or is it more of entertaining and easy to read?
I definitely wouldn't characterize it as dry, but it's got a lot of detail that might be off-putting to someone relatively new to the subject who wants more of an overview. Although I still haven't read it, it sounds as though Rebel Yell might be a possibility, although it certainly isn't short either.
 
thank you.I also was looking for a shorter bio the one By Ethan Rafuse and another short one By Robertson called Standing Like A Stonewall .both about 200 pages
 
thank you.I also was looking for a shorter bio the one By Ethan Rafuse and another short one By Robertson called Standing Like A Stonewall .both about 200 pages
I believe that book by Robertson is intended as what's called a juvenile biography - nothing wrong with that; my first one was a Landmark title Stonewall Jackson by Leonor Chambers.
 
I've heard Chambers is good but is 2 volumes. Alot of times the shorter books for younger readers especially the ones for starting out that are short are great for beginners.The Rafuse one is expensive but I hear good too.I will have to look at the chambers one.I was told he was considered the go to Jackson biography before Robertson came along.Robertson also did a Juvenile book on Lee.Like I said the Juvenile books alot of times can be great places to start.
 
A great list of books, but one must be careful. Many of these regurgitate fictitious information from earlier books, and most are based more or less on Freeman's attempt to blame the failure of the Seven Days Campaign on anyone except Lee. For example, who was the FIRST major commander to arrive on the field at Gaines' Mill? Either Jackson or Harvey Hill, both of whom arrived (together) between 12.30 and 1:00 p.m. But wait- Freeman says Jackson was late. How could this be if he was the first one there? Hmmm..... As another example, Freeman says Jackson was incommunicado on the morning of June 27. Really? Then who was that guy who met with Lee around 9.30 a.m., and who sent that message that Powell Hill got at the Lonesome Tree at 11.30? Hmmm.....
Read all about it here:

https://www.mcfarlandbooks.com/product/A-Bloody-Day-at-Gaines-Mill/
 
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