James I. RobertsonRecensioni

One of the finest biographies I've read, and I've read a bunch of them. This is a monster of a book. Over 700 pages of text. If you're really interested in Jackson, it is a must read. If not, it might weigh you down with so much information. It also presents a great deal about the war, both North and South. Jackson's life is shown very well amidst and in context of the time in which he lived. Highly recommend for Civil War enthusiasts.

Sometimes, half a great book is still a pretty good book. And sometimes, it's really disappointing. I fear this is one of the latter.

To clarify: This is a book about the Virginia regiments in the Civil War that were originally under the command of Thomas J. Jackson, and they and he both received the nickname "Stonewall" at the First Battle of Bull Run. Jackson went on to great fame, success, and death -- and, for the most part, so did the brigade, which saw so much hard fighting that it had only a few hundred survivors by 1865. Hence this book.

Author Robertson considers it the most successful and most famous brigade in Robert E. Lee's army. I'm not sure that's true -- I think most people would consider Hood's Texas Brigade the greatest of all Army of Northern Virginia units, and the two were at least close in terms of fame -- but certainly the Stonewall Brigade was one of the most noteworthy. It deserves a unit history.

But a unit history needs some historical background. This book has a lot of information about the men and officers in the brigade, making it very valuable in that regard. But it lacks context. There are several examples of this; I'll offer what I consider the last.

At the beginning of 1864, the Stonewall Brigade was under the command of Brigadier General James A. Walker. It was one of the brigades of Edward Johnson's division. Johnson's was one of three divisions in Richard S. Ewell's Second Corps, the other two being the divisions of Jubal A. Early and Robert Rodes. Then came the Battle of the Wilderness, and then the Battle of Spotsylvania. At Spotsylvania, Walker was wounded in the elbow. Killed, wounded, disabled? Page 225 doesn't tell us; it only tells us that he was wounded. (As it turns out, he survived, but his arm was crippled, and he and the brigade never reunited.) The brigade, already depleted, was ruined at Spotsylvania, and Johnson captured; at about the same time, Ewell was found too weak for field command and went to a less stressful post. So Early rose to corps command, and John B. Gordon took over... some division. Early's? Johnson's? Page 228 says that Gordon recommended that William Terry have command of the Stonewall Brigade, but Gordon had been a brigadier in Early's division, not Johnson's. As a matter of fact, a lot of reorganizing had gone on to try to keep the Second Corps effective despite its losses, and that reorganizing dramatically affected the Stonewall Brigade (which eventually was combined with two others). But you can't learn that from this book; you need something like Freeman's Lee's Lieutenants. And you really can't understand the history of the Stonewall Brigade without that.

So: This is a good, useful supplement if you have a better structural history of Lee's army; you can find out what life was actually like to be in the Stonewall Brigade during its long and distinguished service. But if you want to know what the Stonewall Brigade actually did, you'll need something more. And that's truly sad, because this book wouldn't have had to be too much longer to supply that little bit of additional detail.

Stonewall Jackson was the most compelling figure of the Civil War. James Robertson has found, and accepted, the key to understanding Stonewall: his profound Christian Faith and his steadfast duty to doing the will of God. Without understanding this, Stonewall is just an eccentric genius. Robertson imports this understanding of Stonewall‘s faith primarily through devout passages from letters to his wife Anna. We truly are brought to know the man Stonewall through anecdotes on every page. There is also cogent military analysis of his campaigns, all within the context of Stonewall being a Soldier of God.

This is no hagiography, though. Certain myths are dispelled, and Stonewall’s difficult relations with subordinates, especially AP Hill, is detailed. His reticence in sharing his plans with subordinates and how that at times hampered the Army is also addressed.

I can’t imagine a more powerful biography of a more compelling military figure.

quick, and easy to read. helpful, simple, unpretentious. I would recommend this to teenagers of both sexes.

Disappointing. I had wanted something that would help me understand better what I thought I had heard about Jackson's faith. But this didn't get at that. And what was there was not interesting or useful.

Good book from a terrific professor.½

Straightforward biography of one of Lee’s division and corps commanders. A. P. Hill figured in the last words of both Lee (“Tell Hill he must come up. Strike the tent.”) and Jackson (“Order A.P. Hill to prepare for action! Pass the infantry to the front rapidly! Tell Major Hawks… Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.”) Hill himself didn’t have much chance for last words, as he was shot through the heart will reconnoitering at Five Forks.


Hill’s pre-Civil War career had not be terribly distinguished – he fought the Mexicans, the Seminoles, and served as an Army liaison to the Coast Survey. When the war started, he quickly rose, acquiring a reputation as a fighting general – sometimes with the Union, sometimes with his own superiors, as he had long-standing feuds with both Jackson (although he cradled Jackson in his arms after Jackson took his fatal wound at Chancellorsville) and Longstreet (once challenging Longstreet to a duel). Lee had to intervene a couple of times to calm things down. His aggressiveness was a mixed blessing; at Antietam he came up and deployed without any reconnaissance and saved the day, but did something similar at Bristoe Station and got chopped up by a Union ambush. Author James Robertson doesn’t make the direct comparison but Hill might possibly be the Confederate counterpart of Ambrose Burnside (even sharing a first name); both were estimably competent division commanders but somewhat overmatched when promoted.


Robertson is clearly a southern sympathizer, and also clearly sympathetic to his subject even at the expense of other Southern heroes (notably Jackson). However, he doesn’t shy away from criticizing Hill for his loses, and also doesn’t mind presenting a fact that would earlier authors would have suppressed as tarnishing Southern honor: Hill contracted venereal disease as cadet at West Point – “while on furlough in New York City”, according to the surgeon’s report. Well, I expect that still happens, but in 1844 it was considerably more of a medical problem if no less a moral one. Untreated (well, futilely treated) gonorrhea caused Hill lifelong pain, causing urinary tract strictures and eventually developing into prostatitis and (according to Robertson) uremia, which eventually would have been fatal even if Hill hadn’t taken a bullet at Five Forks. Robertson blames some of Hill’s poor judgment and quiescence in later battles on increasing debility; noting that several of his officers commented on Hill’s increasing ill-health. (Robertson seems interested in medical problems, as he also suggests Robert E. Lee’s poor performance at Gettysburg was due to a developing cardiac condition. Not unreasonable but I’ve never heard anyone else suggest it).


Well done for this sort of thing; the pro-Southern attitude is noticeable but not obstreperous. Fine maps and adequate notes and bibliography.

Please visit my blog www.readrantrockandroll.com for reviews on children's books like this regarding the Holocaust and WWII

World War II: 1939-1945 by James I. Robertson and Mort Künstler is a book about World World II for young elementary readers.

The book talks about important events during World War II including, D-day, The Battle of the Bulge, Pearl Harbor, and also describes the war at sea, the Asian jungles, kamikaze's, and the concentration camps.

The paintings by Mort Künstler are stunning. They are full color paintings and almost give the book a vintage feel.

I especially enjoyed the time line.

This is a another great book for elementary readers that's engaging and different from reading in a standard textbook. Children will enjoy reading along while the paintings bring the story to life.

Thanks to Netgalley for sharing a copy with me.

5*****

I bought this book while traveling through Scotland and wishing I knew more about the Jacobite uprising which seems to still be a topic of great interest in the western highlands. I definitely got the history lesson I was looking for and much more. The writing was quite good, and the story well told. The end seems to be a bit rushed and the tone changed a bit (more humor?)

Robert E Lee, Virginia Soldier, by James Robertson is an accessible book with an extensive index and helpful notes and citations on each chapter. The other titles written by the author are also displayed in the opening pages and a well-documented citation notes list for each chapter and lengthy index reveal that this book is full of accurate data. This book thematically is an argument by the author Robertson that Robert E. Lee was a superlative soldier and fought because it was his duty as a citizen of Virginia, not as a proponent of slavery. It is not a treatise on the evils of slavery that brought us to the Civil war, but a focus on the Confederate General Robert E. Lee.
Robert E. Lee is organized as a chronological narrative of the fact of the Civil War and presents Robert E. Lee as the main character in this historical event. Robert E. Lee believed this was a war for State sovereignty not for the evil law of slavery. Only 5 per cent of Southerners could afford to own slave labor and Robert E. Lee was not fighting for them, he believed he was fighting for the 95% of the agrarian workers of the south who did not want the Industrialized north to rule over them. The southern states desired to become their own nation, their own sovereigns. However, because the moral fight was based on slavery, a practice that many new states in the west and a few states in the North had outlawed, the south was never going to win this fight. Even though Lee was considered a better warrior, he could never win this war on his own merits.
Lee was a descendant of those that considered themselves “citizens of the country of Virginia.” His father, Henry Lee, the Revolutionary war Calvary Commander earned the title “Light Horse Harry”: Henry Lee declared “Virginia is my country. Her will I obey”. Lee’s father, Light Horse Harry, became the Governor of Virginia and raised his son, Robert E Lee with this Virginian creed as their moral center. This was Confederate General Lee’s moral duty, to protect his country of Virginia, a seceding state. As the beautiful cover of the book declares. Virginian Soldier. American Citizen Robert E Lee.
The chapters of the book are in chronological order from Lee’s infancy to his days as a student at West Point, through his achievements in the Mexican war to the Battles of the Civil war till his death. They easily move through the historical events, and have document citations throughout. The titles of the Chapter always focus on Lee and his exploits and is a chronology of the Soldier’s life through the civil war. Not a survey on the civil war.
The 1st Chapter is named The Making of a Soldier. This chapter name reveals the direction of this autobiographical account of a major figure in the Civil War The first chapter includes a youthful portrait of Robert E. Lee and several pictures of the family and land that General Robert E. Lee was raised in. Each successive chapter goes on to reveal well documented details about General Lee as he grew. Every other page of this chronological narrative includes a well-documented picture, map, illustration or diagram. In the first chapter, we have a beautiful pen and ink drawing of West Point where he was militarily trained. The drawing is circa 1825 when Secretary of war John Calhoun ordered Lee to report to West Point.
Lee gained his merits and promotions through achievements in the Mexican War with Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. This war is documented with maps, and illustrations of the American victories in this war. Lieutenant Colonel Lee was appointed as the superintendent of the Nation’s West Point Military Academy. Many United States Leaders in Military service were great admirers of General Lee. His marriage to a wealthy land owner’s daughter made him admirable to the wealthy landowners of Virginia. On page 31 a circa 1850 pen and ink drawing shows the palatial Arlington Estate his wife inherited. The Arlington Estate is where Lee and his wife were living when John Brown, and the abolitionists, seized the Harper’s Ferry Arsenal which led to the bloodiest American war, known as The Civil War.
The book continues to focus its historical account of the civil war on Lee and his family’s involvement. We are introduced to President Jefferson Davis and Stonewall Jackson. Both leaders are presented in their relationship with General Lee. The portrait of Lee that is recognizable to most Americans is his portrait as The Commander of The Army of Northern Virginia. Author Robertson makes it clear that Lee did not choose the south and slavery, he just refused to leave his command in a state that joined secession. He was devoted to Virginia as his family had always been.
Beginning with Lees first offensive in 1862, The Seven Day’s campaign, we are brought through all the battles of the Civil war. Robertson’s chronological narrative has a large Civil War illustration, map or portrait every other page.
The text is written at a 6th grade reading level and it flows well through the historical events of the Civil war. The writing is easy to read and moving at times. In Chapter 6, the author shares quotes from battle worn soldiers of both armies. An illustration of the soldiers praying with Lee, is on page 85. This moving illustration is coupled with the quotes of soldiers documented by the author. On page 86 the author writes “A surgeon told his wife: “it does not seem possible to defeat this army now with General Lee leading .. the men were ready to follow him wherever he might lead, or order them to go”
Robertson’s Robert E. Lee is an extremely accessible book. It has an extensive index and helpful notes on each chapter. Although clearly a chronological narrative, the pictures on every other page one could almost describe it as a photo survey, The well documented visual display are inserted every two pages. It has over 80 visual displays that are relevant and tell the facts of the Civil War, clearly.
I believe that the theme that Lee was a dutiful Virginian Soldier and American citizen doing his duty in the bloody Civil War, is a compelling argument. I believe it is relevant to a history student today because Lee is a defender of the Tenth Amendment and a soldier faithfully and expertly doing his duty in a war he surely knew he would lose. It was His duty to fight for seceding Virginia, even though the war really was about slavery, an evil practice that broke our country. Bad laws have adverse consequences, and we are still suffering the consequences of our ancestor’s decisions to hold people in slavery.

This is a mammoth biography of the Confederate general at 762 pages not counting the 161 pages of notes and bibliographical material. It appears that Robertson read everything he could find that Jackson wrote or that any contemporary of Jackson wrote about Jackson.

The General was an odd soul who was abandoned as a child and never seemed to know how to deal with people. Because he was so private and it appears distrustful of others, he frequently did not tell his subordinates what his plans were. This often led to mistakes on the battlefield that led to defeats of less success than he may have had otherwise. I seems to have led to his death as he wandered around in no mans land without notifying his his men he was out there. In the fog and smoke he and his fellow officers were mistaken for Union troops and fired upon.

The detail in this volume is impressive with every battle or skirmish Jackson was involved in dissected in minute detail. Pages are spent on describing his painful years as a student at West Point and then his years of poor teaching at the Point that followed.

To the author's credit, he includes great amounts of documentation from the General's critics of whom he had many. He was in constant conflict with his military staff during the War often starting court martials against them which was a major pain for General Lee who in his turn tried to ignore those conflicts hoping they would solve themselves in the chaos of battle.

Jackson's aggressiveness on the battle field and his patented move of always trying to have his forces outflank the Union Army before attacking led to his great success as a military leader. He drove his men hard especially on long fast marches that would enable him to be in position to attack before the enemy knew where he was. When he died, the Confederate forces suffered a huge psychological blow from which they probably never really recovered.

Robertson tells us about the Civil War through the eyes of the men and women who were there. Employing hundreds of sources such as diaries, letters, regimental histories and newspapers he lets the individuals describe what they saw and remembered. The book is divided into chapters that each have a theme under which he organizes the information.

Themes include where did the soldiers come from; what the men did in camp between battles for fun and recreation; problems of discipline; problems created by alcohol; religion and the role of it and chaplains on the men; treating the wounded and the injured; prisons on both sides of the lines; and heroics.

The descriptions of battlefield hospitals and medicine were very difficult to read. Both armies were not prepared to handle the wounded or prisoners in such large numbers.

Being an account of the military campaigns of the Civil War in Virginia, with a quick look at the state's politics and home front. These campaigns have been overstudied, and there is very little here that any schoolchild doesn't know. The book is very basic, particularly for a university press publication; it basically is written at a YA level. It also approaches its subject with a pronounced pro-CSA slant. It's a very quick read, but there's little else to recommend it. .

Rober E. Lee by James Robertson Jr. was a very interesting look into the life of the great Confederate Army. Lee's roots in the military stemmed from his father's leadership of George Washington's cavalry in the American Revolution. General Lee was respected and loved by his fellow statesmen, his soldiers, and his enemies. This biography detailed the many struggles and triumphs of the Confederate army across the south. General Lee was praised as a great strategist, leader, and man of faith. After the war was over, a Confederate soldier told General Lee, "I love you just as well as ever, General Lee!" (Robertson 132).

I found that the organization and content of the book were very pleasing for the reader. After reviewing the notes and works cited in the back of the book, I feel that James Robertson is a very credible author. Robertson used over 50 sources to detail the incredible military genius of Robert E. Lee. I also believe that the organization of the book was very chronological. It started off with the birth of Lee and some family history. The book then detailed the Civil War in depth from the first shot at Fort Sumter to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. I found the information to be very extensive and informational about the entire life Robert E. Lee.

I am interested in the Civil War and found that although this book has a lot of pages, it was so interesting, that I read every word. It is a very comprehensive account of Jackson's life from his earliest years to his funeral.

This book is a history of Virginia in the Civil War during 1862. Each chapter is written by a different individual. The chapters most interesting to me were those by Thomas Lowry on court-martial and the diary of Judith B. McGuire.

This is a relatively short book with some interesting information written for the general public. As Thomas Lowry tells it men from New York were the most apt to break the law. At any rate this is a quick read but get it from your local library.

As his life, Jackson's maxims are short but powerful. Excellent presentation of his thoughts. A book that can and should be read & referenced often.

Good single-volume account of Virginian A.P. Hill and his role in the American Civil War.½

It was the lifelong desire of General Stonewall Jackson's to be a kind person, a devout Christian, a gentleman and friend that compelled him to keep a notebook of sorts, his "book of maxims". He researched and reflected upon things that he felt would help him succeed in achieving his personal goals. Who knows, had he been alive in the 21st century, maybe he would have had a blog!

I don't know if it was one of General Jackson's dreams to become a military leader, but fate propelled him and his commitment to excellence steadied him along the way. A few years ago, I watched the movie Gods and Generals. The way General Jackson was portrayed in the film really impressed me. I felt that if the movie was true to history, General Jackson was quite a remarkable and admirable man. And now, after reading Stonewall Jackson's Book of Maxims, I learned that my feelings were fully warranted.

A couple of quick facts about General Stonewall Jackson:

* He was painfully shy, but worked diligently to overcome it.
* He organized and taught a Sunday afternoon Bible class for local slaves.
* He was very strict with himself, always avoiding overeating and did not drink alcohol.
* He lost his first wife in childbirth, and was grief-stricken.
* He kept his temper in check and rarely raised his voice to the soldiers under his command.

Another interesting thing about General Jackson was that he closely studied the works of Lord Chesterfield, who wrote:

"By the help of history, a young man may, in some measure, acquire the experience of old age. In reading what has been done, he is apprised of what he has to do; the more he is informed of what is past, the better he will know how to conduct himself in the future."

I believe General Jackson did indeed apply his readings to his life, and reaped the benefits from doing so. This book inspired me to continue to study important things, and to also be mindful of the knowledge of those who have gone before us.

My area of Allegan is filled with Civil War fans. Our streets are named after Civil war generals. We have an active historical society that sometimes hosts Civil War reenactments of famous battles. I am not, however, much of a Civil War reader even if I am able to show visitors the house that General Pritchard lived in. Consequently I am not as excited as others from my community will be to see that a book on Robert E. Lee is on our BBYA list. This is one of the fabulous benefits of this committee. We read things that we must. We do not expect much from the book and then find ourselves in awe, when we zip right through the book. Readers should know that the outcome of the various Civil War battles and the war itself are not in doubt; reading this book, however, captures the drama of the times. Despite the fact that I am a Northerner (or at least a sympathizer), I can’t help rooting for Lee and wondering what will happen next (even though I know). The writing is superb. It makes me want to believe that teens in my area will list Robert E. Lee as one of this country’s heroes as the author claims! I can forgive this hyperbole because this is a biography (not my favorite type of book) that I read as if it is a novel. Certainly recommended for middle and high school libraries in my area! Also recommended for any school library in the country that studies the Civil War!

This book was signed for Brian Scheulen.

This books was signed for Brian Scheulen

illustrated history

This books was signed for Brian Scheulen