Farwell (Armies of the Raj, 1989, etc.) breaks little new ground in this nevertheless limpidly written biography of the Confederate hero. Thomas J. ``Stonewall'' Jackson, in a military career spanning less than two years, achieved one of the great military reputations of the American Civil War. Unlike many other leaders of the South, Jackson did not come from an aristocratic background. His West Point education and his superb military achievements in both the Mexican War and the Civil War were the product of personal tenacity, intelligence, and talent rather than of privilege. Jackson's personal eccentricities have become the stuff of legend, but Farwell debunks many of them (for instance, that Jackson continually sucked lemons during battle). The author succeeds in humanizing Jackson (his correspondence with his sister is particularly touching) away from the odd, machinelike military genius of Civil War myth, and he conveys vividly Jackson's singular, complex personality. But the most essential element of the Jackson legend remains intact here: that Jackson, as an intensely pious taskmaster who worshipped a stern Old Testament God, was a harsh disciplinarian who drove both himself and his men mercilessly in pursuit of his military objectives. Skillfully using letters and eyewitness accounts, Farwell relates Jackson's brilliant military victories: the classic Valley campaign that established his reputation; the Seven Days, in which Jackson performed erratically; Cedar Mountain; and Chancellorsville, in which Jackson proved the single most important contributor to Lee's greatest victory but in which he was mortally wounded by his own men. Farwell concludes that while Jackson had real genius as a battlefield commander, his strange, insular personality would have rendered him unfit for any higher command, and that he was most valuable to the Southern cause as Lee's subordinate. A down-to-earth biography that shows appreciation for Jackson's greatness without resorting to hero-worship. (Photographs, maps—not seen.)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-393-03389-9
Page Count: 512
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
