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A review by iymain
Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson by S.C. Gwynne
2.0
What a slog! I feel as though I dragged my own sorry self through the entirety of the Civil War. (I suppose that means the account was well written.) Jackson comes across as a hero of almost supernatural ability and a brilliant tactician. He has a dual nature: sweet, funny, and loving at home; cold, taciturn, and ruthless at work. At times it seems Lee and Davis just relied on Jackson to handle the whole war.
(Spoiler alert: Jackson dies, and the South loses the war.) ;-)
The final chapter in which Gwynn hints at the alt-reality of a triumphant South had Jackson not died gave me the heebie jeebies. Let us not forget that the man fought to preserve a way of life that included slavery. Yes, the North had its problems (lame-ass military leaders to name one), but I believe we have to Just Say No to a culture that denies the humanity of black people. Then again, based on the tiki torch wielding marchers in Charlottesville, it occurs to me that this may not be the moral absolute I take it to be. THAT's problematic.
My copy had several corrections penned in by a former reader. That detracted from the book as well. I could have glided right past it, but when I took the time to check their veracity, it was disappointing how frequently the author botched dates and locations. :-/
(Spoiler alert: Jackson dies, and the South loses the war.) ;-)
The final chapter in which Gwynn hints at the alt-reality of a triumphant South had Jackson not died gave me the heebie jeebies. Let us not forget that the man fought to preserve a way of life that included slavery. Yes, the North had its problems (lame-ass military leaders to name one), but I believe we have to Just Say No to a culture that denies the humanity of black people. Then again, based on the tiki torch wielding marchers in Charlottesville, it occurs to me that this may not be the moral absolute I take it to be. THAT's problematic.
My copy had several corrections penned in by a former reader. That detracted from the book as well. I could have glided right past it, but when I took the time to check their veracity, it was disappointing how frequently the author botched dates and locations. :-/