Fetch Searching For Stonewall Jackson: A Quest For Legacy In A Divided America Scripted By Ben Cleary Publication

author is a former coworker of mine, Reading his book was like hanging out with him for hours, His humor and charm came through in his reflections on his various experiences tracing Stonewall Jackson's steps, I wanted to like this a lot more than I did, but while Cleary dances around the subject of a "divided America," he can never quite bring himself to realize, or perhaps to admit, why it's divided.
His treatment of Jackson is able as are the travelogue segments of the book, but some maps would have been very useful, I was listening to this book through the library,

It is not bad, but it just is not for me, The book is about the a White Southerner Cleary as he learns more about the Southern IconStonewall Jackson, Cleary does not approach the subject as a novice, he's been writing about Jackson for years, but this book is about his travels across the South as he reflects on what Jackson means today andyears ago.


The book is equal parts history, his experiences retracing Jackson's path, and his reflections on contemporary America, It is not a bad book, it's just not for me, If I didn't have other books checked out from the library with long holds I probably would have finished this book, but I'd rather listem to them.
I wanted to like this book more, Cleary effectively links the historical with his travelogue today, But, I dont think he effectively wrestled with Stonewalls legacy, as well as the Civil Wars legacy in the South, and in America, I enjoyed the read but not too sure I knew anymore about Stonewall at the conclusion, The absence of a few maps is a little disappointing, Pretty good analysis of Jackson's military campaigns during The War, and some understanding of the man, Very little "Quest for His Legacy," as the title implies, Some of the author's viewpoints tossed in, but that's about it, Nevertheless, a good read, for what it is, Most enjoyable, as I read with Google Earth at hand to check locations, I resonated with Mr. Clearys observation that he felt an emotional connection to Jackson and his colleagues, even as his intellect rebelled at their cause and its justifications, Is that the lesson to learn: compassion and a moral compass for acts that give all people an equal chance at the good life are more important than loyalty to nation "Basically, I'm trying to go places Jackson lived and fought and see what they're like today.
And parallel that with his story, Hopefully, I can be fresh and insightful with both, I'm also hoping the writing is better than standard history, I've been to some incredible places, . . "

Dat schrijft Cleary op bladzijde, als een Park Ranger vraagt aan wat voor boek hij werkt, Het is wat mij betreft gelukt, De combinatie van reiservaringen en geschiedenis verluchtigt de historische gebeurtenissen en verbindt ze tegelijkertijd met het hedeniets wat ikzelf op mijn vakantiereizen ook altijd probeer te doen.
Het maakt beide kanten van het verhaal interessanter, Daarbij komt regelmatig aan de orde hoe vandaag de dag de kritiek op Confederate Monuments oplaait, waarbij Cleary genuanceerd commentaar levert, dat mijn eigen twijfels over de kwestie weerspiegelt.


Natuurlijk helpt het ook, dat ik Stonewall zelf net zo interessant en mysterieus vind als Cleary, en dat ik op veel van dezelfde plaatsen ben geweest als hij, met dezelfde of juist compleet andere indrukken en ervaringen.
Ik stond bij Stonewalls arm, liep langs de muur van Fredericksburg en ervoer een soortgelijke desillusie in Front Royal toen het ging over de significantie van Belle Boyds informatie.


Het boek staat met stip in de lijst van mijn favoriete boeken, simpelweg omdat het bijna alles combineert in wat ik fijn vind in boeken.
Het enige wat ik graag verbeterd had gezien, is het fotokatern, Nu staan er obligate historische foto's in, van Lee en Stuart liever had ik plekken gezien die Cleary bezocht voor het boekde portretten van de generaals kennen we uit genoeg andere boeken de huidige situatie van het nauwelijks te bezichtigen Belvoir, waar het laatste portret van Stonewall werd genomen, is veel unieker en interessanter.
Maar dat is een kleinigheid, want de bezochte plekken worden gedetailleerd en persoonlijk beschreven, En het voedt mijn wens om de verschillende plaatsen weer zelf te bezoeken, I really liked this book although I took occasional pauses in my reading of it I didnt realize until this review that I started it in Feb.


I am fascinated by the Civil War, this fascination came late in lifes and I now cant seem to get enough of it.


In this book, Cleary mixes Jacksons biography, with his military campaigns, with the present day walking and reviewing of the battle sites as they appear today.
I loved it. Now, I want to walk these trails and battlefields myself,

From the title/subtitle I expected a little more exploration of the frictional dynamic Cleary and myself and most southern civil war buffs have in admiring the man, the general, the leader, but despising the cause.
I still struggle with how I feel vs how I think Im supposed to feel,

I also struggle on the idea of such a devout man in prayer and faith so easily condoned slavery, While he did found a black bible school illegally , he battled for the wrong side,

Cleary did do a good job of putting you in the common soldiers shoes or lack of shoes with hardship, no food, miserable conditions, and gruesome fighting to the death and wonder why are these common men giving their lives for the purpose institution of slavery He didnt really get into why But I think a great joined the fight because of “those damned Yankees” and not to necessarily keep slavery.


Overall a good book, I will read other Jackson biographies which Im sure will be more in depth, but this was a good first look at Jackson and his military campaigns.
Ben Cleary provides a fascinating approach in recounting the Civil War career of Thomas J, Jackson. The author makes an apt observation in the books afterward, stating: ”, . . pilgrimages are as much about the pilgrim as they are about the destination, ” Readers will enjoy walking the battlefields with the author, as he journeys toward a deeper understanding of the officer called ”Stonewall, ” Overall, this was a well written book, However, I felt the story didnt live up to the title, I was expecting presentday, divided America to be addressed more, Had this been more of the topic of conversation, then this book would have been vastly improved, I was disappointed because a big reason why I wanted to read a book on Stonewall Jackson was to see how his legacy holds up today.


This is definitely worth a read if you want to learn about one of the greatest American Generals, But if you are looking for how the past and present are colliding, than this is a pass,/stars. Maybe I should have rounded up tostars, but the subtitle really bugged me, I learned a lot about Stonewall Jackson and his role in the Civil War, but there was little to no discussion about “a divided America.
” Or does the author mean divided America ofs I took it to mean today, amp he throws in a few comments about statue controversy amp racial conflict, but I feel he still glamorizes the South amp Confederacy a little too much.
As a history buff, I dont want to stop learning about the past, but we have to admit that the Confederacy was wrong, and on the losing side of history.
Library I have been interested in General Jackson for many years, and more so after moving into a home that is close to the battlefield, which was his last.


General Jackson was someone who found himself on the field of battle, who thrived and flourished under the hardships of war, He was not a great teacher but had taught at the Virginia Military Institute for several years, Students made fun of him, but many failed to know the man,

This portrayal of Jackson made me sit back and wonder how often we, as historians, fail to see the human behind the story, and how often we go only know what we are told, rather than searching deeper to understand the person behind the legends and portrayals we see on movies and fond stories that are shared.
This book was a refreshing take on Jackson as a person, the soldier, and the many conflicting sentiments that he struggled with throughout his short life.

DNF atchapters.

Thought this would be a thought provoking read about the legacy of a confederate leader, like sitelinkThe Man Who Would Not Be Washington: Robert E.
Lee's Civil War and His Decision That Changed American History, but as usual, I am let down, This is no more than the meanderings of another middleaged war fanboy who likes to wank off to the graves of nineteenth century traitors, I've given up on this one in favor of sitelinkRebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson

After a few chapters I read some reviews and learned that the book does not live up to it's title or it's dust jacket there will be no resolution, no answers found.
I am still looking for someone who can tell me why we should revere Stonewall Jackson and his ilk, What about these men overcomes their treason and their affection for a cruel industry What makes them worthy of our admiration today Why shouldn't we deface

their memories No man has yet given me an answer.
I have pretty good idea why, Im not a huge history buff curiosity attracted me to this book more than anything else, How, in these times of ultrasensitivity, could a brace yourself and excuse me of my crassness here white man, yes, a Caucasian Homo sapiens, dare to put pen to paper and discuss at great length such a vile subject as an officer of the Confederate States of America I fan my face furiously as I write this.
But, I digress.
As it turns out, I dont think anyone else on this green earth did you catch my inclusion for all in that modification could have done a more sensitive yet engaging historical account of Stonewall Jackson.
The sections dwelling quite deeply into the footsteps of the soldiers were interspersed with presentday excursions by Ben as he followed along, building a bridge of understanding across all of the lost years.
What Ben sees and describes of todays resulting atmosphere is so eloquent, with hope and faith in humankind, I enjoyed the sections attributed to the history of Jacksons commanding ability, but the breaks where Ben brings us to today is refreshing, not shaming.
Theyre hopeful, not nihilistic.
This is an eyeopening and endearing biography, Readers who would benefit the most arent the Civil War buffs, already set in their mind frame of what is right and wrong, but curious readers like me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Twelve Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review, More of a modern day travelogue than a narrative history volume, this book does not disappoint, It reminds me very much of the late, great Tony Horwitz's works, If you never read Confederates in the Attic or Spying on the South, consider it, Strongly consider it. Anyway, this is most likely my final book review for, I will continue to add more reviews as time allows in the new year, To all my friends thanks for being friends and following my reviews, Although I mostly read Civil War themed books, I may occasionally throw in a spy novel/thriller, There is a new Gray Man novel due out in February, so keep your eyes peeled for that, I guess I really enjoyed this book because of the author's ability to blend the past and the present into a compelling narrative, Definitely worth your time if you dig Stonewall Jackson, Hoping you all remain safe and healthy in the coming year, and hoping life returns to at least a shade of normal, Take care. I received this book as a goodreads giveaway, I am always happy to get free books and discover new authors, This book was very well researched and presented, The author would describe an event in the "Stonewall" Jackson time line and then discuss what the place looks like today, I found it very interesting and learned a lot about "Stonewall" Jackson This book was two books in one, a historical look at Stonewall Jacksons actions during the American Civil War, and a travel journal, of sorts, as the author attempts to retrace those steps in many places.
I found this method of connecting the past and present to be very relatable, especially since Jackson spent the entire war at places within half a days drive from my home.
The book was very well written, easy to follow, and a joy to read, While sometimes light on the details of Jacksons life, and mixed with the authors modern day “memoir” and observations about the present which were usually moderately jarring, I did enjoy the book overall.
It seemed to include a few tidbits I dont recall from other biographies Ive read and I also thought he pointed out Jacksons flaws a bit more readily than those other reads as well.
It was good. As someone who is very interested in the Civil War, I saw this book on the table at Barnes and Nobles, The premise intrigued me so I bought it, Cleary follows Stonewall Jackson's path thru the Civil War, He visits the battlefields. He crosses the rivers. He tries to feel what Jackson and his troops felt during the Civil War, While many of the battlefields have been protected, many have not and have become roads, shopping centers and subdivisions, Cleary finds this somewhat disorienting because he and I both believe that these battlefields are sacred ground where thousands were killed on both North and South on somewhat of a daily basis.
The immensity of the slaughter in Civil War battles seems completely insane today, but casualties of,or more soldiers in a given battle was a routine occurrence.
These are your reparations. Over,Americans died during the Civil War, a fantastic number of the total population at that time, This book does make you want to visit some of the less well known sites, like Malvern Hill and Chancellorsville, Virginia is filled with Civil War cemeteries, and the majority of the buried are unknown, Imagine that, your son, father, or husband simply does not return after the war and you have no idea what happened or where he is.
Ben Cleary did a excellent job on the life of "Stonewall Jackson", . As he wrote this book,he traveled to some of the places where these battles of this war happened and did a excellent job in explaining about the battle,why there was the battle,who was in these battles on both the North and South.
. Ben tried to tell both sides as he went through the story, I am a Southern by birth and as I don't believe in slavery I am still proud to a Southern, It has a personal touch to this story, Step back in time where "The War Between the States" is going on and follow Stonewall Jackson in his life as a Confederate soldier and how he commanded his men and the battles that were fought ,how he got his name and how he died and where.
Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond ,Va, I know very well,I have family buried there,my mother's family ,as I was there to bury my grandmother and mother there and so many of my father's family dating back to the's.
. It's a wonderful historical cemetery that if you ever make it to Richmond, Va, You should go by there and get a piece of history of men that fought in a war that some southern believed in and some didn't but they fought because they loved the South and they loved Virginia.
You will get a sense of all of this in this book! Received from Net Gallery!,