Jesse james last rebel of the civil war book

Pulitzer prize for biography and the national book award for nonfiction, and jesse james. More than a biography, the book is also a history of the civil war in missouri. Raised in the little dixie area of western missouri, james and his family maintained strong southern sympathies. Stiles was about a man named jesse james who spent most of his life participating in criminal activity. Last rebel of the civil war and millions of other books are available for instant access. Stiles dives deep into the missouri political picture before, during and after the civil war. Libraries stripped of the familiar myths surrounding him, in this book, jesse james emerges a far more significant figure. James who uses the civil war as a springboard to fame and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest and cerberal outlaws of all time.

Stiles jesse james, last rebel of the civil war, both the historical, social, and political factors that influenced james and his life as a bandit are detailed and integrated to form a cogent picture of the man versus what popular legend states. Thus, i feel especially qualified to opine about any book regarding ted bundy, al capone, or jesse james. Ive been waiting for this to come out on audible for several years now, as i already own. Biography, frontier and pioneer life, guerrillas, history. He robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, is the one line i now remember. Sep 22, 2002 james had a powerful ally and publicist in newspaper editor john newman, an unapologetic champion of the lost cause who glamorized him as a friend and protector of the common man in the face of greedy carpetbaggers. Jesse james jesse james, book last rebel of the civil war by stiles, t. One hundred and twenty years after that dirty little coward robert ford shot jesse james in the back of the head while the latter stood on a chair to dust a picture in his missouri home, scholars continue to debate the outlaws importance in american social history. A latterday robin hood or the social bandit that eric hobsbawm called him in bandits, his famous book. Last rebel of the civil war has received such media attention is that it is only the second book length study of the outlaw to take a scholarly look at himthat is, to truly try to explain him in the context of his times, rather than simply throwing a few more pebbles on the pile of details. Last rebel of the civil war, recently published by alfred a. Jesse abandoned all civil norms, even the blunt instrument morality of a slaveowning culture. Jesse did win recognition as a rebel guerillafighter in the civil war, a robber of banks, trains and stagecoaches and as a cold blooded merciless killer but also, in the minds of many, as the last rebel of the civil war, a symbol of ongoing rebellion that brought hope to those who still believed in the lost cause. Unlike previous authors who emphasized james as the daring train and bank robber, stiles seeks to understand the world of rural western missouri, into which jesse woodson james was born in 1847.

A brilliant biography of jesse james, and a stunning reinterpretation of an american icon. The typical book about jesse james briefly discusses his familys history, usually in a few pages, and covers the civil war in perhaps one chapter. Does the electronic version of the book completely replace the paper version. Search the kansas city public library bibliocommons. Best of all, if after reading an e book, you buy a paper version of jesse james. This book is like a gritty western that brings jesse james to life. Gritty, thorough, and insightful, stiles book is a fabulous look into the turbulent times of the. Once, at a custer conference in st paul, minnesota yes, there are such things, and yes, many do dress in cavalry. Once, at a custer conference in st paul, minnesota yes. Jesse james book johnson county library bibliocommons.

Unread copy, pages and cover are crisp and unmarked. Read the book on paper it is quite a powerful experience. Jan 17, 2003 the first was about the 19thcentury outlaw jesse james, the second about another outlaw, jesus christ. The book explores the life of one of americas most famous names and chronicles his life from his. The epic life of cornelius vanderbilt, winner of the 2009 national book award in nonfiction and the 2010 pulitzer prize in biography, and jesse james. Traditionally, jesse james has been portrayed as a wild west bandit, a robin hood of sorts. Stiles offers a new understanding of the legendary outlaw jesse james. Last rebel of the civil war is a thorough study of how jesse james became the man he was and why his legend grew beyond mere outlaw status.

The james stiles depicts is one that hollywood would avoid like the plaguea racist, violent criminal bigot who was still fighting the cause of southern slavery 20 years after the civil war had ended. That said, stiless painstaking research has produced a compelling book that recreates, sometimes graphically, the ruthlessness that prevailed in missouri, where. Gritty, thorough, and insightful, stiles book is a fabulous look into the turbulent times of the 1860s,70s,80s from the perspective of the state of mo. In this excellent biography of the famed bandit, journalisthistorian stiles reveals his subject as less a robin hood than an osama bin laden for his time. The best new audiobooks for your thanksgiving drive the. Stripped of the familiar myths surrounding him, james emerges a far more significant figure. The epic life of cornelius vanderbilt, winner of the pulitzer prize for biography and the national book award for nonfiction, and jesse james. On the contrary, stiles insists, jesse james was a terrorist. Jesse woodson james was americas most romanticized bandit, celebrated as a kind of avenging robin hood. A photograph of jesse james, taken in july 1864, captures a 16yearold boy in. The first was about the 19thcentury outlaw jesse james, the second about another outlaw, jesus christ. But in this meticulously researched, vividly written account of his life, he emerges as far more complicated. Stiles the latest and bestever biography of jesse james tears down the myth to reveal not a latterday robin hood, but a greedy, presssavvy bandit. He now belonged to a group that believed a man must murder for respect.

Although he has often been portrayed as a robin hood of the old west, in this groundbreaking work stiles places james within the context of the bloody conflicts of the civil war to reveal a much more complicated and significant figure. He was born on september 5th, 1847 and was a criminal of the old west along with his brother, frank james. Stiles takes on one such apparition in jesse james in his vivid interpretive biography of james, jesse james. T j stiles a reassessment of the legendary american outlaw chronicles the life of jesse james, from his youth in missouri, to his teenage years fighting alongside confederate guerrillas, to his criminal career.

Last rebel of the civil war by tj stiles 546pp, jonathan cape. The only known civil case involving frank and jesse james was filed in the common pleas court of daviess county in 1870. Stiles 2003, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. A photograph of jesse james, taken in july 1864, captures a. Out of this conflict comes an opportunist, jesse w. Although he has often been portrayed as a robin hood of the old west, in this groundbreaking work stiles places james within the context of the bloody conflicts of the civil war to reveal. Last rebel of the civil war 9780375705588 by stiles, t. The author matches a real flair for the biographers art with an appreciation for the historical complexities of the time, especially for the ironies of the postreconstruction era, when much of the nation repudiated the radical goals of abolitionism. Stiles the latest and bestever biography of jesse james tears down the myth to reveal not a latterday robin hood, but a. A sixcity author tour and the powerful photo of a young james on the. This was a widely noted reassessment of the legendary outlaw, focusing on his life and historical role, rather than his folkculture status.

Last rebel of the civil war, published by alfred a. Frank and virginia williams collection of lincolniana mississippi state university. Stiles has produced what must be considered the definitive james biography of this generation. It is very eloquently written with vivid indepth descriptions of his many escapades. Jesse james was, bar none, the most famous criminal of the old west, in part because of his addictively alliterative name. Raised in a fiercely proslavery atmosphere in bitterly divided missouri, he began at sixteen to fight alongside some of the most. Last rebel of the civil war, which received more about t. Placing james in the context of the civil war and its aftermath should substantially increase the audience for this.