With jesse james as the most public face of the gang though with. Jesse james, the northfield raid, and the wild wests. 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 the latest and bestever biography of jesse james tears down the myth to reveal not a latterday robin hood, but a greedy, presssavvy bandit. Jesse james, my father full audiobook by jesse james, jr by.
Raised in the little dixie area of western missouri, james and his family maintained strong southern sympathies. Jesse james was only 14 when the war began and was too young to be accepted by the confederate army or by quantrills irregular forces. There the 16yearold james took part in one of the worst atrocities of the civil war. Oct 11, 2011 jesse james, one of the most violent outlaws of the wild west, got his first taste for violence as a civil war guerrilla fighting for the confederates although he came to be known as one of the most dangerous bandits of the west, james started out his life as a religious, peaceful farm boy who seemed destined for a career as a minister, like his father robert, who died in california while. Stiles book jesse james last rebel of the civil war vintiage civil war library. The first tycoon won the national book award in 2009. 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. Apr 09, 2005 jesse s war was, as stiles notes, smallscale, intensely personal, and intensely vicious. Jesse woodson james september 5, 1847 april 3, 1882 was an american outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla, and leader of the jamesyounger gang. Jesse james and the civil war in missouri by robert l.
Southern kansas and much of missouri were battlegrounds for abolitionist and antiabolitionist forces. Eleven southern slave states declared their secession from the u. Some of the stories of jesses war adventures are a little hard to believe, but a good read nonetheless. Traditionally, jesse james has been portrayed as a wild west bandit, a robin hood of sorts. The south is ambushed, but thanks to the sharpshooting of. While plowing in a field behind his home in late may of 1863, young jesse was suddenly surrounded by a mounted detail of union soldiers. Stiles takes on one such apparition in jesse james in his vivid interpretive biography of james, jesse james.
Jun 11, 2017 this talk was part of the annual conference hosted by the civil war institute at gettysburg college. American civil war ebooks for all free ebooks download. Click here if your download doesnt start automatically. Prize for biography and the national book award for nonfiction, and jesse james.
The book explores the life of one of americas most famous names and chronicles his life from his. This book forcefully sets jesse james in the context of his times, firmly identifying him as a violent and effective confederate partisan. Download the last full measure a novel of the civil war the civil war 18611865 book 3 pdf free. A vexing number of factions hunted each other through the regions canebrakes and forests, staging ambushes, assassinating suspected enemies, spreading. Stiles the latest and bestever biography of jesse james tears down the myth to reveal not a latterday robin hood, but a. Out of this conflict comes an opportunist, jesse w. A brief history of the lybarger family by lybarger, jesse james, 1865publication date 1915 topics.
Yet another jesse james image american civil war forums. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by. As frank and jesse make plans to rob a train on september 7, 1881, they. He robbed from the rich and gave to the poor, is the one line i now remember. Jesse woodson james september 5, 1847 april 3, 1882 was an american outlaw, bank and. Slavery and four years of war a political history of slavery in the united states together with a narrative of the campaigns and battles of the civil war in which the author took part. Stiles offers a new understanding of the legendary outlaw jesse james. The south is ambushed, but thanks to the sharpshooting of frank james gabriel macht. 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. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our favorite reads in more than a. Last rebel of the civil war has received such media attention is that it is only the second booklength 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. One hundred and twenty years after that dirty little coward. In the spring of 1976 i took several princeton students to gettysburg for the first of what became many tours of that memorable battlefield.
Lincoln, grant, and the vicksburg campaign home front and battle front. Jesse james, one of the most violent outlaws of the wild west, got his first taste for violence as a civil war guerrilla fighting for the confederates although he came to be known as one of the most dangerous bandits of the west, james started out his life as a religious, peaceful farm boy who seemed destined for a career as a minister, like his father robert, who died in california while. When americas civil war began, in april of 1861, jesse james was fourteen years old. It certainly seems that but for the civil war the james and younger boys who both came from prosperous upper middle income families most likely would not have chosen crime.
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. Sep 17, 2002 a brilliant biography of jesse james, and a stunning reinterpretation of an american icon. Although several major battles were fought in the state between confederate and union forces, much of the fighting in missouri was an ugly form of terrorism carried out by loose bands of missouri guerrillas, by kansas jayhawkers, or by marauding patrols of union soldiers. 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. Guerrilla tactics american experience official site pbs. Once, at a custer conference in st paul, minnesota yes, there are such things, and yes, many do dress in cavalry. But, in a thorough examination of his life and times, stiles argues that james more closely resembled a young man with a merciless itch for. Last rebel of the civil war by tj stiles 546pp, jonathan cape. In september 1864, jesse james rode with bill andersons bushwhackers into the small missouri town of centralia.
This war is a crusade the origins of this book go back many years. Raised in a fiercely proslavery atmosphere in bitterly divided missouri, he began at sixteen to fight alongside some of the most. Project muse jesse james and the civil war in missouri. Read book life and adventures of frank and jesse james 1880. Last rebel of the civil war american civil war forums. Jesses war was, as stiles notes, smallscale, intensely personal, and intensely vicious. A brilliant biography of jesse james, and a stunning reinterpretation of an american icon. The civil war in missouri was a time of great confusion, violence, and. He was born on september 5th, 1847 and was a criminal of the old west along with his brother, frank james. The civil war in missouri was a time of great confusion, violence, and destruction.
Jesse found his way to join up with the confederate partisan rangers serving under capt. During this visit, i had with me a book id long meant to read but had never gotten around to. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. This was a widely noted reassessment of the legendary outlaw, focusing on his life and historical role, rather than his folkculture status. The last rebel posted on december 4, 20 february 28, 2017 by kim seabrook jesse james was a hero of the american west but also a coldbloodied killer, a proslavery rebel who fought in the vicious internecine struggle on the kansasmissouri border during the civil war he refused to surrender at the end of it, and was determined. Stiles expertlycrafted tale of jesse james as the last rebel and how he carried on the civil war in the state of missouri from 1865 to the ultimate confederate political victory in the centennial year of 1876. Aug 26, 2015 some of the stories of jesse s war adventures are a little hard to believe, but a good read nonetheless. Download life and adventures of frank and jesse james read online. But in this meticulously researched, vividly written account of his life, he emerges as far more complicated. The approach of the american civil war loomed large in the jamessamuel. For cause and comrades the new york times web archive.
He fought fiercely and was allowed to join his brother frank under captain wm. Jesse james was, bar none, the most famous criminal of the old west, in part because of his addictively alliterative name. A rebel war clerks diary at the confederate states capital english keifer, joseph warren, 18361932. Stiles dives deep into the missouri political picture before, during and after the civil war. Apr 28, 2016 download the last full measure a novel of the civil war the civil war 18611865 book 3 pdf free. Other members of the gang vary depending on the job and who is available, but usually include an array of cousins and friends. Sumter, in charleston harbor, jesse was living at home, on the james family farm.
Placing james in the context of the civil war and its aftermath should substantially increase the audience for this. Thus, i feel especially qualified to opine about any book regarding ted bundy, al capone, or jesse james. The southern army is trying to track down the yankee army during the civil war. Last rebel of the civil war, won the ambassador book award and the peter seaborg award for civil war scholarship, and was a new york times notable book. Ride the devils herd audiobook by john boessenecker. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. Stiles was about a man named jesse james who spent most of his life participating in criminal activity. Stiles talked about jesse james within the context of the civil war. When stiles, in his subtitle, calls jesse james the last rebel fo the civil war. Stiles born 1964 in foley, minnesota is an american biographer who lives in berkeley. 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. Watch jesse james american experience official site pbs.
Stiles is particularly good at recreating murderous, anarchic missouri society during the civil war and reconstruction, when james, who was born in 1847, came of age. The assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford. Last rebel of the civil war, published by alfred a. This talk was part of the annual conference hosted by the civil war institute at gettysburg college. A sixcity author tour and the powerful photo of a young james on the.
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 authors descriptions of the events leading up to the war in the west and the complex political struggle after the war are clear and vivid. 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. Jesse james is a notorious outlaw who, with his brother frank, makes up the core of the james gang. Last rebel of the civil war is a gripping, welldocumented and convincingly argued reinterpretation of jesse james life and legend, and his place in american history. Stripped of the familiar myths surrounding him, james emerges a far more significant figure. The book explores the life of one of americas most famous names and chronicles his.
1231 1102 46 1343 1345 1039 1510 1262 1523 676 1250 1122 181 185 1318 520 1194 888 613 375 874 974 391 532 817 219 251 1029 841 1187 1008 884 889 672 35 887 1250 710 126 1497 309 299 1260 715 507 1364 37 1141 1455 219