Jesse woodson james september 5, 1847 april 3, 1882 was an american outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla, and leader of the james younger gang. The book explores the life of one of americas most famous names and chronicles his life from his. Once, at a custer conference in st paul, minnesota yes, there are such things, and yes, many do dress in cavalry. 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 dives deep into the missouri political picture before, during and after the civil war. A photograph of jesse james, taken in july 1864, captures a 16yearold boy in. 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. Last rebel of the civil war, recently published by alfred a. Biography, frontier and pioneer life, guerrillas, history. 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. Paulette jiless recent novel enemy women also attests to the roiling. James and his notorious older brother frank were confederate bushwhackers in the lawless region of missouri during the civil war.
Paulette jiless recent novel enemy women also attests to. Out of this conflict comes an opportunist, jesse w. Pulitzer prize for biography and the national book award for nonfiction, and jesse james. Last rebel of the civil war audible audiobook unabridged t. 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.
A sixcity author tour and the powerful photo of a young james on the. Frank and jesse james in the civil war audiobook by. When stiles, in his subtitle, calls jesse james the last rebel fo the civil war. A brilliant biography of jesse james, and a stunning reinterpretation of an american icon. A latterday robin hood or the social bandit that eric hobsbawm called him in bandits, his famous book. 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.
Search the kansas city public library bibliocommons. Open library is an open, editable library catalog, building towards a web page for every book ever published. Larry mcmurtry, the new republic a fascinating challnge to old legends. Despite being a teenager, jesse james was severely wounded twice during the war, including being shot in the chest, but that would hardly slow him down after the war ended. Sep 17, 2002 a brilliant biography of jesse james, and a stunning reinterpretation of an american icon. Defiance, 186576, covering the primary arc of jesse jamess outlaw career. Jesse abandoned all civil norms, even the blunt instrument morality of a slaveowning culture.
He and his brother frank james joined pro confederate guerrillas known as bushwhackers operating in missouri and kansas. 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. Probably no american outlaw has attracted more attentionmuch of it flatteringthan jesse james. This biography of americas most wellknown murderer was first published last year in the u. Stiles takes on one such apparition in jesse james in his vivid interpretive biography of james, jesse james. Placing james in the context of the civil war and its aftermath should substantially increase the audience for this.
Stripped of the familiar myths surrounding him, james emerges a far more significant figure. Stiles offers a new understanding of the legendary outlaw jesse james. Last rebel of the civil war by tj stiles 546pp, jonathan cape. Carries the reader scrupulously through james s violent, violent life when stiles, in his subtitle, calls jesse james the last rebel fo the civil war. Carries the reader scrupulously through jamess violent, violent life.
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. The first was about the 19thcentury outlaw jesse james, the second about another outlaw, jesus christ. But, in a thorough examination of his life and times, stiles argues that james more closely. Last rebel of the civil war underscores the particularly fierce factionalism that divided missouri. 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. 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. 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. 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. The first tycoon won the national book award in 2009. 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. Jan 17, 2003 the first was about the 19thcentury outlaw jesse james, the second about another outlaw, jesus christ.
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. Biography, frontier and pioneer life, guerrillas, history, juvenile literature, kansas civil war, 18611865, missouri civil war. Raised in the little dixie area of western missouri, james and his family maintained strong southern sympathies. 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. Last rebel of the civil war 9780375705588 by stiles, t.
At sunset on september 26,1872, the fourth day of the second annual industrial exposition in kansas city, three men wearing masks of checkered cloth rode their horses up to the twelfth street gate. This was a widely noted reassessment of the legendary outlaw, focusing on his life and historical role, rather than his folkculture status. Fate, 18761882, covering the aftermath of the failed northfield robbery, and jesse jamess brief return to crime, ending in his assassination. He now belonged to a group that believed a man must murder for respect. Last rebel of the civil war, which received more about t. Last rebel of the civil war and millions of other books are available for instant access. The best writings on the notorious outlaw and his gang edited by harold dellinger from his early days as a civil war guerilla to his untimely death at the hands of that dirty little coward robert ford, few figures in american folklore have captured the imagination quite like jesse james. Last rebel of the civil war, published by alfred a. Stiles in his biography of jesse james, jesse james, last rebel of the civil war, the banditry and robin hood image that has come to be associated with jesse james was the result of careful media manipulation both by jesse james himself and a fellow confederate sympathizer, the journalist john newman edwards. Jesse woodson james was americas most romanticized bandit, celebrated as a kind of avenging robin hood. 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. 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. Jesse woodson james september 5, 1847 april 3, 1882 was an american outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla, and leader of the jamesyounger gang.
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