Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Stonewall is Jean Fritz's compelling account of the life of one of America's most brilliant military heroes -- General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Fritz masterfully combines tales of Jackson's formative years, his eccentricities, and his passions with the harrowing history of the Civil War to give us a more personal, more sympathetic view of citizens of both the North and the South and the sacrifices they made for their country.
-- "Stonewall is a superior example of biographical writing. Facts, remarks, and incidents are woven together into a picture of a complex and contradictory man who proved himself, time and again, to be a great military leader". -- School Library Journal, starred review
Synopsis
An absorbing biography of the controversial Confederate general, one of the country s greatest, and oddest heroes. The New York Times
No one thought Thomas Jackson would grow up to be a hero. Certainly not his childhood friends, who laughed at him when he fell into the river on the way to church and then sat through the service in his wet clothes. The cadets at West Point watched him sweat buckets whenever he had to speak in class and doubted if he d even graduate. But through it all, Jackson s determination to succeed served him well. He found that war allowed him to be the kind of man he d always dreamed of being. While other soldiers fell back in terror, Jackson stood like a stone wall and went on to be one of the most brilliant and heroic military leaders in America.
A New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year"
About the Author
"The question I am most often asked," Jean Fritz says, "is how do I find my ideas? The answer is: I don't. Ideas find me. A character in history will suddenly step right out of the past and demand a book. Generally people don't bother to speak to me unless there's a good chance that I'll take them on." Throughout almost four decades of writing about history, Jean Fritz has taken on plenty of people, starting with George Washington in
The Cabin Faced West (1958). Since then, her refreshingly informal historical biographies for children have been widely acclaimed as "unconventional," "good-humored," "witty," "irrepressible," and "extraordinary."
In her role as biographer, Jean Fritz attempts to uncover the adventures and personalities behind each character she researches. "Once my character and I have reached an understanding," she explains, "then I begin the detective work--reading old books, old letters, old newspapers, and visiting the places where my subject lived. Often I turn up surprises and of course I pass these on." It is her penchant for making distant historical figures seem real that brings the characters to life and makes the biographies entertaining, informative, and filled with natural child appeal.
An original and lively thinker, as well as an inspiration to children and adults, Jean Fritz is undeniably a master of her craft. She was awarded the Regina Medal by the Catholic Library Association, presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award by the American Library Association for her "substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature," and honored with the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature, which was presented by the New York State Library Association for her body of work.
copyright ? 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.