Jesse James

Last Rebel of the Civil War

By: T. J. Stiles

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

In this brilliant biography T. J. Stiles offers a new understanding of the legendary outlaw Jesse James. Although he has often been portrayed as a Robin Hood of the old west, in this ground-breaking work Stiles places James within the context of the bloody conflicts of the Civil War to reveal a much more complicated and significant figure.

Raised in a fiercely pro-slavery household in bitterly divided Misssouri, at age sixteenJames became a bushwhacker, one of the savage Confederate guerrillas that terrorized the border states. After the end of the war, James continued his campaign of robbery and murder into the brutal era of reconstruction, when his reckless daring, his partisan pronouncements, and his alliance with the sympathetic editor John Newman Edwards placed him squarely at the forefront of the former Confederates’ bid to recapture political power. With meticulous research and vivid accounts of the dramatic adventures of the famous gunman, T. J. Stiles shows how he resembles not the apolitical hero of legend, but rather a figure ready to use violence to command attention for a political cause - in many ways, a forerunner of the modern terrorist.

©2002 T. J. Stiles (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Excellent performance

Very informative, entertaining , audio book I've learned more than I ever knew about Jesse James.

This is a first rate biography

Brilliantly read and written. Simers is the utmost authority on the subject and he is no fanboy. Very critical look at Jesse James.

Average

Great story put together. Very spot on for information. Very boring narrative voice. Could of been better.

Missouri’s Favorite Terrorist

If you’re looking for more JJ hero mythology to feed your state’s right cosplay trips, Stiles isn’t it.

However, if you are interested in deep historical research that strips aways the myths to illuminate the past, this is it.

Good narration. You’ll need the book for the extensive footnote discussion on sources and methods.

outstanding

gives you a view on how the Civil War and events in Missouri during the war would turn Jesse into the outlaw of American history.

Great book

lots of history and well put together. I'm glad I know his real story now.

Decent, but selective history

The background of the Missouri-Kansas border war is rather skewed and the violence and brutality of the Kansas Red Legs and Jayhawkers is actively downplayed and often outright omitted to create a specific narrative.

Jesse James came alive!

This is one of the better biographies I've read in a while! Not only did it thoroughly cover the events in James's life, it placed him in the historical context surrounding him. The narrator is easy to understand and has a pleasant tone. If I had to nitpick, I would say there are sometime too many details; example, when James robs a bank, we know everyone there. Not a bad thing. I highly recommend this book!

Great context for a complicated person

I really enjoyed the author’s historical context. It gave the subject a human side without glorifying him beyond his actual deeds. Understanding how the reconstruction fell apart was critical to understanding what drove people like James to hang their sense of honor on violence to society and a quasi-political sense that was more expedient than it was based in reality. It explains a lot about where we are today as a nation.

Excellent book & performance

Stiles presents a vivid, thoroughly researched portrait of Jesse James in the context of his times. Well performed and produced, I’d recommend it to any history buff.

The narrator does mispronounce a few names/locations, but the rest of his performance more than makes up for it.