"YOU MAY BE WHAT EVER YOU WILL RESOLVE TO BE." This was the credo that governed and defined the life of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, perhaps the most extraordinary figure in American military history. From his childhood as an unloved, poorly educated orphan, it was Jackson's pure determination that impelled him from his humble origins. A shy man, with some particularly odd habits, Jackson was an outcast by many standards. But it was his single-mindedness of purpose that landed him a position at West Point where he struggled but ultimately prevailed. It was his unflappable courage combined with an emerging and unshakeable faith in God that led him to distinguish himself in the Mexican-American War. Then, after serving as a professor at the Virginia Military Institute, Jackson rose to true glory during the Civil War where, during the first major battle, he received what is perhaps the most famous nickname in military history. Beloved by his men whom he drove to the limits of endurance, feared and yet admired greatly by his enemies whom he constantly surprised with his brilliant tactics, Jackson was a general who, in the heat of battle, was seemingly blind to his own personal danger. Victory after victory, he allowed himself no personal triumph but would often be seen astride his faithful horse, Sorrel, his hand thrust toward the sky, deep in prayer of thanks to the God who had allowed his cause to prevail. James I. Robertson Jr., history professor at Virginia Tech and the recognized authority on the life of "Stonewall" Jackson, offers young readers a gripping biography of an extraordinary man.

James I. Robertson Jr. teaches the largest Civil War history course in the nation and is the recipient of every major award given in the field of Civil War history. His latest book, Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend, has won an unprecedented eight awards in national competition. A native of Danville, Virginia, Dr. Robertson received a B.A. from Randolph-Macon College and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Emory University. He is currently the Alumni Distinguished Professor and Executive Director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, where he lives.