T. J. Stiles Bücher

NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD In this groundbreaking biography, T.J. Stiles tells the dramatic story of Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, the combative man and American icon who, through his genius and force of will, did more than perhaps any other individual to create modern capitalism. Meticulously researched and elegantly written, The First Tycoon describes an improbable life, from Vanderbilt’s humble birth during the presidency of George Washington to his death as one of the richest men in American history. In between we see how the Commodore helped to launch the transportation revolution, propel the Gold Rush, reshape Manhattan, and invent the modern corporation. Epic in its scope and success, the life of Vanderbilt is also the story of the rise of America itself.

Stripped of familiar myths, Jesse James emerges as a significant figure: a ruthless, purposeful, and intensely political man who used crime to promote the Confederate cause after the South's surrender at Appomattox. Stiles presents a vivid portrait of the pre-Civil War era, the conflict, and its aftermath, particularly in Missouri, a divided border state. Here, the great issues of the day manifested in battles between North and South. Jesse and his brother Frank, raised by a pro-slavery preacher and a fierce Southern mother, fought alongside brutal Confederate guerrillas. At 16, Jesse began his violent career by killing Unionist neighbors. In the ensuing bloodshed, Jesse and his fellow guerrillas became part of the White South's struggle against racial egalitarianism and Federal power during Reconstruction. His thirst for attention and alliance with an ex-Confederate newspaper editor helped shape his image. By using violence and media to promote a political cause, Jesse was neither a Robin Hood nor a quaint Wild West figure, but rather a forerunner of what we might now call a terrorist. With groundbreaking scholarship, Stiles has redefined one of America's great legends, offering profound insights into both the nation and the man.

They led the armies of the Civil War and forged the most critical and violent chapter in American history...The military leaders, men of impassioned commitment and unrivaled courage, who recorded in vivid detail the war as it was, both on the battlefield and in their hearts and minds. These fascinating narratives are presented chronologically, woven together with insightful editorial notes, and accompanied by over 40 maps; together they comprise the Civil War experience, from daily army life to the sights and sounds of battle, to the moral and strategic decisions that rested upon the commanders' shoulders. Their words bring to life every significant passage in the course of the war...The Battles of Antietam and Bull Run, Shiloh, Vicksburg, Missionary Ridge and Gettysburg, the Invasion of Kentucky and the Battle of Perryville...the Union and Confederate strategies and campaigns...the Civil War's naval battles and the guerrilla war...Sherman's siege of Atlanta...and more.