The States of Jones (2009)
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Sally Jenkins and John Stauffer mine a nearly forgotten piece of Civil War history and strike gold in this surprising account of the only Southern county to secede from the Confederacy. The State of Jones is a true story about the South during the Civil War—the real South, an authentic, hardscrabble place where poor men were forced to fight a rich man’s war for slavery and cotton.
In Jones County, Mississippi, a farmer named Newton Knight led his neighbors, white and black alike, in an insurrection against the Confederacy at the height of the Civil War. Knight’s life story mirrors the little-known story of class struggle in the South—and it shatters the image of the Confederacy as a unified front. This riveting investigative account takes us inside the battle of Corinth, where thousands died, and to the siege of Vicksburg, presenting a gritty picture of a war in which generals sacrificed thousands through their arrogance and ignorance. Off the battlefield, the Knight story is rich in drama as well. He was a man with two loves: his wife, who was forced to flee her home simply to survive, and an ex-slave named Rachel, who, in effect, became his second wife. It was Rachel who cared for him when he was hunted by the Confederates and when members of the Knight clan sought revenge for the disgrace he had brought upon the family name. |
* New York Times bestseller * Pulitzer Prize nomination * Over 30,000 hardcover copies sold
A little known but fascinating slice of American history.... Well written, well read, and well researched. The true South is revealed--Boston Globe
Lively.... Jenkins and Stauffer bring historical contexts to life and offer provocative interpretations--New York Times
Moving and powerful.... An important story that personalizes what remains abstract and counter-intuitive in much of our received history of the Civil War, even as we approach its 150th anniversary--Washington Post
Informed... impressive.... The saga is related in fascinating detail--Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jenkins and Stauffer have brought fresh attention to a little-known and interesting sidebar of Civil War history--Wall Street Journal
Fascinating.... The book fittingly combines crisp narrative with exhaustive historical context.... Jenkins and Stauffer succeed in telling the complex history of the Civil War, and its disastrous Reconstruction aftermath, through the steely eyes of this crusty old man--Minneapolis Star-Tribune
A richly detailed, riveting and revealing account of this long-forgotten rebellion within a rebellion--Tulsa World
Exceedingly readable and informative--Denver Post
Jenkins and Stauffer dug deep into state and military records to spin this fascinating yarn, augmented by extensive (and intriguing) notes.... The State of Jones is a treasure. It’s a window into an obscure corner of Mississippi’s history and an account that challenges myths of a South unified behind a ‘glorious’ cause
--Virginian-Pilot
Highly recommended to Civil War aficionados.... Will keep the reader looking forward to the next page--The Oklahoman
An entertaining, informative book about a courageous group of Southerners clearly ahead of their time. It offers a refreshing look at the issues surrounding the Civil War, and some delightful surprises for even the most knowledgeable history buff--BookPage
Gripping.... Lively.... [Knight’s] story is sad but fascinating, a little known chapter in the history of the Deep South. Jenkins and Stauffer tell it well--The Advocate
Highly readable and informative--Chicago Sun-Times
Just when you thought you had heard it all about the Civil War, along comes an astonishing tale of rebellion within the heart of rebel territory. This is a riveting and memorable read about resistance, courage, love and the long trail of justice and injustice in the American South. I couldn’t put it down--Tom Brokaw
History at its finest and most captivating. The documentation is meticulous, yet this gem of a book reads like a novel, with a revelation at every turn. Jenkins and Stauffer have proved once again that the real history of this country is far more complex and fascinating than the prevailing mythology
--David Maraniss, author of They Marched Into Sunlight
Jenkins and Stauffer locate the real Civil War and the story of our greatest national trial in all of its specificity and moral complexity. Their research is meticulous and transparent; their writing is evocative and clear; their use of source materials and authentic voices is arresting; and their intuition about why history of this kind matters is unfailing--Steve Coll, author of Ghost Wars
Jones and Stauffer tell this story with verve and insight, providing a richly detailed, dramatic narrative and a valuable contribution to the historical literature
--James Simon, author of Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney
Here is the Civil War as it really was. You can't fully know America's epic until you've read this powerful book
--David Von Drehle, author of Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
A marvelous story of loyalty and treason, race and blood, war and peace, as compelling as it is unlikely, a tale of insurrection that illuminates the larger insurrection of our Civil War--Rick Atkinson, author of An Army at Dawn
The fascinating tale of an unforgettable figure: 6’4” Mississippi yeoman farmer Newton Knight, and his beguiling “second wife” and former slave, Rachel. The authors follow the Knight family’s extraordinary lives over the course of six decades and in the process open a window onto a forgotten corner of the American landscape
--Philip B. Kunhardt III, co-author of Looking for Lincoln
Lively.... Jenkins and Stauffer bring historical contexts to life and offer provocative interpretations--New York Times
Moving and powerful.... An important story that personalizes what remains abstract and counter-intuitive in much of our received history of the Civil War, even as we approach its 150th anniversary--Washington Post
Informed... impressive.... The saga is related in fascinating detail--Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Jenkins and Stauffer have brought fresh attention to a little-known and interesting sidebar of Civil War history--Wall Street Journal
Fascinating.... The book fittingly combines crisp narrative with exhaustive historical context.... Jenkins and Stauffer succeed in telling the complex history of the Civil War, and its disastrous Reconstruction aftermath, through the steely eyes of this crusty old man--Minneapolis Star-Tribune
A richly detailed, riveting and revealing account of this long-forgotten rebellion within a rebellion--Tulsa World
Exceedingly readable and informative--Denver Post
Jenkins and Stauffer dug deep into state and military records to spin this fascinating yarn, augmented by extensive (and intriguing) notes.... The State of Jones is a treasure. It’s a window into an obscure corner of Mississippi’s history and an account that challenges myths of a South unified behind a ‘glorious’ cause
--Virginian-Pilot
Highly recommended to Civil War aficionados.... Will keep the reader looking forward to the next page--The Oklahoman
An entertaining, informative book about a courageous group of Southerners clearly ahead of their time. It offers a refreshing look at the issues surrounding the Civil War, and some delightful surprises for even the most knowledgeable history buff--BookPage
Gripping.... Lively.... [Knight’s] story is sad but fascinating, a little known chapter in the history of the Deep South. Jenkins and Stauffer tell it well--The Advocate
Highly readable and informative--Chicago Sun-Times
Just when you thought you had heard it all about the Civil War, along comes an astonishing tale of rebellion within the heart of rebel territory. This is a riveting and memorable read about resistance, courage, love and the long trail of justice and injustice in the American South. I couldn’t put it down--Tom Brokaw
History at its finest and most captivating. The documentation is meticulous, yet this gem of a book reads like a novel, with a revelation at every turn. Jenkins and Stauffer have proved once again that the real history of this country is far more complex and fascinating than the prevailing mythology
--David Maraniss, author of They Marched Into Sunlight
Jenkins and Stauffer locate the real Civil War and the story of our greatest national trial in all of its specificity and moral complexity. Their research is meticulous and transparent; their writing is evocative and clear; their use of source materials and authentic voices is arresting; and their intuition about why history of this kind matters is unfailing--Steve Coll, author of Ghost Wars
Jones and Stauffer tell this story with verve and insight, providing a richly detailed, dramatic narrative and a valuable contribution to the historical literature
--James Simon, author of Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney
Here is the Civil War as it really was. You can't fully know America's epic until you've read this powerful book
--David Von Drehle, author of Triangle: The Fire That Changed America
A marvelous story of loyalty and treason, race and blood, war and peace, as compelling as it is unlikely, a tale of insurrection that illuminates the larger insurrection of our Civil War--Rick Atkinson, author of An Army at Dawn
The fascinating tale of an unforgettable figure: 6’4” Mississippi yeoman farmer Newton Knight, and his beguiling “second wife” and former slave, Rachel. The authors follow the Knight family’s extraordinary lives over the course of six decades and in the process open a window onto a forgotten corner of the American landscape
--Philip B. Kunhardt III, co-author of Looking for Lincoln
