Jesse James

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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.