Standing Like A Stone Wall

Determined to become successful, Thomas Jackson fought poverty and sadness throughout his youth. What he lacked in formal education and influential connections, he more than made up for with initiative and hard work. His perseverance paid off when, against all odds, he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 

After graduation, Jackson became one of the most extraordinary figures in American military history. In the Mexican-American War, he held his ground while a cannonball bounced between his legs. His clever Civil War strategies were unmatched. While refusing to cave in during one battle, he earned the nickname "Stonewall," and became a legend.

This is the complete story of Jackson's life as told by James I. Robertson Jr., the world's most acclaimed Civil War historian.