Jefferson Davis, American - Softcover

William J. Cooper, Jr.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0375725423 ISBN 13: 9780375725425

Publisher: Vintage, 2001

Synopsis

From a distinguished historian of the American South comes this thoroughly human portrait of the complex man at the center of our nation's most epic struggle.

Jefferson Davis initially did not wish to leave the Union—as the son of a veteran of the American Revolution and as a soldier and senator, he considered himself a patriot. William J. Cooper shows us how Davis' initial reluctance turned into absolute commitment to the Confederacy. He provides a thorough account of Davis' life, both as the Confederate President and in the years before and after the war. Elegantly written and impeccably researched, Jefferson Davis, American is the definitive examination of one of the most enigmatic figures in our nation's history.

About this title

Review:

The title might seem odd, given that Jefferson Davis (1808-89) served as president of the Confederacy during the Civil War, and never once, in the 34 years between the end of the war and his death, expressed any remorse for his part in the conflict that tore America apart. Yet, as historian William J. Cooper Jr. reminds us in his sober, comprehensive biography, Davis "saw himself as a faithful American ... a true son of the American Revolution and the Founding Fathers." Indeed, Davis's own father had fought in the Revolution, and Davis himself was a West Point graduate and Mexican War veteran. He declared January 21, 1861, "the saddest day of my life," as he resigned his U.S. Senate seat to follow his native state of Mississippi out of the Union; yet he also unflinchingly defended secession as a constitutionally guaranteed right. Cooper's measured portrait neither glosses over Davis's lifelong belief that blacks were inferior nor vilifies him for it: "My goal," he writes, "is to understand Jefferson Davis as a man of his time, not condemn him for not being a man of my time." The chapters on the Civil War show Davis intimately involved in military decisions, as well as in diplomatic attempts to gain foreign support for the Confederacy. Cooper acknowledges the irony of his subject--who interpreted the Constitution as strictly limiting federal authority--being forced by the war's exigencies to create a powerful, centralized Confederate government. Yet, this depiction of a forceful, self-confident Davis makes it clear that he never could have been anything but "a vigorous and potent chief executive." The author also paints an attractive picture of a warm family man who was devoted to his strong-minded wife and their children. Neither hagiography nor hatchet job, this evenhanded work sees Jefferson Davis whole. --Wendy Smith

From the Publisher:

"This is a splendid biography.-- Jefferson Davis comes from history as a lofty, lonely, crochety, contentious, elusive southerner.-- Damned for leading a losing cause and blamed for the way he lost it, he has attracted a surprising number of biographers and conclusions are various.-- Cooper's book ranks at the top of the list -- meticulously written, based on an astounding range of sources, it presents a high-tempered, sometimes abrasive man of greatness and remorseless devotion the cause he nearly made.-- Cooper understands Davis and rescues him from a rummage of confusions, prejudices and adulation.-- He comes as close to the real Davis as any biographer is likely to get."
-- Frank E. Vandiver, author of Blood Brothers and Mighty Stonewall

"Jefferson Davis lived seventy-seven of his eighty-one years as an American, and only four as president of the Confederacy. Yet it is for those four years he is chiefly remembered. William J. Cooper's splendid biography -- the best yet -- does good service in reminding us that even during his years at war with the United States, Davis professed to fight for American institutions and ideals as he understood them."
-- James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom

"Jefferson Davis at last has a sympathetic yet critical biographer. William J. Cooper, Jr., has written a splendid life of one of the most complicatedand controversial figures in American history. With consummate skill he narrates and analyzes the events and individuals who shaped Davis's life. This book will stand as model for many other controversial figures in U.S. history."
-- Robert V. Remini, author of Andrew Jackson

"A subtle, moving portrait of an agonized, complex Jefferson Davis -- veteran readers of Civil War books will think they are meeting him for the first time."
-- Charles Royster, author of The Destructive War

"This masterful biography of Jefferson Davis will take its place beside the classic studies of 19th century Americans. Exhaustively researched, sensitively written, and judiciously balanced, Jefferson Davis, American buries the myths that have encrusted the life of Jefferson Davis. In this volume, William Cooper
examines not just the public man, but Davis as a brother, husband and father."
-- Jean Baker, author of Mary Todd Lincoln, A Biography

"Jefferson Davis devoted his life to the twin causes of liberty and slavery. Who better to explore this theme than William J. Cooper, Jr.? Having established himself as one of our premier historians of the politics of slavery, Cooper is uniquely qualified to place Davis in his proper time and place. Marshalling great wisdom and immense learning, Cooper has written a readable, scholarly, and humane biography of the only president of a doomed Confederacy."
-- James Oakes, author of Slavery and Freedom

About this edition

• Publisher: Vintage
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0375725423
• ISBN 13: 9780375725425
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 848