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The State of Jones: The Small Southern County that Seceded from the Confederacy Audiobook
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(3.07) - 326 listener ratings
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New York Times bestselling author Sally Jenkins and distinguished Harvard professor 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. Not the South that has been mythologized in novels and movies, but 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 against the Union. This riveting investigative account takes us inside the battle of Corinth, where thousands lost their lives over less than a quarter mile of land, and to the dreadful siege of Vicksburg, presenting a gritty picture of a war in which generals sacrificed thousands through their arrogance and ignorance. Off the battlefield, the Newton 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 Knight during the war when he was hunted by the Confederates, and, later, when members of the Knight clan sought revenge for the disgrace he had brought upon the family name. Working hand in hand with John Stauffer, distinguished chair and professor of the History of American Civilization at Harvard University, Sally Jenkins has made the leap from preeminent sportswriter to a historical writer endowed with the accuracy, drive, and passion of Doris Kearns Goodwin. The result is Civil War history at its finest.
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"The "State of Jones" is about Newton Knight. He was a Confederate soldier from Jones County, Mississippi. He deserted from the Confederate Army after the fall of Vicksburg, went back to Jones County, and formed a resistance movement to support the Union. He led a force of a few hundred who used the woods and swamps in their area to their advantage. The were successful in keeping control of the area throughout the war. The rest of his life is covered as well until his death in 1922."
— Eric (4 out of 5 stars)
The State of Jones Listener Reviews
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" Though I did find this book interesting, and I did learn a lot from it, it often read like a text book. I found it hard to keep all of the names straight throughout the first half of the book. The second half, talking about the changes in Jones County after the Civil War moved along much quicker. "
— Erik, 2/17/2014 -
" Even though I'm an historian, I loathe Civil War history. It's not my cup of tea. However, I could not put this book down. There is a lot of sources cited, but a lot of oral histories that I took with a grain of salt. This book has answered so many questions for me. I'm very glad I read it and feel validated with my mixed emotions having lived my life in MS. "
— Melinda, 2/4/2014 -
" This Civil War tale of a county in the deep South that succeeds from the Confederacy is a real page turner. I'm loving it! "
— Lisa, 2/2/2014 -
" Mississippi before, during and after the Civil War. There were Unionists who didn't agree with secession. They lived primarily in Jones County, and the leader was Newton Knight. What a wonderful book about how the Confederacy treated not just blacks, but poor farmers who made up the majority of the troops, and about how those downtrodden folks maintained their dignity and strength to build lives in a nondemocratic state. "
— Pat, 1/21/2014 -
" Amazing book about a part of history that I had never heard anything about. And the descriptions of the war and slavery are more realistic and gruesome than anything I have ever read. Highly recommended for anyone interested in history and the Civil War in particular. "
— John, 12/18/2013 -
" This book was fantastic. It's about a small county in the South during the Civil War which basically withdrew from the Confederacy. Super interesting, excellent writing. "
— Leslie180, 12/14/2013 -
" Interesting information, but I didn't think the book was written very well. There didn't seem to be much direction, and then it just kind of ended. Awkward. "
— Jennelle, 12/14/2013 -
" An excellent insight into one of darkest times of our country and unfortunately to a large extent continues today. A very disturbing time in our history. "
— Michael, 12/13/2013 -
" Fascinating reading about the Unionist movement in Mississippi during the Civil War and Reconstruction. "
— Allison, 12/5/2013 -
" An incredible story of an anti-slavery, Unionist Southerner who deserted the Confederate Army to protect himself and his friends and family from a rich man's war. Newton Knight is one of the great heroes in American history that you will probably never hear of. "
— Mike, 12/4/2013 -
" Recommended by Sterlo, not that great, but did learn a little history. "
— Steven, 9/17/2013 -
" I really liked (too strong a word? They were sort of horrific) the vivid portrayals of life in the Army and in mid-19th century Mississippi in this book. Also interesting was the account (about half of the book) of the failure of Reconstruction in the Deep South, which I don't know enough about. "
— Zack, 8/20/2012 -
" For whatever reason, by the time I was HS age I was a true Rebel. The South were the good guys and the North the evil ones. This book certainly paints a different picture, especially after the war - KKK, etc.This book makes Hilly,from "The Help" look like a saint. "
— Dad, 7/6/2012 -
" The book discusses a little known or rarely described element of the Civil War, that of Southern dissidents who fought against the Confederacy while in the South. It wasn't a nail-biting exciting journal, but interesting history nonetheless. "
— Ray, 6/20/2012 -
" Amazing read! The authors really rip apart much of the mythology that endures about the Confederacy and exposes it for the tyranny that it really was. "
— Mitchell, 5/24/2012 -
" I got this on cd..... "
— Blayne, 12/19/2011 -
" Go fighting against the CSA in the middle of the CSA "
— Tom, 4/12/2011 -
" This story of yeoman whites in the South fighting for the Union alongside free Blacks and escaped slaves was a revelation to me. "
— Carolyn, 3/8/2011 -
" fascinating story of a portion of the Civil War that I had never heard anything about. "
— Michael, 2/14/2011 -
" I found this book a fascinating narrative about a little-known slice of American history. The book reads like a well-written novel and is interesting from cover to cover. "
— Ashley, 12/27/2010 -
" I really liked (too strong a word? They were sort of horrific) the vivid portrayals of life in the Army and in mid-19th century Mississippi in this book. Also interesting was the account (about half of the book) of the failure of Reconstruction in the Deep South, which I don't know enough about. "
— Zack, 8/22/2010 -
" I made it all the way through the Battle of Vicksburg and now I'm stuck in Reconstruction and I can't get through because of the wholesale slaughter of black folks just TRYING TO MAKE A FUCKING LIFE YOU RACIST PIECES OF CRAP UUUUUUUGH. "
— Kris, 5/25/2010 -
" My brother recommended this book after reading an account of an ancestor who deserted from the Confederate Army. This apparently<br/>is a true story of a county in Mississippi that seceded from the Confederacy. It's interesting so far. I'm listening on my commute. "
— Vickie, 5/17/2010 -
" Amazing read! The authors really rip apart much of the mythology that endures about the Confederacy and exposes it for the tyranny that it really was. "
— Mitchell, 5/7/2010 -
" Interesting account from the Civil War/postbellum era that filled one of the many gaps in my knowledge of history. "
— Rebecca, 3/26/2010 -
" Really interesting history of small piece of Civil War I had known nothing about. Fascinating man who led the rebellion. "
— Annieamw, 3/24/2010
About the Authors
Sally Jenkins is an award-winning journalist for the Washington Post and is the co-author of the bestsellers It’s Not About the Bike and Every Second Counts, written with Lance Armstrong. She lives in New York.
John Stauffer is chair and professor of the history of American civilization at Harvard University and the award-winning author of The Black Hearts of Men and other books on the Civil War era, including GIANTS: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
About Don Leslie
Don Leslie has appeared on Broadway, off Broadway, and in regional theaters throughout the country. He has been heard in thousands of commercials, promos for all the broadcast networks and most cable stations, political campaigns, movie trailers, and over fifty audiobooks.