• The State of Jones

  • The Small Southern County that Seceded from the Confederacy
  • By: John Stauffer, Sally Jenkins
  • Narrated by: Don Leslie
  • Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (135 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The State of Jones  By  cover art

The State of Jones

By: John Stauffer, Sally Jenkins
Narrated by: Don Leslie
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.25

Buy for $20.25

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

The State of Jones is a work of rigorous historical scholarship melded into compelling popular nonfiction. The subject the de-facto secession of Jones County, Mississippi from the Confederacy, under the leadership of Newton Knight is heroic on a monumental scale. Knight is a tall, white, rough-hewn Mississippian of the yeoman class, as stoically imposing and resolute as you're likely to see in any history book and, indeed, in any work of fiction. Running in tandem with the story of secession from the Confederacy is Knight's alliance and ongoing relationship with Rachel, a slave woman. The couple produced many children, and, breaking an accepted Southern practice of the period, Knight acknowledges paternity.

Don Leslie has created a masterpiece of narration that lifts The State of Jones to an audio experience of the very highest caliber. Leslie has a deep voice and an exceptional range of expression; most notably, he narrates this book with emphatic passion. And he has a very interesting technique of constantly marking emphases: he puts strong stress on selected words, creating a powerful narrative flow. David Chasey

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling 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.

©2009 John Stauffer and Sally Jenkins (P)2009 Random House
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The State of Jones

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    77
  • 4 Stars
    39
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    63
  • 4 Stars
    23
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Confederate Insurrection-Rebellion against Rebels

This book recounts the fascinating story of the insurrection against the Confederate States of America led by Newton Knight and his band of Civil War guerillas residing in Jones County, Mississippi. The history leading up to the insurrection, like most such rebellions, is complex, but it relates in large part to a class conflict; Jones County was not a heavily agricultural county and many of its citizens said they didn't want to fight the plantation/slave owners' war for them. Knight was injured during the war and decided to go AWOL, came back to Jones County and caused hell for the Confederate forces.

This was quite a drama, including an illicit love affair between Newt Knight (married at the time it started) and Rachel Knight, a slave of his father, worthy of retelling through historical fiction, be it movie or novel. The two had children together and became common law husband and wife. The drama continued well into the 20th century with a 1948 miscegenation trial for Davis Knight, one of their male descendants who had married a white lady.

I recommend this account as well as "The Free State of Jones: Mississippi's Longest Civil War" by Victoria E. Bynum.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

A must read for Civil War and history buffs

This was a very interesting story about Southern rebellion, Mississippi natives fighting against the Confederacy that is. The story is well written and interesting.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Became Tiresome

Interesting story about Newton Knight, his family, the Confederacy, race and Democrats. It sheds light on reasons why the desertion rate was so high due to the disenfranchisement of soldiers and those they left behind. The continuation of atrocities after the war and how Democrats rested control shows the extent of the failure of reconstruction. The story could have ended with the death of NK, but labored on...my only complaint.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story

This was a great story and not only did it tell a very interesting story about Jones County, MS, but also the nasty truth about the racism not only during the war, but also before and after.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read

This was a part of Civil War history I had never even heard of before the movie. I bought the book immediately after and loved it. It read like an interview and was fascinating from start to finish. It explains the true nature of why the South fought - slavery, plain and simple. The "lost cause" was created afterwards by southerners who wanted to perpetuate slavery and those ideals. This is a must read for all and should be used in all high schools.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

peeling back a layer of history

The Civil War is often portrayed as rich white plantation owners versus slaves and the North, but not everyone in the South was rich. In one moment, this book is a way of looking at the Civil War through the story of a poor white Southerner. In another, it is a crushing story of racism.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great historical review

I enjoyed all aspects of the story. It is a very graphic history of Civil War activities.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Must read!

Delves into the history, politics and psyche of the America's original sin that led to the Civil War and whose effects resound today. Excellent read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One secession engenders another.

Where does The State of Jones rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the very best.

What other book might you compare The State of Jones to and why?

None that I can think of. This is truly a unique story.

What does Don Leslie bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well paced, varied narration makes for an interesting audio experience.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

None needed. The State of Jones is Perfect.

Any additional comments?

How just one man could take so daunting a stand is unique and astounding. What tenacity, what courage! For this reason alone this audio is a must listen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

compelling story about the war

As devastating as the story of the civil war is I was compelled to continue on. The narrator had me hooked on listening for the facts and interested in opinions. When I was in school as a child we never learned about Newton Knight, nor did we learn about southerners that were unionists. I had no interest in American history in college because the pain of poverty and racism is still a part of our country's narrative.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful