The Memoirs of Colonel John S. Mosby

By: Colonel John S. Mosby, Charles Wells Russell - editor

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the American Civil War, or the War between the States, three dashing cavalry leaders - Stuart, Forrest, and Mosby - so captured the public imagination that their exploits took on a glamour, which we associate - as did the writers of the time - with the deeds of the Waverley characters and the heroes of chivalry. Of the three leaders, Colonel John S. Mosby (1833 - 1916), was, perhaps, the most romantic figure. In the South, his dashing exploits made him one of the great heroes of the "Lost Cause". In the North, he was painted as the blackest of redoubtable scoundrels.

This is his story in his own words.

Public Domain (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Not the most mesmerizing memoirs…

... but priceless in its revelation of certain obscure events and interactions between great personalities. Mosby‘s defense of long maligned Stewart at Gettysburg is most revelatory, and his relationship with Grant subsequent to the Civil War in which he anecdotally details several kindnesses from his former enemy certainly makes this Volume both a pleasurable listen and terrific history.

Remarkable Personality

This was a remarkable personality. The respect paid to him after the war is one indicator, by people like US Grant. A commitment to his cause combined with amazing grit and disregard for his own safety. The fact that he took such large numbers of prisoners in lieu of the alternative was notable. That his prisoners so quickly surrendered to his capture I also thought interesting. He was a small man physically, but he was evidently taken seriously on the battlefield and they needed no further pursuasion that surrender was their only option.

Dry, but very informative.

I thought it could have used a lot more third party commentary to provide insight and context to all of the reports and recollections. Still provided a lot of good information about this man and his contribution to the southern cause.

Great Book

A little detailed in battle description if you aren’t a full blown Civil War buff, but I learned so much! The best part was how Grant and Mosby became friends. A great example we should pay heed to! Without compromising beliefs they put enmity aside for the better good of the public.

A Southern Partisan looks back in his Old Age

A Virginia legend recounts all his adventures in the war with Lee, Jackson, and Stuart. Most fascinating by far was Mosby's postwar friendship with Grant, whom he revered.

interesting but uneventful

I was curious as to who this man was. His legend seems more than the story presented.

A lively and colourful account

The recording was good quality, and the account of Mosby's activity in the war dove tails nicely with Grants Memoirs. I enjoyed the book.

The best narrator I've ever heard. The narrative

The best narrator I've ever heard. Presentation was perfect! So well researched and put into Mosbys words.

Please stop reading footnotes

It completely breaks the immersion of the story and the memoir when the narrator goes off on wild tangents every couple minutes, because he had to read the footnotes this editor put in for whatever odd reason

Good memoirs, low energy performance

An intriguing deep dive into mosby’s story with some amusing and exciting anecdotes with an extensive analysis of JEB Stuart’s maneuvers and defense of his actions on the Gettysburg campaign. The narration is a bit slow and the narrator’s deep voice conducive to causing sleep- it might be helped by speeding up to 1.5x speed but the author’s language is so dense some meaning might be lost. That being said, worth the listen to one familiar with the topic when included with audible.