The Great Partnership

“Students of strategy and tactics, as well as of the Civil War, will find this a useful look at a storied partnership.” * Kirkus Reviews *
“In The Great Partnership, Christian B. Keller re-examines the professional and personal relationship between the two gray chieftains. Mr. Keller, a professor of history at the U.S. Army War College, has written an intriguing blend of battlefield history, leadership manual, and character portrait of Lee and Jackson. The Great Partnership makes clear that Civil War history remains haunted by the ghost of Stonewall Jackson.” * Wall Street Journal *
“The partnership of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson reshaped the course of the Civil War in the East in a span of roughly a year from the spring of 1862 to the latter’s death in May 1863. The two men crafted a powerful working relationship based upon their deep religious faith, shared strategic views, and ultimate trust in each other. In his The Great Partnership, Christian Keller explores anew this well-studied relationship in a fresh, insightful, and persuasive work. This book will kindle debate, generate controversy, and reframe old arguments. Simply put, it is good history.” – Jeffry D. Wert, author of A Glorious Army: Robert E. Lee’s Triumph, 1862-1863
“Christian B. Keller’s assessment of Robert E. Lee and ‘Stonewall’ Jackson reminds us that command relationships profoundly shaped the course of the Civil War. His analysis of Jackson’s contribution to the partnership, the impact of operations in the Eastern Theater, and the degree to which personal and professional ties intersected should spark a good deal of discussion among those interested in the Confederacy’s premier army and its most famous commanders.” – Gary W. Gallagher, author of Lee and His Army in Confederate History
“With The Great Partnership, historian Christian Keller has given us an elegantly written, refreshingly original, and thoroughly convincing assessment of the command relationship between Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, as well as the lessons it provides to modern leaders. In so doing, Keller demonstrates most convincingly that in able hands it remains possible to distill groundbreaking interpretations from even such iconic, heavily traveled Civil War topics as Lee and Jackson. I highly recommend The Great Partnership both to general readers and students of the war.” – Peter Cozzens, author of The Earth is Weeping: the Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West and Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign
“Christian Keller cuts through the Lost Cause haze and a century of debate to give us our clearest view yet of arguably the most important and effective partnership of the American Civil War. He argues persuasively for both the strategic and cultural importance of the Lee-Jackson combine, offering along the way much for modern leaders and students to consider. Dr. Keller weaves narrative and analysis brilliantly, artfully spanning the rarely crossed chasm between academic and public history. This is an important, thoughtful book, well done.” – John Hennessy, author of Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas
“A masterpiece of original and seminal historical scholarship.” * Midwest Book Review *

Christian B. Keller is the Dwight D. Eisenhower Chair of National Security and Professor of History in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the United States Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Keller is the author of five previous histories for academic presses. This is his first trade book.

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