Historian James I. Robertson Jr., "an authority on the Civil War who published several dozen deeply researched books that humanized historical figures like Stonewall Jackson," died November 2, the New York Times reported. He was 89.
"History is human emotion" and it "should be the most fascinating subject in the world," he said in an interview for Dr. Bud, The People’s Historian, a documentary film scheduled to be released next year. "You take away the humanization of history, and you’ve got nothing but a bunch of boring facts, and history poorly taught is the worst, most boring subject in the world."
Robertson wrote or edited many books about the Civil War, including For Us the Living: The Civil War in Paintings and Eyewitness Accounts (2010), Robert E. Lee: Virginian Soldier, American Citizen (2005); and General A.P. Hill: The Story of a Confederate Warrior (1987). His most lauded book was Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend (1997), which was more than 900 pages and the result of seven years of research, the Times noted.
He retired in 2011 after 44 years on the faculty at Virginia Tech and subsequently wrote and edited several more books, most recently Robert E. Lee: A Reference Guide to His Life and Works (2018). University president Tim Sands praised him as "a remarkable person who shared his life and gifts with so many. His service to the nation, the commonwealth, his profession and the Virginia Tech community is unparalleled. We are incredibly fortunate to have had the great benefit of his talents for so many years. May we carry Dr. Robertson’s passion for discovery and spirit of service forward in his honor."