Nathan Bedford Forrest

A Biography

By: Jack Hurst

Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach

Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

He was a fierce and controversial Civil War officer, an unschooled but brilliant cavalryman, an epic figure in America's most celebrated war. A superb tactician and ferocious fighter, Nathan Bedford Forrest revolutionized the way armies fought in the course of rising from private to lieutenant general in the Confederate Army.

In this detailed and fascinating account of the legend of the "Wizard of the Saddle," we see a man whose strengths and flaws were both of towering proportions, a man possessed of physical valor perhaps unprecedented among his countrymen. And, ironically, Forrest - the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan - was a man whose social attitudes may well have changed farther in the direction of racial enlightenment over the span of his lifetime than those of most American historical figures.

©1993 Jack Hurst (P)1995 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Hurst presents a balanced, well-documented study of Nathan Bedford Forrest, whom many consider to be the most brilliant general of the Civil War....[A]n outstanding study of one of the Civil War's more controversial generals. Essential." ( Library Journal)
"Hurst's is the best all-around recent life of Forrest...." ( Kirkus Reviews)
"The irrefutable military record of an acknowledged tactical genius...the most complete and complex portrait yet of the Civil War Jekyll and Hyde." ( Chicago Tribune)

an amazing read!

I loved this book, listened to it twice and plan on reading it as well!

Outstanding!

Well written and fair account of the general. I highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the topic.

Best Forrest book I've read!

This is the best, most detailed recording of the militaries greated general. Unbelievable military genious. Reading this books almost allows you to ride along with Forrest as he wages war for his country. Love it.

A balanced biography

I read this immediately after finishing a more laudatory biography of NBF, and it’s provided the more balanced view I was looking for. The does not attempt to deify or vilify the subject, and pays a much needed dose of attention to the post war years. 9/10 would highly recommend, my only criticism is that the author doesn’t do as good of a job explaining battles as the aforementioned pro-Forrest biography.

Pretty objective, overall solid biography

As with most Civil War biographies, the majority of the text is spent recounting Forrest’s exploits during war. I was pleased with the amount of context added during the pre and postwar years, and I learned much that was previously unknown to me. The author highlights and showcases both Forrest’s strengths, weakness, and the impact his decisions and exploits fairly. He always presented both the positive and negative views of Forrest from other figures (mostly from that time) simultaneously and objectively. It was an enjoyable listen and I plan to purchase a physical copy for rereading in the future.

Even better if abridged

Any additional comments?

Forest was a VERY interesting character. The book was well written, but much of the detail could (should) have been pared down to about half of this size. Still, it was a very interesting listen and I enjoyed it.

In depth - Nathan Bedford Forest

Jack Hurst gets my applause in his in depth biography of Nathan Bedford Forrest. His broad and in depth research uncovers numerous, often opposing perspectives, and successfully portrays this controversial man and military standout of the Confederate South. From pre Civil War youth through the final years of Forrest's post war life, Hurst captures the climate, cultures, and issues of America and the era, Nathan Bedford Forrest, the Blackstone Audio Book, is narrated by Jeff Riggenback, known for his clear delivery and stellar speaking voice.

An amazing and deep dive into the life of NBF

Whomever wrote this book 📚 did their research very well.

George Stuart Bedford was a great friend of mine for years and years. And we would talk about the entire family throughout the generation's and this book is the closest thing to those conversations that I have ever come across. This is an outstanding look past the myths, rumors and stories of a controversial man who's footprint still stands in the story of the beginning of this great country. It's an amazing and insightful look into the life and history of Nathan Bedford Forest. And is worth your valuable time if you have any real interest into the true history of a complicated and controversal figuring American history.

good biography

I listened to this book because I knew little of Forrest and what I had heard didn't exactly make me respect him as a person or historical character. I appreciate the author not making him out to be a hero, but told the evidence/facts (as known). I can say that I now have a better understanding of who N B Forrest was vs what "common rumor". That said, he wasn't a perfect man, but for his time, I have more respect for who he was and what he did and believed ...

A surprisingly effective general

History is messy. History is complex. History needs context. Nathan Bedford Forrest, was a Confederate calvary general who many historians believe was one of the most effective military leaders in the war. Forrest was so aggressive that he had 29 horses shot out from under him, was shot four times himself and reportedly killed 30 men in hand to hand combat. This is Knights of the Round Table stuff. Yet, General Forrest’s statue has been pulled down. He’s been cancelled.

As a sometime Civil War Buff I, surprising to myself, had never read anything about General Forrest. Here is my report:

He was a nineteenth century man, a Southerner, a slave owner and slave trader before the war. Post war he was Grand Wizard of the KKK for a year when it first started. He earned infamy in the North for his involvement in the massacre of black soldiers at Ft. Pillow.This is not a resume that will endear one to history’s current filter. Interestingly, in the slave owning South slave traders were not held in high esteem. It was not the occupation of the gentleman and, hypocritically, this worked against General Forrest in his military career. The high ranks of the Confederacy were filled with aristocrats who, although they might have done business with him, looked down on the former slave merchant. Had they taken him more seriously as a soldier he might have more significantly affected the outcome of the war. As it is, his military record is nearly unmatched having led too many charges to count and captured by his own count more than 30,000 prisoners. As a military strategist Forrest most always attacked. He was also famous for his ruses where he would parade soldiers in view of the Union forces, loop them around and parade them by again creating the impression that he had many more men than he actually had. As a result, he was able in many cases to demand surrender of a fort or stronghold, avoiding loss of life and resulting in the thousands of prisoners he claims to have captured.
As a young man he was combative and entrepreneurial. His energies were directed at making money and the slave trade became his best option. When the war started he was a very wealthy man. After the war, although he initiated many ventures including attempting to build a short line railroad, he ended up running a private prison and never regained his prewar position. That said, because of his reputation in the South he was highly respected and sought after as a speaker at reunions. As a KKK leader he quickly realized that those activities were counter productive to his business goals. He needed to raise money in the North and presenting himself as a Grand Wizard would not get the job done so he eased out of his KKK role. In fact, Tennessee, his state, was reconstituted early during Reconstruction and the state leaders all realized that the KKK was not that necessary. There is an interesting chapter in the book where Forrest testifies for four hours to the Congressional Committee investigating the KKK. He was not completely forthcoming in his testimony. At the end of his life he was reconciled to changes that needed to be made and was conciliatory toward the former slave population. As with most people old age gives one a different perspective.
In today’s highly polarized environment we don’t look at the entire arc of a life. He was a slave trader/owner. That is apparently all you need to know about N.D. Forrest. I was fascinated by the fact that a man with no military background or training in the art of war, who enlisted as a private soldier discovered the skill set that allowed him to rise to the highest ranks. He had an impact on military tactics that is still studied in war colleges today.