One of the most distinguished names in Civil War history and a lecturer of national acclaim, James I. Robertson Jr. served as executive director of the U.S. Civil War Centennial Commission and worked with presidents Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson in marking the war's 100th anniversary. Today, his Civil War history course at Virginia Tech is the largest of its kind in American higher education, attracting some 300 students each semester.
The author of the award-winning books General A.P. Hill; Soldiers Blue and Gray; Civil War! America Becomes One Nation; and the 950-page biography, Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend, which won an unprecedented eight national awards,
The Danville, Va., native is the author or editor of more than 20 books, including such award-winning studies as Civil War! America Becomes One Nation; General A. P. Hill; and Soldiers Blue and Gray. His comprehensive, 950-page biography of Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson, Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend, won an unprecedented eight national awards and was used as the foundation for the portrayal of Jackson in the Ted Turner/Warner Bros. film, Gods and Generals, released in 2003. Robertson served as the film's chief historical consultant.
Robertson has regularly appeared in Civil War programs on the Arts & Entertainment Network, the History Channel, C-Span, and public television and recorded a weekly Civil War program that aired on 11 public radio stations. A CD of the programs is available at Virginia Tech's University Bookstore.
Robertson is an Alumni Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech, one of ten such honorees selected from the university's 2,200 faculty members.
Educational Background
B.A., Randolph-Macon College, 1955
M.A., Ph.D., Emory University, 1959
Litt.D., Randolph Macon College, 1980
