Bust Hell Wide Open

The Life of Nathan Bedford Forrest

An intimate biography of Nathan Bedford Forrest, arguably the most interesting figure to emerge from the Civil War - widely admired as a military genius.

At 14 he became the head of his impoverished family, responsible for feeding 11 on the rough American frontier. By 39 he had established himself as a successful plantation owner worth over $1 million. And at 40 years old, Nathan Bedford Forrest enlisted in a Tennessee cavalry regiment - and became a controversial Civil War legend.

The legacy of General Nathan Bedford Forrest is deeply divisive. Best known for being accused of war crimes at the Battle of Fort Pillow and for his role as first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan - an organization he later denounced - Forrest has often been studied as a military figure, but never before studied as a fascinating individual who wrestled with the complex issues of his violent times. Bust Hell Wide Open is a comprehensive portrait of Nathan Bedford Forrest as a man: his achievements, failings, reflections, and regrets.

©2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2016 Samuel W. Mitcham Jr.

excellent

Absolutely fantastic narrative - highly recommended for understanding his facinating life and legacy that continues to be trashed in the media and academia.

Unexpected gem

Hey wonderful biography. It is well paced, informative, and tight. It will give you a new perspective on both the south, and it’s reconstruction. Simply a great listen.

Learn Your History

Glad I bought this book because it changed the way I look at Nathan Bedford Forrest. I knew he was a great general but he was always marked as a bad racist after the war was over. This book tells a different story.

Good Bio

You can tell their is alittle bias in the author but the book is still a good listen.

History of the finest,

A very well written and read history of a controversial American at a time not understood