471 ratings | 5 reviews | avg rating:4.29

Justin Martin’s Followers (51)

Justin’s Bookshelves

to-read (292)
currently-reading (0)
read (519)
dnf (8)

Justin’s Friends (56)

Felice Cohen

871 books | 298 friends

Jennifer

1,018 books | 81 friends

Théo Laüstic

55 books | 3 friends

Mark Friedman

447 books | 62 friends

Ching-In

17,458 books | 1,604 friends

Matthew Budman

1,271 books | 121 friends

Amy

222 books | 4,754 friends

Erica

621 books | 166 friends

More friends…

Justin Martin

Goodreads Author

Born

in Lafayette, Indiana, The United States

Website

http://www.justinmartin1.com

Twitter

JustinMartinNYC

Genre

Nonfiction, History, Children's

Influences

The following are influences because I love their writing, not because ...more

Member Since

June 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/justinmartin

edit data

My latest is A Fierce Glory, out in September (Da Capo Press). It's a group biography treatment of Antietam, the Civil War's pivotal battle, still America's single bloodiest day. The rich cast includes: Robert E. Lee, pioneering war photographer Alexander Gardner, and Jonathan Letterman, the father of battlefield medicine. Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation are woven into my account far more than in a typical military history of Antietam.

My specialty is American history, meticulously researched, but delivered in a narrative style that’s akin to fiction. My previous book was Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians (Da Capo, 2014) about a decadent and incredibly influential artists’ circle that hung out at Pfaff’s saloo My latest is A Fierce Glory, out in September (Da Capo Press). It's a group biography treatment of Antietam, the Civil War's pivotal battle, still America's single bloodiest day. The rich cast includes: Robert E. Lee, pioneering war photographer Alexander Gardner, and Jonathan Letterman, the father of battlefield medicine. Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation are woven into my account far more than in a typical military history of Antietam.

My specialty is American history, meticulously researched, but delivered in a narrative style that’s akin to fiction. My previous book was Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America’s First Bohemians (Da Capo, 2014) about a decadent and incredibly influential artists’ circle that hung out at Pfaff’s saloon in NYC during the 1850s. Among its members: a young Walt Whitman; Artemus Ward, America’s first standup comic; psychedelic drug pioneer Fitz Hugh Ludlow; and Adah Isaacs Menken, an actress notorious for her “"Naked Lady" act. Rebel Souls, chosen as the outstanding biography of 2014 by the Victoria Society, New York, and as a finalist for the Marfield Prize, was also picked as one of the best books of that year by both the Kansas City Star and Choice magazine.

Before that, I wrote Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted (Da Capo, 2011). Genius tells the story of one of the most important figures in the history of America. Olmsted was a fervent abolitionist, noted journalist, Civil War hero, early environmentalist, and the landscape architect behind New York's Central Park, Boston's Emerald Necklace, Stanford University, the Biltmore Estate and dozens of other green spaces around the U.S.

Other subjects have included Alan Greenspan and Ralph Nader. My Greenspan bio was selected as a notable book for 2001 by the New York Times Book Review. My Nader bio was a primary source for An Unreasonable Man, an Academy Award nominated documentary. I have also written a number of children's books for use in the classroom, everything from biographies to fractured fairy tales to titles designed to help young readers learn parts of speech. I'm a generalist. I love to write on varied subjects for both kids and adults.

I'm a 1987 graduate of Rice University in Houston, TX. I live with my wife and twin sons in Forest Hills Gardens, NY, a neighborhood designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Justin Martin questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Justin Martin’s books

Average rating: 4.24 · 1,724 ratings · 278 reviews · 9 distinct works • Similar authors

	Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted 4.34 avg rating — 1,166 ratings — published 2011 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rebel Souls: Walt Whitman and America's First Bohemians (A Merloyd Lawrence Book) 4.13 avg rating — 243 ratings — published 2014 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Fierce Glory: Antietam--The Desperate Battle That Saved Lincoln and Doomed Slavery 4.27 avg rating — 161 ratings — published 2018 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nader: Crusader, Spoiler, Icon 3.88 avg rating — 72 ratings — published 2002 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Greenspan: The Man Behind Money 3.48 avg rating — 79 ratings — published 2000 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Teach your Kid How to Hit a Baseball Like an All-Star - A Complete Baseball Batting Instruction Guide it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Unknown Book 12394531 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Science Vocabulary Readers-Life Cycles Pack (Science Vocabulary Readers, 1-6) by Jeff Bauer, Justin Martin (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2007	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Human Body Science Vocabulary Readers 6-Book Set: The Amazing Human Body, Your Brain, Your Eyes and Ears, Your Heart, Your Mouth and Nose, and Your Skin and Bones by Lydia Carlin (2008-05-03) by Lydia Carlin, Megan Duhamel, Ruby J. Jameson 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Justin Martin…

rss
Justin’s Recent Updates

Justin Martin rated a book liked it Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 24, 2025 03:53PM · like
Justin Martin finished reading Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska by Warren Zanes (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 17, 2025 09:17AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Justin Martin has read Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy by Joyce Vance	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Nov 03, 2025 03:47AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Giving Up Is Unforgivable by Joyce Vance. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Giving Up Is Unforgivable by Joyce Vance <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Justin Martin rated a book really liked it Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska by Warren Zanes (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 22, 2025 06:02PM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Justin Martin rated a book liked it White Out: The Secret Life of Heroin by Michael W. Clune	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 14, 2025 09:23AM · like
Justin Martin wants to read The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 05, 2025 06:30AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Justin Martin wants to read Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 02, 2025 02:03PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Justin Martin wants to read Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska by Warren Zanes (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 30, 2025 08:23AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Justin Martin rated a book it was amazing Van Gogh: The Life by Steven Naifeh	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 21, 2025 07:18AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Van Gogh by Steven Naifeh. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Van Gogh by Steven Naifeh <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Justin Martin wants to read The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 10, 2025 07:39AM · like

More of Justin's books…

Quotes by Justin Martin (?)

“The Rebel plan was to sow chaos and more chaos, though some of the ploys were remarkably subtle. For example, a Union loss at Antietam might”
― Justin Martin, A Fierce Glory: Antietam—The Desperate Battle That Saved Lincoln and Doomed Slavery

0 likes

“sartorial”
― Justin Martin, Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted

0 likes

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Book Nook Cafe: The Devil in the White City ~ Sept. 2011	234	145	Nov 06, 2011 05:41AM
Play Book Tag: Summer Reading—Not My Typical Beach Reads	33	46	Apr 30, 2018 05:17PM
Play Book Tag: Nader: Crusader, Spoiler, Icon by Justin Martin -- 4 stars	2	15	Jul 11, 2018 10:49AM
The Reading For P...: What's On Your Monthly TBR-July 2020?	60	39	Jul 31, 2020 10:16AM
The Reading For P...: What's On Your Monthly TBR-August 2020?	61	41	Oct 01, 2020 03:17PM
Reading the 20th ...: What books are you reading now? (2020)	2222	174	Dec 30, 2020 03:14PM

More…

Justin’s Friend Comments

No comments have been added yet.

Justin Martin’s Followers (51)

Justin’s Bookshelves

Justin’s Friends (56)

Justin Martin

Goodreads Author

Learn moreAsk the Author

Combine EditionsJustin Martin’s books

rssJustin’s Recent Updates

See a Problem?

Preview — Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes

See a Problem?

Preview — Giving Up Is Unforgivable by Joyce Vance

See a Problem?

Preview — Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes

See a Problem?

Preview — The Surreal Life of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead

See a Problem?

Preview — Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li

See a Problem?

Preview — Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes

See a Problem?

Preview — Van Gogh by Steven Naifeh

Topics Mentioning This Author

recent postsJustin’s Groups

Justin’s Friend Comments

Learn more
Ask the Author

Combine Editions
Justin Martin’s books

rss
Justin’s Recent Updates

recent posts
Justin’s Groups