Fields of Fury: The American Civil War

by James M. McPherson

Pulitzer Prize award-winning historian James M. McPherson has written for young readers a stirring account of the greatest conflict to happen on our nation's soil, the Civil War, bringing to life the tragic struggle that divided not only a nation, but also friends and family. From the initial Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, to the devastating loss of life at Shiloh as Ulysses S. Grant led the Union to unexpected victory, to the brilliance of Stonewall Jackson's campaign at Shenandoah, to General Pickett's famous charge at Gettysburg, to the Union's triumph at Appo-mattox Court House, Fields of Fury details the war that helped shape us as a nation.
Also included are personal anecdotes from the soldiers at the battlefront and the civilians at home, as well as profiles of historical luminaries such as Robert E. Lee, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and Ulysses S. Grant. McPherson also explores the varied roles that women played during the war, healthcare on the battlefield, and the demise of slavery.
McPherson's narrative is highlighted with black-and-white photographs taken by Civil War photographers Mathew Brady and Timothy O'Sullivan, period oil paintings, and key campaign and battlefield maps, that make Fields of Fury the consummate book on the American Civil War for kids.

Genres: History, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Civil War, Middle Grade, War, American Civil War

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

James M. McPherson, Ph.D. (Johns Hopkins University, 1963; B.A., Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota), 1958) is an American Civil War historian, and the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, his most famous book. He was the president of the American Historical Association in 2003, and is a member of the editorial board of Encyclopædia Britannica.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian of the American Civil War, James M. McPherson wrote a book to introduce to the Civil War to “young readers” in the words of the publishers in 2002. The book is called Fields of Fury: The American Civil War. I think Fields of Fury is a wonderful introduction and summary to the Civil War for a reader of any age. Fields of Fury is only 88 pages but it covers the Civil War era from “The Origins of the Civil War” until “Reconstruction” effectively. McPherson is interested in how every day famous and non-famous people living in the North and South responded and were affected by the Civil War. The text is full quotes. The text on each page is accompanied by a page-size illustration, one small-size picture, and a colored text labeled “Quick Facts” on the top left of the text. The book includes a timeline of the Civil War era and a map of major Civil War battles in the Eastern and the Midwestern United States. Fields of Fury covers many aspects of Civil War, including topics that people do not think about when it comes to the Civil War such as “Paying for the War” or “Women at War.” Due to the shortness of Fields of Fury, McPherson mainly stays focus on the main events and theater of the Civil War, people looking for such topics as how the American Indian Wars, such as the Sand Creek Massacre was affected by the Civil War will be disappointed. On the other hand, if a person is looking for an effective summary and introduction to the American Civil War, Fields of Fury is an excellent book to choose.

[Therese · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how much of the information in this book I'll be able to recall if I ever find myself in a situation where I'm being quizzed on the american civil war, but it was still an interesting read about a time in history that I didn't know that much about.

Some of the situations described in this book were quite awful, especially when you remember that it's all real life. One thing that stood out to me was this picture that I looked at and thought "Ugh, a skeleton. Why do they always need to put pictures of skeletons in books?" but then I read the picture text and it said the word 'surviver.' I had honestly thought it was a skeleton, and looking at it and knowing that it was a living man was... some experience. War is of course an awful thing (wow, what an insightful and groundbreaking statement, I know), and I hate that sometimes it's necessary. Most of the time not, but in this situation, I think maybe it was. Them talking it out would've always been the better option, but they couldn't have just disagreed and let that be that.

No matter what, I hope that we one day reach the point where we don't need more wars. I can't see it happening anytime soon, but to tell you the truth, I'm pretty sure that we will get there eventually. It may take us a thousand years (because there is no way I'll be around to see it), but I have hope.

(wow what a groundbreaking review that turned into anti-war talk. i'm so smart. nobody has ever been anti-war before. this is progressive. good work sunshine.)

This would probably be a four-stars, but because of what I assume are problems with the translated edition, I knocked it down because it took away the reading experience. Normally I wouldn't have taken away stars over this, so it's slightly unfair, but pretty much every norwegian book I've read lately have had some kind of problem, and it was just too much. Examples of problems were that in the 'fact boxes' at the side there would be bulletpoints, but now and again the bulletpoints wouldn't be there. There would be a fact, but just not bulletpointed. Ugh. Another problem, probably the biggest, was that at one point, A SENTENCE JUST ENDED IN THE MIDDLE OF ITSELF. "Before the war he worked as". That was it. (it went something like that anyway.) Like, I'm reading this to learn. I want to know what he worked as before the war. Don't leave me hanging like that.

This was a good and educational read, so if you want to learn about the american civil war, and don't know much about it from beforehand, but you don't want to read anything heavy, I recommend checking this out. I think it's supposed to be geared towards children, but it's not sugar-coated, and there is a good balance between text and pictures.

Also, I don't know where I got this book from. It was just on my shelf. Everyone else in my family claim to have never seen it before. Weird. I have a slight suspicion that we bought it as an intended gift for one of my cousins, because this is just the kind of book he would like, but then forgot about it, but I don't know. I just decided to read it because it was on my shelf.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to the Civil War by a first-rate historian

Pulitzer Prize winner James McPherson's foray into children's literature, Fields of Fury: The American Civil War is a beautiful, well-written book that fits the bill perfectly.

McPherson briefly covers all aspects of the conflict, from "Bleeding Kansas" to the difficulties in Reconstruction. As a Civil War buff (I have over 75 books and have read dozens more) I can think of no main topic he did not touch upon. In fact, I added a few stories to my repertoire for my classes.

Most topics are covered with a two page spread - text on the even pages and a full page photo, map or painting spread on the facing page. Also, with every topic there is a "Quick Facts" section.

McPherson's descriptions of the personalities, the battles and the general strategies of the war are first-rate. He also touches on such topics as how the war was financed, the role of women in the war, the difficulties faced at home by the families of the soldiers.

 The publisher recommends this book for 4th to 8th graders. I would have to say 5th-8th graders. There are some graphic images of the war, including famous, but still arresting, photos of African Americans digging up buried soldiers (with 6 skulls and a leg still wearing a boot and pants on a litter) for re-burial and a photo of an escaped slave showing his heavily scarred back courtesy of repeated whippings from his owner. Also, the text about the Battle of Shiloh mentions an eyewitness account of a man who was leaning against a tree with his bloated intestines piled up in his lap. I'm not against children learning the awful truth of war and slavery but I'd save introducing those images for kids 10-11 years old.

Read more reviews of books by James McPherson by clicking here: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/searc...

[Vianey Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fields of Fury: The American Civil War by James M. McPherson
Genre: Informational
Interest level: 6-8
Guided Reading: W
Lexile Level: 970L
Summary: This is a great informational source for upper grades on the Civil War. It begins with information before the war began and goes up to post-war Reconstruction period. The book is divided up into small sections describing different aspects of the war, for example, famous leaders (Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant), major battles, a section on each page with facts, maps, timelines, many rich photos of the time period, photos of documents, political cartoons of the time as well as a glossary and websites for further research. It highlights the major aspects of the war but also takes note of things that might not always be brought to light such as life in the home front, the role of African Americans in the war and their struggle to join the army, the role of women in the army and their work as spies, and more.

Classroom use: As I looked through this book, I found myself largely interested in the majority of the sections and I even learned information that I hadn’t previously known about the Civil War. It’s use of photos, paintings, maps and diagrams was what pulled me in and I think that that could also be appealing for students. It has so much informational text as well as supplemental graphics and elements and it creates for a great source for further insight into the Civil War. This book as a whole can be used for teaching an entire unit of the Civil War not only with its text but also with each photo or map.

[Donna Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is undoubtedly the strongest single-topic book available for the classroom, for middle school and for high school visually, and where there are a lot of English Language Learners. If you don't have the tenacity to wade through the Battle Cry of Freedom (which I will admit is a meal!), then this colorful volume, done in picture-book format but using primary sources for most if not all of the photographs provided, is a really great launching point. I walked this book around my classroom (before we had document cameras that would permit us to show color photos reproduced on the screen overhead) and students who could usually not give a rip about American history ("the past is past, why bother") gasped audibly at the picture of an older Black man who had been a slave displaying the layers of his scars, the history of his resistance to bondage made manifest on his own flesh. (And this is why I don't recommend this for young readers, no matter how sophisticated; no child under twelve should look at this and become comfortable with the knowledge before his or her teens. This is shocking stuff, and it should be considered shocking).

McPherson is the unquestioned champion of Civil Rights nonfiction materials. His capacity to make this information accessible to those who cannot read tiny print at a high level but want to learn, nevertheless, about the war for this nation's integrity, a cause worth fighting and killing and dying for, presents a fine fortune to those who want to learn, or who want to learn more than the chaff in most history books. Get it in hardcover. It is worth displaying, whether in a classroom or on your shelves at home.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each topic is contained on a single page (except for The Origins of the Civil War, Gettysburg, and Reconstruction, which each take two). The facing page is covered with a full-color painting or reproduced photo and additional insets or smaller illustrations are included as well.

I really like the "quick facts" side bar on each page. It adds those interesting additional details that just don't fit in the text well. For example, one tells of a pair of brothers who were each brigadier generals - on opposite sides of the war. They were buried under a single headstone that read "God alone knows which was right." Another explains the origin of the word "shoddy." Northern textile manufacturers created a compressed woolen fabric to meet the demand for hundreds of thousands of uniforms. They called this new fabric "shoddy" and when it proved to fall apart quickly, the word came to mean something poorly made. You learn something new every day... :)

For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.

[Skylar Newbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very informative juvinille novel of the Civil War. This is the first book I have read of his but I must say I am intrigued to read more. The cool thing about this book is that it includes all of the major battles/events in time order. Plus on the side of every page are quick facts about the event, they usually include interesting quotes from a direct witness or a little known fact, either way I found both interesting. I also thought that the pictures fit the book very nicely. This book was not hard to follow in any sense, so any child interested in learning about the Civil War would enjoy this book. It does include violence (but it is a Civil War book, you can't have a true Civil War book without violence) but it isn't too much.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise but informative YA history of the American Civil War, by the author of "Battle Cry of Freedom," the massive Pulitzer Prize winning book on the same subject that I am also currently reading. "Field of Fury" contains summaries of major battles and issues affecting the North and South, interesting facts, mini bios, pictures and works of art. It is a very good intro to the subject for young readers but will also help anyone looking for a basic overview of these important facts and events they may not have paid attention to during history class (sincerest apologies to my history teachers, you guys deserved way better!).

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an elementary school teacher, I previewed this book to see if I would want to include it in my lesson plans. This is a GREAT book that is packed full of interesting, intriguing, and useful information regarding the Civil War. It is written in small segments of 1-2 pages and each page is full of information and pictures that will capture student's attention. However, I found the vocabulary of the book to be too advanced for the grade I teach.

[Antonio · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Fields of Fury: The American Civil War” provides students with an overview of the build up to the Civil War, major battles of the war, and the contributions of women and African Americans. This text can be used by students to develop ideals for presentations and writing assignments on the Civil War.

[CI_546 Octavia Rowe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great pictures..It is a wonderful informational text. I think students will take advantage of such a text. I think students will like reading from this text as opposed to reading from a thick text book.

Fields of Fury really covers the many aspects of the Civil War. There were sections that were covered that I did not even know about.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm fascinated with photographs, sketches, quotes and first-person accounts of the Civil War, and this title was full of them! It made for a very interesting read -- I was never bored.

Geared towards a younger audience, the page layout and photographs were eye candy for a history lover like me, and some of the battle narratives left me imagining the scenarios over and over again.

[Heather Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

COMMON CORE, INFORMATIONAL TEXT, NON-FICTION, NONFICTION, JUVENILE

- Great Sidebars
- Great Maps
- Primary Source Pictures
- Photographs
- American Revolutionary War
- Slavery
- American Revolution
- U.S. Revolution

[Stefani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my daughter (8) for her Civil War project for history. It was easy to manage in bite-sized chunks. There were lots of pictures and interesting facts, and I thought it was a great overview of Civil War. It is now on my "to buy" list for the next time we cover Late Modern history.

[Sanford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am reading this to my 9 and 7 years olds to prepare for a trip to Vicksburg and Shiloh. It a little advanced for them but I substitute as I go and it seems to be working well.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geared for the young, this is a very interesting overview of the Civil War full of great pictures. McPherson is THE expert on the Civil War.

[Ray Chrobak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informational

Grades 5-8

Themes: Civil War; slavery

Ways to use with children: Research - student reports on various topics; create a timeline

[Dionne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great comprehensive book on the Civil War!

[Elijolil]

amazing

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly pitched history for kids and, frankly, adults.

[Renae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Limited in scope.

[Maurice Greer]

well i liked this book cause it was very good

[Rose Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on the Civil War. It has pictures that will really make you think about what people went through. You should definitely have this as a history read for class.

[David E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good general overview of the Civil War for any reader from elementary age to old age, by a respected historian and expert on the subject. A good introduction to an important topic.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book about the Civil War. Each two page spread provides the following:
1. Left side describes an important topic of the war. Could be about a battle or a topic such as prisons.
2. Right side has a full page photograph or painting.
3. Also on the left side is a section with quick facts.

The book provides just the right amount of information to be informative, but not boring. I absolutely love the full pages of photographs. Some of them are amazing, such as a slave with his back completely covered in scars. Kids probably don't realize how rare photographs were back then. There’s also some excellent maps. If you need a book for research on the Civil War this would be my first recommendation. Civil War buffs will want a personal copy.

[Mary L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting fast read about the civil war. You just barely get a glimpse of what was going on and what the different participants were like but it is helpful. The fields of fury were the major battlefields of the war.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent overview of some important Civil War battles.

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book for kids about the Civil War with lots of pictures. We used this in our homeschool studies.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Purchased for my grandson, age 12 who has an interest in history

[Ian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what I was gonna get when I picked this up. What I got was a serviceable coffee table book about civil war battles.