Civil War (Library of Congress Books) [Hardcover]

Martin W. Sandler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 31, 1996 | Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Library of Congress Books

Brother Against Brother

During the years 1861-1865, America was a nation torn apart by war. From terrible land combat to fierce battles at sea; from mothers losing sons to brothers fighting brothers--this was a conflict that profoundly affected all that it touched...and changed our nation forever.

From the archives of the Library of Congress, often called "the Storehouse of the national memory," here are over one hundred vintage posters, paintings, and photographs that bring the events of the Civil War vividly to life. Witness the scenes and encounters the words of those caught up in a nations at war with itself.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-These album-style offerings combine minimal texts, quotations, and poetry with numerous black-and-white and full-color photographs and reproductions. The books are attractive, but do not provide much in-depth background or analysis. Although the visual images in Civil War are well chosen and moving, there are organizational and content flaws. Sections about battles are randomly mixed with those about wartime communication and medical care. The section on turning points describes Vicksburg in a few sentences but devotes four pages to Gettysburg. On one page, Sandler has the war beginning in 1858. Also, there are no maps. William Katz's An Album of the Civil War (Watts, 1974; o.p.) is more useful; Joy Hakim's War, Terrible War (Oxford, 1994) has more detail. Inventors fares better. Concentrating on the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is arranged thematically, with sections on famous inventors, transportation, communication, and entertainment. The author is successful at capturing the exuberant "anything is possible" attitude that so characterized the era. However, this volume does not have the depth of information found in Ira Flatow's They All Laughed (HarperCollins, 1992) or Inventors and Discovers (National Geographic, 1988). Additional purchases for most libraries.?Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Martin W. Sandler is the author of many books, including The Story of American Photography, which was a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book. He has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, and is one of America's most respected television producers, with five Emmy Awards to his credit. He is the author of five other Library of Congress Books: Pioneers, Cowboys, Immigrants, Presidents, and Civil War. Mr. Sandler and his wife, Carol, live in Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (March 31, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060260246
• ISBN-13: 978-0060260248
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,333,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Civil War illustrations from the Library of Congress, June 7, 2004

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Civil War (Library of Congress Books) (Hardcover)

There are a lot of books on the Civil War and the appeal of this particular one is that it presents over 100 photographs and illustrations from the Library of Congress to bring that period of American history to life for young readers. Starting with illustrations of the industrial North and the agrarian South, author Martin W. Sandler talks about the divisions and the war in mostly general terms. This book is not an introductory history to the war; although it follows a general chronology the approach is much more topical, devoting chapters to soldier boys and camp life as well as military turning points. The chapter on camp life is probably the best in the book, giving a sense of how the troops lived, including the songs that they sang. Obviously, the chief attractions here are the illustrations, which should be a treat for those young readers who already know something about the history of the Civil War. For those who stumble first upon this book, the pictures should be enough to get them interested in reading more, at which point they will discover they will have a lot of options as to where to turn next.

"The Civil War" is one of a series of similar volumes that allow young readers to "Travel back through time with the Library of Congress." Called "the storehouse of our national memory," the Library of Congress is home to the largest collection of knowledge on earth and these volumes take advantage of that fact to provide vintage photographs, posters, paintings, quotes from letters, lyrics to songs, and historic speeches to teach about not only "The Civil War," but also "Pioneers," "Cowboys," "Presidents," "Immigrants," and "Inventors." Of course given the resources of the Library of Congress they could do a dozen volumes just like this one and my only minor complaint is that there is not much information on all the pictures. Rarely are we told anything about an illustration, like it being the cover for a song sheet entitled "The Battle of Shiloh," let alone anything about the artist, photographer, or even the situation, and I like to see credit be given where credit is deserved.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You Must Get This Book!, November 17, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Civil War (Library of Congress Books) (Hardcover)

This is my favorite book ever about the Civil War for young people. It has the flavor and look of Ken Burns' PBS series, and it is readable and enjoyable for all ages. I love it!