Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam [Paperback]

Stephen W. Sears (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 8, 1993

The death count from the Battle of Antietam was the largest of any single battle in American history. Landscape Turned Red, winner of the Fletcher Platt Award for best non-fiction book about the American Civil War, is the definitive work on this bitter battle. Sears bases his account on diaries, dispatches, and letters to recreate a vivid drama.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

STEPHEN W. SEARS is the author of many award-winning books on the Civil War, including Gettysburg and Landscape Turned Red. The New York Times Book Review has called him "arguably the preeminent living historian of the war's eastern theater." He is a former editor for American Heritage.

Product Details

• Paperback: 431 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (March 8, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395656680
• ISBN-13: 978-0395656686
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #622,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BEST BOOK ON THE SUBJECT OF ANTIETAM, December 6, 1999

By 

BRUCE BOYERS - See all my reviews

This review is from: Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam (Paperback)

IN MY OPINION THERE IS NO BETTER BOOK ON THE SUBJECT OF ANTIETAM. MR SEARS ENABLES THE READER TO FOLLOW BOTH ARMIES ON THEIR FATEFUL MARCH INTO HISTORY AT THE PLACE WHERE THE ROADS CAME TOGETHER. I HAVE USED THIS BOOK AS A TEACHING AID SINCE 1987. AFTER READING LANDSCAPE TURNED RED, EVERY PERSON THAT I HAVE TAKEN TO ANTIETAM HAS HAD A BETTER GRASP OF THE BATTLEFIELD LAYOUT. THEY ARE ABLE TO MORE EASILY VISUALIZE MENTALLY THE EVENTS AND TROOP PLACEMENTS OF THE BLOODIEST DAY IN OUR NATIONS MILITARY HISTORY. MR SEARS IS NOT SHY TO POINT OUT THE PETTY AND NATURAL FLAWS OF SOME OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT SOLDIERS OF THAT ERA. HE ALSO GIVES CREDIT TO THOSE WHO WERE DESERVING AND ANONYMOUS FOR OVER 100 YEARS. THE BOOK FLOWS WITHOUT THE CONSTANT MINDNUMBING FACTS THAT LULL MOST HISTORY READERS TO SLEEP. MR SEARS IS NOT SLOW TO SEPERATE FACT FROM FICTION. HE DEPICTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BATTLE THROUGH A GIFTED STYLE , NOT BY MERE NUMBERS OF DEAD AND WOUNDED. HE CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF DAY AND THE LOST OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE UNION GENERALS HELD IN THEIR HANDS TO CONQUER THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND SAVE THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN LIVES. I ENCOURAGE EVERY READER WHO IS EVEN SLIGHTLY INTERESTED IN THE CIVIL WAR AND THE ANTIETAM CAMPAIGN TO READ THIS BOOK.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Landscape" well worth a look, November 16, 1997

By 

Douglas Sun (Glendora, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam (Paperback)

Stephen Sears has written a thorough and meticulous account of one of the most important battles of the Civil War. It is told primarily from the Union side- something that may disappoint readers more interested in the Southern point of view, but which is also logical, given that Sears is also a biographer of the frustrating and enigmatic George B. McClellan. Sears' emphasis on the Blue side also makes sense given the political significance of the battle for the Union cause. Contrary to the opinion expressed by the reader from Milbury, Sears does not irretrievably hang himself out on any interpretive limbs. To be sure, he his harsh on McClellan's conduct of the campaign, but his view is by no means outside the mainstream of Civil War historiography. If anything, he seems to be taking his cues from Bruce Catton, who is just as critical- if not more critical- of McClellan's sluggishness and caution. If Sears is unduly harsh on anyone, it is probably Fitz-John Porter, the V Corps commander who was eventually cashiered for no other reason than his personal friendship with the fallen McClellan (Porter deserved better, if for no other reason than his stout defense under difficult circumstances at Gaines Mill). Sears never quite rises to the eloquence of Catton's account of Antietam in Mr. Lincoln's Army, but then, few works about the Civil War ever have. His is a heavily interpretive account of the events in question, to be sure, but then no historian ever really "just tells what happened." Sears' attempt to make sense of one of the key events of American history is well-written, credible, and will reward the casual reader and Civil War buff alike.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reluctant civil war reader, April 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam (Paperback)

I am not a Civil War buff, not an expert but I was hooked by Stephen Sears excellent book. When I first moved to Shepherdstown which is across the Potomac from Sharpsburg I felt I should know more about the Battle of Antietam but I have never been interested in Civil War history. Despite the fact that re-enactors frequent our area and many Confederate soldiers are buried in my town (they weren't allowed to be buried in Maryland) I had little understanding of what transpired there. I read a glowing review of Landscape Turned Red in Newsweek and decided to give it a try. From the first page, I was drawn in.
I have stood in 'bloody row' and read and in the tower and read. Since then I made it a book club selection. When people visit and want to go to the battlefield, I send them home with a copy of this book. Even history haters can love it. It is well worth your time.