Photo by Brady: A Picture of the Civil War (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "Imagine you are walking across a field the morning after a battle..." (more)
Key Phrases: Army of the Potomac, United States, Bull Run (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 6 Up–Armstrong chronicles the Civil War from Lincoln's election to his death with both a storylike narrative of events and a photo-essay. Unlike the war images we see today, Brady's pictures were either posed or they were of still objects. Since exposure in the brightest daylight in the 1860s took up to 10 seconds, even the slightest movement resulted in blurred images. Readers see soldiers, military camps, civilians, farms, battlefields: these same pictures were the first visual representations of war for America's nonmilitary folks. This book is also a look at early photographic techniques and offers a description of Brady's rare collection. The section titles use early photography terminology, referencing the series of steps that the photographer would have followed. All images are greyscale and by today's standards, the pictures are fuzzy and clouded with indistinct lines; when readers remember that the pictures are more than 100 years old, they should recognize their exquisiteness, grandeur, and genius.–Jodi Kearns, University of Akron, OH

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Readers may need some background to fully appreciate this, but Armstrong doesn't disappoint in a slice of Civil War history that uses photographer Matthew Brady as its touchstone. As the book opens, Brady mortgages his thriving business to fund, train, and equip a stable of photographers to document Union troops in Virginia and the East. The text smoothly juxtaposes the complex decisions Lincoln faced as commander in chief and the devastation at places such as Fredericksburg and Gettysburg against the task of taking photographs in the field. The bloody charges and the daily grind are vividly evoked in both words and carefully selected and labeled photos--some familiar, many unsettling. Intriguing, if unnecessary, text insets ("Photos Not Taken") challenge readers to imagine pictures they might have taken had they been part of the history. Packed with well-documented quotes, this truly absorbing account, written with both honesty and surprising grace, will sear the conflict in memory in the same way the photos did--and still do. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (March 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689857853
• ISBN-13: 978-0689857850
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #320,840 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #48 in

  Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Photography

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to the genre, January 25, 2006

By	Fruit Loop (Down South) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Although collections of Matthew Brady's work abound, most are targeted at adults or armchair war historians. The American War Between the States was the FIRST war that civilians could "follow from home" and the first to be photographed. This book brings the war out of dry history books and into harsh reality for young readers. Nice addition to a buff's library as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Photo by Brady, October 21, 2008

By	K. L. Klingman "Estel" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a well written concise review of Brady's work during his lifetime and focusing on the Civil War. It is a nice size, not too long or too detailed for someone with an interest in the subject, but not needing scholarly detailed knowledge.