Fleischman, Paul. 1993. Bull Run. HarperCollins Publishers: New York. ISBN 0-06-021447-3.
Bull Run was the first great battle of the Civil War. Paul Fleischman chose to tell the story of Bull Run from the perspective of 16 characters. Eight are Northern characters, and eight are Southern. They come from many arenas. A doctor, an artist, a slave woman, several black men anxious to fight, a German immigrant, and several military leaders lend their voices and viewpoints to this unique tale. Each chapter represents a different character’s opinion of an event. Each character is associated with a woodcut that marks the beginning of his/her thoughts. Following these characters, readers see the same Civil War event from many different angles. The reader is not presented a romanticized view and is spared the pain or heartache associated with such destruction. The interior front cover and the back cover are maps. Readers can refer to these tools as characters mention locations and individuals so that the sequence remains focused. This novel’s unique and candid view avoids overly graphic language and imagery. It would be an excellent tool to introduce students to Civil War events as well as the importance of one’s perspective.
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