The armies of General Robert E. Lee and General George B McClellan meet at Antietam Creek for the bloodiest battle in American history

This was a very engaging and informative book, which is what I expected since it was written by Jim Murphy. His inclusion of direct quotes from participants, photographs, and battle maps for the different generals added to the book’s appeal and effectiveness. I love history, but I can’t rattle off lots of facts about the Civil War. I knew about the Battle of Antietam, but I did not realize its significance. I knew it was the bloodiest battle (in a single day for Americans in any war), but I did not know it was a strategic (though not necessarily a tactical) victory for the Union and thus provided the impetus for Lincoln’s decision to announce the Emancipation Proclamation. I appreciated the way Murphy acknowledged that many people on both sides accepted slavery, though perhaps for different reasons. Even the freeing of the slaves was not done as a purely moral action.

I would lift this book to preservice teachers as an example of research, particularly since Murphy could not talk to anyone involved in the battle. I think it would be informative to talk about how he went about conducting his research, compiling information and images, and then putting together the text. Because I see this book being used in the classroom either as a part of a Civil War unit and/or as a part of an inquiry unit, I think teachers would be in a better position to help their students go about researching historical events if they’ve had the chance to think about how Jim Murphy does it; what sources do he go to? How does he draw from them? How does he put it together in a narrative?

This would also help illumine the fact that history is not the rote listing of facts, but rather is built by historians in the way they approach, interpret, and write about primary sources. This would then serve to enrich discussions about any historical event since it would bring into play the understanding that truths are in part subjective and exist in multiple and differing accounts of the same event. ( )

The surprisingly poor copy-editing of this book (Harper's Ferry?? Matthew Brady?? -- small mistakes, perhaps, but so obvious) makes me wonder what else is wrong with it. While it has the obligatory troop position maps of the battles at Antietam, it lacks a map of the larger area from Richmond to Washington to Frederick to give the reader a sense of the scale of troop movements before the fighting began. Jim Murphy's portrait of Gen. McClellan is perhaps the most favorable I've ever read. Still, "A Savage Thunder" could serve as a middle-schooler's introduction to this turning point in the Civil War. The poem excerpts that start each chapter (and the font) are an elegant touch. ( )