This biography of “The Angel of the Battlefield”, Clara Barton, is insightful and well constructed. It is told in the first person linear fashion and includes many useful tools. At the end of the book, there is a timeline, list of essential facts and places to visit, a glossary of terminology younger readers may not be familiar with, as well as a substantial index and bibliography.
One cannot speak about Clara Barton without addressing the Civil War. So the author does not get bogged down with war details, she adds footnote type details on the sides of the pages to give our young readers some context for Clara’s story. Instead of footnotes that are easy to overlook, the author engages the readers with larger print easily visible ‘snippets’ on the sides of some pages. Besides the Civil War, she addresses topics like romance, job opportunities for women, and transportation and technology.
Clara Barton is a favorite topic of discussion for Women’s History Month for many reasons. She was a no-nonsense, well educated, successful woman. Her education began with her older siblings who had varied passions and shared them with their youngest sister. Her father instilled her sense of nationalism that would drive her to care for so many strangers who were fighting to return the country to a union. The men who thought they would hold her back from completing her mission sorely underestimated her conviction.
The author does a great job explaining how Clara began her career as the “Angel of the Battlefield”. She does not simply pick up supplies and head to the front lines out of the kindness of her heart as some simplified stories relate, but rather has a history of being disenfranchised by the anti-Republican politicians and feels an intense sense of duty when President Abraham Lincoln is elected into office and restores her to her previous male-dominated profession of patent office clerk. I am sure Clara Barton would have helped regardless because all evidence of her character dictates she would, but the swiftness with which she came to the aid of the wounded Union Civil War soldiers was certainly expedited by her love of country and a deep sense of nationalism.
Clara Barton lived a long and illustrious career helping others. Besides aiding thousands during the Civil War, she taught countless children during her teaching career, she opened the first public school in New Jersey, and she founded the United States chapter of the International Red Cross. ( )

1) The book I have chosen to review for the Mid Term Exam is Susan E. Hamen’s “Clara Barton: Civil War Hero and American Red Cross Founder.” This book is identified as an informative biography because it features the life story of a famous American nurse and activist. Hamen explains Barton’s childhood and eventual involvement in the Civil War through her goodwill efforts. She also goes into great detail explaining Barton’s involvement in founding the Red Cross in America and ends with her death in 1912.

In summary, Barton grew up in a large household that required backbreaking work, and her father taught her from an early age that a deep love of the nation and respect for those in the military was the duty of every citizen. She was a bright and determined child who enjoyed adventures and helping those around her. As a young adult, her first job was teaching. She set up the first public school in New Jersey and only resigned when a man was brought in to run the school. After this, she found a job working as a clerk in Washington D.C. at the Patent Office. She broke barriers there since her job was usually given to men, and her salary matched her male coworkers. She remained dedicated to her job even though her male coworkers routinely verbally and physically harassed her, but her tenacity and courage would lead her to become a valued war nurse. The Civil War tore the nation in two, and Barton became an active supporter and caretaker of injured soldiers often putting herself in danger to take care of the wounded. Her upbringing and personality combined to make an ideal war nurse since she was used to hard work and thrived in situations that required fortitude and courage. After the war, Barton became active in locating missing soldiers and eventually traveled to Europe to work with the Red Cross in helping those affected by the Franco-Prussian War. When she returned home, she fought to find the Red Cross a home in America, and in May of 1881, the first chapter of the American Red Cross was formed. She continued to lead the organization well into her eighties and eventually retired to a quiet life in Maryland.

2) In terms of accuracy, this book remains true to the narrative of Barton’s life. Neither Hamen’s educational background nor her experience in the publishing world is mentioned, but an interesting addition on the title page establishes the fact that this book is undoubtedly accurate. Underneath an image of Barton are the words “Content Consultant: Aeleah Soine, PhD Visiting Assistant Professor of History, Macalester College.” I did some research on Soine, and I discovered that she is one of the foremost scholars on American women in nursing before World War I. She has authored numerous papers on the history of nursing in America, and if Hamen relied on Soine to check her facts, I am sure this work is accurate. The book also includes a select bibliography that cites Barton’s autobiography along with relatively recent works published about the subject. Within the book there are no examples of sensationalism, generalizations, stereotyping, opinions, or anthropomorphism. Hamen keeps to the facts, and her work presents an accurate portrait of a brave woman who was willing to put the safety and health of others before her own.

Since this book is a biography, the scope of the book is the period in which Barton lived: 1821 to 1912. But the focus of the book is multifaceted since each chapter delves into certain periods of Baton’s life and discusses the major historical happenings that occurred then. Major sections of the book discuss the Civil War when focusing on Barton’s career as a war nurse. While other chapters focus on the evolution of education in the country while Barton worked as a schoolteacher. The formation of the Red Cross both internationally and in America are given multiple chapters in the book along with the political happenings in Washington D.C. before the war. The complex and multiple focuses and the depth in which every topic is discussed is appropriate for the age and reading level of this book. Hamen introduces the topics in the narrative while relying heavily on sidebars to further elaborate on the subject. While I do not believe that after finishing this book the reader will be considered a scholar on any of the many topics covered in the work, I do believe that this book presents succinct descriptions of life during Barton’s time that adds to her narrative and explains the obstacles Barton faced.

Hamen’s writing style is clear, logical, and appropriate for the target audience. The content is carefully organized into chapters that focus on specific periods in her life. Ideas are logically ordered following Barton’s development and multiple career paths. However, Hamen does not incorporate any type of figurative language into her text. Her language is vivid and precise while going into great depth when describing the graphic scenes of battle or the turbulent first years of Barton’s teaching career. The sound lashing she gave a student for misbehaving lets readers understand Barton’s no nonsense mentality while describing how Barton would regularly slip on the cascades of blood running along the floors of her field hospital lets readers know the dire circumstances faced by soldiers and those trying to heal their wounds. Hamen’s writing is the most emotionally charged when discussing Barton’s actions in battle, and the first chapter hooks the reader in by setting a scene common in battle. The first chapter is entitled “Baptism by Fire,” and immediately puts the reader into the context of the book by describing Barton’s first experience at the front lines of the Civil War. The unimaginable carnage at the Battle of Bull Run left Barton overwhelmed and without enough supplies to keep all the men fed and healthy. But she did not let her diminishing supplies keep her from helping as many men as possible. She refashioned supply jars and scraps of her dress into drinking mugs and bandages and worked for three days on only two hours of sleep. Hamen is presenting Barton within the first chapter as a woman who when faced with impossible odds finds a Herculean strength to carry on. Hamen also does a great job in connecting the chapters by integrating transitions to the next topic. When discussing the end of the war, the first line of the next chapter states, “with the war over, Clara Barton had no job” (Hamen 68). Hamen seamlessly lets readers know that this next chapter will focus on Barton’s career change after the war. In terms of tone, Hamen’s tone shifts throughout the text when discussing certain topics. Since she does not rely heavily on quotes like other works we have discussed, it would seem that the author’s voice would be a major presence in the work. However, I would argue that Hamen’s tone is neutral when describing the historical aspects within the text. Her approach is journalistic when discussing historical facts making the text dry at certain moments. However, Hamen is most present when describing how Barton rose to the occasion to meet the challenges she faced, and the book shines when describing Barton’s involvement in the major happenings of her time. Hamen is determined to present Barton as a revolutionary woman who had feministic undertones and drives thus making her tone throughout the book both persuasive and neutral.

Since this work is a biography, Hamen employs a traditional chronological organization throughout the text beginning with Barton’s birth and ending with her death. However, the first chapter does not begin with Barton’s birth. In the previous paragraph, I discuss why Hamen did this, but the next chapter begins with “On December 25, 1821, Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born to Stephen Barton and Sarah Stone Barton is a small, white cottage in North Oxford, Massachusetts” (Hamen 16). The rest of the book follows Barton’s development and ends describing her later years and eventual death. Hamen also uses the dates of multiple battles to keep the timeline apparent in the reader’s mind. The book is chronological in organization but focuses on specific topics and periods within Barton’s life. In terms of reference aids, the book is divided into distinct chapters that are given titles. While the names of the titles are not very creative, they let readers know the focal point of the upcoming chapter and the book’s organization. I would argue that the first chapter title is the most interesting since it hooks readers into the book while chapters entitled “War” and “Barton and the Red Cross” are straightforward. The book utilizes a table of contents to organize the information for the reader and includes copious amounts of additional informational material. There is a timeline that illustrates all the major happenings in Barton’s life along with an “Essential Facts” page that lets readers in need of quick information see the important highlights of her life. Hamen includes further reading and web sites for more information about Barton. She also lists places to visit like Barton’s birthplace and the Red Cross National Headquarters. There is a glossary that defines military and medical terms along with important historical information like the Geneva Convention. The vocabulary word is written in a bold font to stand out to the reader and the definitions provided are clear and accessible. There is no pronunciation guide. Hamen includes an annotated index that lets readers know the relationship of certain people to Barton. Hamen also has an extensive amount of source notes. I found the way in which Hamen placed enumerated endnotes in her text a refreshing change of pace. I commented recently in class how I was not used to reading nonfiction books or articles that did not feature direct citations after quotes, and Hamen’s decision to do this made it easier for me to keep track which book she was citing. This was a simple comfort that reaffirmed the higher reading level and target audience of this book.

In terms of illustrations, the cover of the book is not particularly creative. A painting of a young Barton dominates the cover while her name is the second most prominent feature. Underneath her name in a smaller font size and in a similar shade as the foreground are the words “Civil War Hero and American Red Cross Founder.” Since Hamen focuses so heavily on Barton as a Civil War nurse and founder of the American Red Cross, I find it odd that those words are not as dominate as her name. Perhaps Barton’s name is popular in some circles, but if a student is unfamiliar with her life story, I think they would pass this book by because the important aspects of her life are downplayed on the cover. Perhaps the publisher should have made these words bolder to grasp the attention of students who are interested in the Civil War or activists. But I do think the cover conveys the purpose of the book. This book is targeted towards an older audience, and its purpose is to provide information. Hamen’s writing is not very poetic when describing the historical component of Barton’s life, and this book provides a decent amount of information about this historical era. I guess it is fitting that the cover is not overly imaginative or elaborate. Cover aside, the book features great images of the past that help readers put into context the era in which Barton lived. There are famous drawings of Civil War battles along with early photographs of politicians and Barton. There are sketches of Barton hard at work as a war nurse and as an ambassador for the Red Cross. Contemporary photographs of Barton’s home, personal items, and school building show readers that many of the important structures and items in Barton’s life endure. Each illustration has a caption and relates to something discussed on that page in the text.

The layout of the book features wide margins and incorporates the heavy use of sidebars and inserted information. The sidebars are set off in the margin beside the main text. They feature a title that lets you know what this sidebar will be about (i.e. “A Need for Nurses,” which explains the evolution of nursing in America). There are also direct quotes that are formatted into sidebars that further explain the situation. The color of the sidebar is also different since the words are written in brown making them different from the regular text. There are also blocks of inserted information featured in the text. The blocks are green with red writing drawing the attention of the reader. They are longer and more complex than the sidebars, and they also feature a title. One block is entitled “Beginnings of the War,” and it explains more fully the development of the Civil War. Both the sidebars and blocks of inserted information help explain the content of the book without changing or interfering with the flow of the narrative. There are no author’s notes, preface, introduction, afterword, or appendix. This text is not elaborate and the layout of the book conveys the point of the book as strictly a source of information.

In relation to the Colman article, I would argue that this text has no made up material. Hamen cites her sources, has a reliable collaborator, and includes an extensive bibliography. She keeps to the facts almost to a fault since her writing is sometimes dull. In terms of information, Hamen includes a copious amount of information in her text. Barton’s life narrative includes some of the most turbulent years in American history. Because of this, Hamen had to give readers information on the education system, gender relations, political happenings, military strategies, and international happenings with the Red Cross. These are just some of the topics addressed in this informative biography. In terms of structure, I would argue that this book falls in the middle of Coleman’s continuum leaning more towards the complex. It has the traditional chronological organization found in many biographies. But the first chapter is topical and hooks the reader while each chapter deals with certain topics that occurred during that period of Barton’s life. In terms of narrative and expository text, I would argue the book does not really embrace this element of Coleman’s continuum. Hamen concerns herself with only presenting the information and does not include extra information that might take away from the straightforward nature of the text. There are also no literary devices found in the text giving this work a journalistic and academic tone. I would also argue that Hamen’s voice is not overly dominant in the text. She presents the information with a neutral tone, but only shows her position when discussing how Barton responded to the obstacles laid out for her. Hamen is present in her argument that Barton was a resilient woman who did amazing things in her life, but the rest of the book is only informative with Hamen taking a more neutral tone and presence. In terms of front/back matter, Hamen employs a lot of reference aids such as timelines, table of contents, indexes, and bibliographies. In terms of visual material, the book is brimming with sketches and early photographs adding a visual element to the text. I also find it interesting how Barton’s own life can exemplify the development of photography since her early images are paintings while her later images are photographs.

In conclusion, I would say this book is an excellent source of information on Barton’s life. It is not particularity poetic or symbolic. It is straightforward in its layout, design, and wording. If students are in need of a book that sticks to the facts and presents a clear and accurate portrait of Barton, this book will do wonders. It is definitely targeted towards an older audience, and every facet of this book conveys that. While sometimes it gets a bit dry, I still think this book is relevant in its information. It comes across to me like a well researched and illustrated research paper, which might not be entertaining to every reader but is necessary in its content. I would argue that this book would be a good tool for research papers or biographical sketches.

3) As a future secondary social studies teacher, I would undoubtedly use this book in my classes. If I were to teach a US history class, I would use this book as supplemental reading when discussing the Civil War and the late nineteenth century. The book's in depth descriptions of battles, common medical practices, politics, politicians, gender relations, and education reforms would help students grasp what life was like in the nineteenth century. Since Hamen devotes an entire chapter to the development of the Red Cross and Barton’s involvement in the Franco-Prussian war, this book could also be useful in world history classes as well. I could also use this book when discussing the evolution of medicine and the medical field particularly in the nineteenth century. I find that students enjoy learning about all of the odd ways people used to cure diseases, and this book illustrates the changing position of women in the medical field and how people were still using practices found in medieval manuscripts to cure people in the nineteenth century.

4) After evaluating this book, I would argue that Hamen’s work deserves a place among the stacks at UNO. Currently, UNO has three other books that feature the life of Clara Barton. The first book entitled simply “Clara Barton” is an informational picture book geared for students in kindergarten through third grade. It has good reviews, but it is a simple narrative that only talks about her involvement in the Civil War and the formation of the American Red Cross. The second book is entitled “Peaceful Heroes,” and it features chapters devoted to people who brought great change to their countries and communities through peaceful means. This book’s target audience is fourth through eight grades, but Barton is only discussed in a chapter that is four pages long. I would assume because of its brevity that only major aspects of Barton’s life are discussed leaving the reader with a superficial understanding of her life. The final book is entitled “Sisters in Strength: American Women Who Made a Difference.” It also only features a chapter devoted to Barton that is four pages long, but its target audience is kindergarten through fourth grade. While these books have positive reviews, they only focus on her life and are geared towards younger audiences. Hamen’s book paints a detailed picture of Barton’s life but also includes information about the world in which she lived. The target audience of this book is middle school through high school, which is a level not covered by the other books. Older students will see this book’s value, and this book’s inclusion in the library while ensure that students at all levels can know about this great woman’s life and deeds.

5) I actually had a hard time finding reviews of this exact text. Since it is in a series called “Military Heroes” printed by ABDO, I found reviews of the series that aligned with my review. School Library Journal said the series was very informative with initial chapters that hook readers and appealing layouts. This review said the sidebars added great information and that these books would be great go-to tools for research papers. Horn Book found that the series had great illustrations that talked about not only each character’s triumphs but also about their failures. This aligns with my analysis since I talked about how Barton lost her teaching job to a man. Horn Book also said this book would be good for reports. Finally, I did find one review of the book on Barnes & Noble by Sharon Oliver from Children’s Literature. Oliver stated that Hamen’s text had an exciting opening then “followed a more traditional time line, beginning with Barton's birth in Massachusetts in 1821.” Oliver also added that the book was “visually appealing…with wide margins, plenty of pictures and illustrations, as well as interesting sidebars…Included with the table of contents are a time line; a page of "Essential Facts"; additional resources, including a short bibliography and suggestions for further reading; promised web links on the publisher's site; a list of places to visit to learn more about Barton; a glossary; and an extensive index. For both report writing and interest reading this is an excellent addition to middle and high school libraries as well as their pubic counterparts.” Oliver and my assessment of Hamen’s work seem to be spot on, and I agree with each of these reviews in stating that this is a great informative biography that will assist readers in search of information on this important woman. ( )