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Mathew Brady
Often considered the father of American photography, Brady developed new techniques and photographed many famous Americans like President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant. He and his assistants also braved the battlefields and took many important photographs during the Civil War. Some of the notable battlefields his operation recorded include Gettysburg and Antietam. Author Don Nardo explores Brady's life from the height of his success to the sad end of his life.
* Reviews *
These books open with an overview of a central event in the subject's life. Events from this section are then placed in context in the chronological account that follows. Chapters are divided into manageable sub-sections and interspersed with period photographs, quotes from and reproductions of primary-source documents, and maps. These functional biographies provide ample material for reports. The information is accurate and balanced, and chapter notes document all direct quotes. Barton, Brady, and Lincoln have interesting accounts of their subjects and relevant supplemental information. In Barton, the focus is on the woman's positive contributions, but mistakes in Red Cross record keeping and the surrounding controversy are also addressed. Brady is fair in noting that many Civil War photographs credited to the man were actually taken by his assistants, and that some of the war photos were posed shots. Poe is less engaging and struggles to fill the required number of pages. Poe was not a graduate of West Pointhe attended the academy for only seven monthsyet an insert listing famous West Point graduates takes up half of a page, and five pages are devoted to a reprint of "The Raven." There are too many examples of Poe's writing, and the literary interpretations are too dense for the intended audience, who do not usually read Poe anyway., School Library Journal Fall 2008
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Grades
5-6 IL
Grades
5-12+ GRL
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