Award-winning author Jim Murphy whisks you back in time to witness the disastrous 1871 Chicago Fire. He depicts the tragedy so vividly, you can almost feel the scorching heat and hear the roar of the blaze as it reduces the bustling city to a smoldering wasteland. On a warm Sunday evening, a fire breaks out in a barn. No one worries about it-fires are common in Chicago. But soon a sea of flames is sweeping up and down the streets, devouring everything in its path. People pour into the roads, hoping to outrun the raging inferno. Their shouts ring through the night as wind carries crackling tongues of fire ahead of them, blocking their chance of escape. Weaving together accounts of actual survivors and historical writings, the author creates a thrilling book that reads like an exciting adventure story. Narrator John McDonough keeps you on the edge of your chair from the first flickering flame to the trying aftermath when Chicago rises from the ashes.
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"I don't live in Chicago, I don't know much about the area. This book is fantastic though. I was very interested in the topic, as Murphy's writing pulled me into the world of Chicago and its great disaster. I read this book for a college class, and did a report on it- my classmates seemed very interested in the book after learning a little more about it."
— Katharine (4 out of 5 stars)
“Vivid firsthand descriptions by persons who lived through the 1871 Chicago fire are woven into a gripping account… Absorbing and riveting reading.”
— The Horn Book, starred review" Chicago fire - chapter book, some photos but lots of drawings. Older readers. "
— Maria, 2/16/2014" young adult nonfiction about the great Chicago fire "
— Sherrie, 2/14/2014" An exhaustive historical account of the fire that destroyed much of Chicago from many different witnesses - it reads like a novel! "
— Shelly, 2/12/2014" Although this was written mainly for younger readers, I really enjoyed it. I checked it out of the elementary library where I teach. It was a real eye opener and a true myth buster. "
— Michelle, 2/4/2014" This is a very different version of the story of the Chicago Fire than I have ever heard before. It uses real accounts from various people, photos, maps, and artifacts to tell the story of the errors, mistakes, and confusion that made the Chicago Fire the infamous disaster it became. Listening to this book had both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was the way it was read. Listening to the various accounts of actual people who were involved in the Chicago Fire read with such energy were both exciting and intriguing. The disadvantage of listening to the book is that it (apparently) has a number of pictures, diagrams, maps, etc. that are (obviously) not visible to the listening reader. As soon as a copy of this book becomes available at my library, I will have to go back and see all of the visuals that were missing in the audio. Grades 4 (advanced) and up. "
— (NS)Jordyn, 1/31/2014" This is a great book to learn about the Chicago Fire. There are first hand accounts of the fire and vivid pictures that will amaze readers. There are maps that show the areas destroyed, and it will amaze children to learn this part of their city's history! "
— Jennifer, 1/29/2014" Accounts of the Great Chicago Fire, with photographs and drawings. A map shows the progress of the fire. Well-written and blended. "
— Martha, 1/20/2014" Very informational. I learned a lot about the subject I had not previously learned about. "
— Emma, 1/12/2014" great book about urban fire. lots of pictures and maps to follow as Murphy describes it. deserves a place next to books about san francisco and baltimore. "
— Jim, 1/12/2014" This author does a great job with kids nonfiction. I'm going to see if there are any we haven't already listened to that we can add to our list. I never even knew about this fire, but this was fascinating. They all loved it. "
— Cindi, 1/4/2014" This book is so informative. The research that Mr. Murphy did, and information given was enlightening as to why this fire was so destructive. "
— Denise, 12/23/2013Jim Murphy is an editor and writer with more than a dozen books for young readers to his credit. Research Mr. Murphy was doing on the Civil War inspired his book The Boys’ War, as well as The Long Road to Gettysburg.
John McDonough, one of AudioFile magazine’s Golden Voices, has narrated dozens of audiobooks, and won eleven Earphones Awards. He is known for his narrations of children’s books, including Robert McCloskey’s Centerburg Tales and Albert Marrin’s Commander-in-Chief Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. Outside of his audiobook work, he has starred in a revival of Captain Kangaroo on the Fox Network.