The Great Fire - by Jim Murphy (Paperback)

About the Book

"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

Book Synopsis

Jim Murphy's Newbery Honor Book available for the first time in paperback.

The Great Fire of 1871 was one of most colossal disasters in American history. Overnight, the flourshing city of Chicago was transformed into a smoldering wasteland. The damage was so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again.By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with the carefully researched history of Chicago and the disaster, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting narrative that recreates the event with drama and immediacy. And finally, he reveals how, even in a time of deepest dispair, the human spirit triumphed, as the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again.

From the Back Cover

The Great Fire of 1871 was one of the most colossal disasters in American history. Overnight, the flourishing city of Chicago was transformed into a smoldering wasteland. The damage was so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again.



It all began one Sunday evening when a small fire broke out inside the O'Learys' barn. The panic was slow to build at first. People ignored the danger signals, and even the fire department was unable to locate the fire. This city, built of wood, was connected by hundreds of miles of wooden sidewalks and roads. In time, wild flames, fueled by a steady wind, engulfed everything in their path. As people took to the crowded streets, hours of mounting chaos, fear, and panic followed before the relentless flames were halted. When at last they were, a new kind of drama was only just beginning. Nearly 100,000 people were homeless and searching through the burnt rubble for their families.



By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with the carefully researched history of Chicago and the disaster, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting narrative that recreates the event with drama and immediacy. And finally, he reveals how, even in a time of deepest despair, the humar spirit triumphed, as the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again.

Review Quotes

A Newbery Honor Book"The Great Fire will automatically draw readers with its fiery cover and illustrations of disaster, but the text will keep them reading." -- Booklist"[Murphy] puts the incident in perspective, giving it stunning immediacy for contemporary readers." -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Jim Murphy was the celebrated author of more than thirty-five books for young readers, most notably Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting and The Great Fire, a Newbery Honor Winner. His carefully researched, engaging, and elegantly written nonfiction garnered the most prestigious awards in the field.