Sixteen voices are commandingly woven into a fascinating, fast-paced account of the Civil War battle of Bull Run. Blending humor, excitement and danger with a grim depiction of war, Fleischman moves in and out of the lives of characters who represent diverse backgrounds, experiences and points of view: north, south, black, white, male, female, military, civilian, etc. Among them are southern colonel Oliver Brattle, whose passion for battle has long ago died; Lily Malloy, the anxious sister of a northern soldier; and Gideon Adams, who "passes" for white in order to fight for the North. Each of the sixteen characters speaks in separate chapters that advance the story while remaining firmly rooted in the experience of the individual. The action begins in the days and weeks preceeding Bull Run, and advances up to and through the disastrous battle, when lives are changed forever. Chapter headings identifying each speaker are enhanced by David Frampton's woodcuts, unique for each character, which further distinguish the shift from one distinctive voice to the next. The author has provided a listing of the various characters and the pages on which they speak at the end of the book so that the work may be easily adapted for the stage or readers' theater. Honor Book, 1993 CCBC Newbery Award Discussion. (Age 11 and older)