• The Field of Blood

  • Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War
  • By: Joanne B. Freeman
  • Narrated by: Joanne B. Freeman
  • Length: 11 hrs and 19 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (508 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Field of Blood  By  cover art

The Field of Blood

By: Joanne B. Freeman
Narrated by: Joanne B. Freeman
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $20.24

Buy for $20.24

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

This program is read by the author.

The previously untold story of the violence in Congress that helped spark the Civil War

In The Field of Blood, Joanne B. Freeman recovers the long-lost story of physical violence on the floor of the US Congress. Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, she shows that the Capitol was rife with conflict in the decades before the Civil War. Legislative sessions were often punctuated by mortal threats, canings, flipped desks, and all-out slugfests. When debate broke down, congressmen drew pistols and waved Bowie knives. One representative even killed another in a duel. Many were beaten and bullied in an attempt to intimidate them into compliance, particularly on the issue of slavery.

These fights didn’t happen in a vacuum. Freeman’s dramatic accounts of brawls and thrashings tell a larger story of how fisticuffs and journalism, and the powerful emotions they elicited, raised tensions between North and South and led toward war. In the process, she brings the antebellum Congress to life, revealing its rough realities - the feel, sense, and sound of it - as well as its nation-shaping import.

Funny, tragic, and rivetingly told, The Field of Blood offers a front-row view of congressional mayhem and sheds new light on the careers of John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and other luminaries, as well as introducing a host of lesser-known but no less fascinating men. The result is a fresh understanding of the workings of American democracy and the bonds of Union on the eve of their greatest peril.

©2018 Joanne B. Freeman (P)2018 Macmillan Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about The Field of Blood

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    366
  • 4 Stars
    102
  • 3 Stars
    32
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    345
  • 4 Stars
    70
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    320
  • 4 Stars
    92
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

fascinating look at an untold aspect of US.history

Think you know it all about US History? Antebellum America? The causes of the Civil War? Then you need to read this book because you don't. Thirty years of US history told from very personal perspectives, especially a key figure in U.S. history you've never heard of but have read about and interacted with his usually unnamed contributions. A fascinating book read by the author, a real treat.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Use of BB French as the lens was captivating

History books in the audio form can get tedious. The detail and citations often muddy up the important events and make listening more of a chore. Dr. Freeman's use of Benjamin Brown French's accounts of the period throughout the book eliminated that issue. I was invested in his journey and through that journey I learned so much about how our nations government worked (or didn't) in the run up to the Civil War. The 11+ hours of this book flew by.

Dr. Freeman's decision to read the book herself was also a really good call. Her performance exuded her excitement for the material in a way that a professional voice talent would have to work very hard to replicate.

I can't recommend it highly enough. Wonderful!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Congress is full of immature children

This book is an amazing look into the real day to day conflicts that were inherent to the congressional going’s on of the 1800s. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book, chillingly relevant

I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking greater understanding of our current political moment. I love how the author explores the various facets and accelerators of disunion, all inextricably linked. The lead up to the Civil War is so often reduced to “the fight over slavery”. This book brilliantly details how that fight manifested physically in Congress, and how that hostility influenced and was influenced by public opinion/technological changes/landmark societal events.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Civil Servants Were During the 19th Cent. Violent

Narration: Clear, although a bit sing songie.

Content: I think an abbreviated edition would be more worth one's while. I got a bit bored half way through the book because the violence was so repetitive. One duel or fight seemed like all the rest.

Still, an important view of the hostility among Representatives and Senators during the 19th Century.

Worthwhile.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fabulous work read by the author

Loved this book for so many reasons. Through a cast of colorful characters from both the North and South, the author confronts the white-washed version of the antebellum US Congress and reveals the tobacco and blood stained carpets beneath. The author nicely illustrates the complicated political scene of the antebellum period, outlining how violence, manhood, sectionalism, and politics intersected. Engagingly read by the author herself, this title was enjoyable from start to finish. Highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Bullying in Washington Did Not Just Start

Ms Freeman has a way of really bringing to life the characters of our history, the good, the bad and the ugly. In her reading, at various points in the book, the listener can sense she is not far from laughter as she paints a picture of the rough and tumble (literally) of past political disagreements. Having enjoyed her Yale history course I viewed online, her book is every bit as engaging as a live lecture, possibly minus a few of her chuckles now and then. In my opinion the book is for anyone interested in the politics of the time, and the maturation of Congress. Also it is eye opening to the fact that though contemporary politics can be nasty, it is not a 21st century Trump created phenomenon. As the saying goes there is nothing new under the sun. The book is both entertaining and educational. This old retired guy enjoyed it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Truly exceptional

This is an extraordinary work of history— made more exceptional by the fact that it makes accessible a period of American history that’s often relegated to a footnote. In my view, this is the best accessible piece of scholarship since James McPherson‘s Battle Cry of Freedom. Professor Freeman not only plumbs the depths of primary sources to assemble a lucid picture of a volatile political and popular culture— and one in which a hidebound but vocal minority manages to impose its will on the majority’s for several decades, though with tragic consequences for the nation—she does it in a way that holds up a mirror to our own era. READ IT.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

congressional violence exposed

Dr Freeman brings the inner workings our least admirable congresses to light. Even as a well read fan of history, I had no idea the saturation of bullying and false bravado DC experienced in the lead up to the civil war. It's a difficult period to read about, but if you read just one book about how we got to the point of civil war this should be that book.

I also appreciate her reading the book herself. I find that to be the best experience in most cases with narrative history. She has a professorial tone tinged with a sense of humor about her subject. Very professional in all aspects.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Having the author narrate adds something

Excellent book. Writing style, research, narration, all great. I really enjoyed the author reading it herself. Many times throughout the book one gets the feeling that she is holding back a chuckle at a particularly absurd incident. This closeness to the text is really refreshing and adds to the experience of listening. I am definitely going to look into her other works after listening to this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful