Product Description

As immigrants from England flowed into the New England area after 1650, the harmony of the early years began to unravel until it exploded in a violent war of ruthless attacks on both colonial and Native American villages. King Philip's War (1675-76) caused devastating economic and human losses and robbed the native people of their land and their heritage.Through 24 fictional short stories, the author tells the shocking saga of this little known conflict.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #719589 in Books
• Published on: 2008-12-14
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• 249 pages

Review
"New England on Fire!" brings history to life, and is both entertaining and educational. I love the format of following significant events in a chronological order to give the reader the full scope of King Philip's War. --Michael Tougias, co-author of "King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict"

Margaret Barton has done an excellent job of choosing incidents from this little known war, writing them in an honest and sympathetic way to show the pain and suffering on both sides. This is a story of great sadness; it should be read by every American. I found New England on Fire! irresistible, a story I could not put down until I finished it. Now I find that I want to read it again, slowly and deliberately this time so that I can fully appreciate this wonderfully written book. --George West, Professor Emeritus and Retired Chair of English at South Dakota State University

The author has captured the heart and spirit of my people. --Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Historian, Nipmuc Historical Tribe, Massachusetts

This book provides a clear window into a forgotten world and a forgotten war. Drawing on colonial sources, the author immerses the reader in harrowing scenes of frontier warfare, where atrocities are committed by both sides. Margaret Barton does not hesitate to confront the fact of Puritan exceptionalism and its effect on the near-eradication of the Native American nations in New England. She has effectively brought this tragedy to life. --James Bennett, M. Ed., Point Defiance Books, Tacoma, Washington

The author has captured the heart and spirit of my people. --Larry Spotted Crow Mann, Historian, Nipmuc Historical Tribe, Massachusetts

About the Author
Margaret Barton is a graduate of the University of Washington and a former public school teacher of foreign languages. She has spent her retirement years researching, writing and speaking about the colonial era of the United States as well as serving as a docent at the Washington State History Museum. She and her husband live in Tacoma, Washington.

Customer Reviews

New England on Fire
This well-researched book, "New England on Fire," is a gripping and fascinating account of the conflict between the Indians and the Puritans who settled in New England in the 1600s. The difference in cultures, resulting in misunderstandings, broken promises and bloodshed escalated into the devastating war of 1675 - '76. Mrs. Barton's historical novel, part fictional stories and part actual historical accounts, foretells what is in store for the Indians as white settlers expand their domain. This is a well-documented, interesting and enjoyable book.

New England on Fire by Margaret Barton
Very little is known or has been written about this difficult period in American history. The author's meticulous
scholarship in researching this era and her writing skills bring this historical period alive for the reader. The problems with stubborn, opinionated puritans who fomented King Philip's War and caused thousands of casualties among Native Americans, as well as among their own settlers, was a tragic period in our nation's history. Reading this book by Margaret Barton will make those years of our colonial history come alive for the reader.

New England on Fire! by Margaret Barton
What have you heard about King Philips War? I had never heard of it until I read this book. Yet it had dire repercussions for colonial families and their indigenous neighbors in New England. New England on Fire! by Margaret Barton is a gem. It reads like fiction, but it is based on extensive historical research. It presents a much better balanced picture of Indian/Colonist relationships than my students have been led to believe.