A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy

by Jim Murphy

Overview

The story of the American Revolution as experienced by a Connecticut farm boy who enlisted in the army in 1776. A Young Patriot skillfully weaves together excerpts from the boy's wartime account with the author’s explanatory text to create a fascinating and factual history of the American Revolution.

Only fifteen when he enlisted, Joseph Plumb Martin spent the rest of his teen and young adult years marching, working, fighting, foraging, and starving while serving under the likes of Washington and Lafayette.

Through the mix of Martin’s observations and experiences, the historical context that Murphy provides, and maps and archival prints, the book vividly reveals the grit and drama of war—and a teenager who was eyewitness to a Revolution.

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780395900192
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/23/1998
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.34(d)
Lexile:	1140L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jim Murphy's nonfiction books have received numerous awards, among them two Newbery Honors, the Sibert Medal, three Orbis Pictus awards, the Margaret A. Edwards award, the James Madison Book Award, and a National Book Award nomination. Born and raised in New Jersey, Jim lives in Maplewood, NJ, with his family. 
jimmurphybooks.com.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A brief history based on the privately printed memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin, who, at the age of 15, signed up for the Connecticut state militia on July 6, 1776, and stayed with the army for the next seven years. This work offers a view of the Revolutionary War missing from most books-instead of the broad sweep of dramatic events and change, readers see the daily misery, boredom, confusion, terror, and only occasional triumph of army life. Murphy provides the best of both, the drama and the grind, appeasing readers’ fascination with war without romanticizing."

Kirkus Reviews with Pointers

"Murphy presents the life of Joseph Plumb Martin, a 15-year-old Connecticut farm boy, who enlisted in the Continental Army in 1776. . . . The book is generously illustrated with black-and-white maps and reproductions; captions present information that complements rather than repeats the text. . . . An outstanding example of history brought to life through the experience of one individual." School Library Journal, Starred

"Young readers researching the military and social history of the American Revolution will find this an excellent resource." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review

Editorial Reviews

"An outstanding example of history brought to life through the experience of one individual." — School Library Journal (starred review)

From the Publisher

Gr 6 UpMurphy presents the life of Joseph Plumb Martin, a 15-year-old Connecticut farm boy who enlisted in the Continental Army in 1776. Through well-selected quotes from Martin's self-published memoir, A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier, readers experience the young soldier's excitement and fear during battle, his boredom while marching, and the deprivation of a winter encampment. The author's compelling writing intertwines major events of the American Revolution with Martin's own story, rendering historical events and military strategy readily comprehensible. The book is generously illustrated with black-and-white maps and reproductions; captions present information that complements rather than repeats the text. Unfortunately, there is neither a map of the colonies from the Hudson to Yorktown, nor a glossary of military terms. Important figures such as Burgoyne, Cornwallis, and Washington are portrayed as individuals as well as military leaders. The index is comprehensive. This volume compares favorably to Doris and Harold Faber's The Birth of a Nation (Scribners, 1989) and is certainly more accessible than Yankee Doodle Boy (Holiday, 1995), an abridged version of Martin's memoir edited by George F. Scheer. An outstanding example of history brought to life through the experience of one individual.Lisa Von Drasek, Brooklyn Public Library

School Library Journal

A brief history based on the privately printed memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin, who, at the age of 15, signed up for the Connecticut state militia on July 6, 1776, and stayed with the army for the next seven years. Murphy (The Great Fire, 1995, etc. ) maintains Martin's perspective through many of the major battles and events of the war, filling in background history, larger strategy, and information about the British enemy when relevant. This work offers a view of the Revolutionary War missing from most books—instead of the broad sweep of dramatic events and change, readers see the daily misery, boredom, confusion, terror, and only occasional triumph of army life. Murphy provides the best of both, the drama and the grind, appeasing readers' fascination with war without romanticizing it.

Kirkus Reviews