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

by Jim Murphy (Author) "Joseph Plumb Martin was born on November 21st, 1760, in the tiny Massachusetts village of Becket..." (more)
Key Phrases: winter camp, New York, Valley Forge, General Washington (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up?Murphy 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
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Gr. 5^-8. Murphy tells the story of the American Revolution through the eyes of Joseph Plumb Martin, who enlisted in the army in 1776, at the age of 15. Murphy frequently quotes Martin, evidently drawing from Martin's book A Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers, and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier (1830), listed in the extensive bibliography. The lively quotations give Murphy's account a feeling of immediacy, heightened by the many details of life in the army. For instance, few history books for children even mention the mutinies among the American troops, but Murphy vividly explains their causes and consequences, or lack of consequences. He quotes Martin on the mutinous soldiers: "venting our spleen at our country and government, then at our officers, and then at ourselves for our imbecility in staying there and starving . . . for an ungrateful people who did not care what became of us, so they could enjoy themselves while we were keeping a cruel enemy from them." Many black-and-white reproductions of period engravings, paintings, and documents appear throughout the book. Although source notes would have been a welcome addition, young readers researching the military and social history of the American Revolution will find this an excellent resource. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper (March 23, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395900190
• ISBN-13: 978-0395900192
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #363,502 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book!, April 16, 1999

By A Customer

I'm 12 years-old and I thought this story was very exciting. My older brother read it also, and he said it was great. It is about a fifteen-year-old boy who is eager to go to war. However, it ends up being the most horrifying life a young man could have. I would give six stars if I could. Since I can't, I'll write it down: six stars!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Young Patriot, November 17, 2003

By	loveitayp (Madison, CT United States) - See all my reviews

I am 13 years old and i absolutly love this book, Murphy (the author) describes the American Revolution so clearly that u actually feel like you are in the story! This book is about a boy named Joseph who signs up to be in the Continental Army, he goes through hard times and good times as well! I would say any history fan would love this book!!!!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding creative approach to non-fiction for young readers!, February 5, 2006

By	Deborah Duerksen (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Joseph Plumb Martin is fifteen in 1775 when tensions between the American colonists and their British rulers erupt. He witnesses the organization and recruitment of a local military force, untrained and undersupplied. Martin hesitatingly enlists for the limit period of six months, required by the state militia. He sees combat at Gowanus Creek and is part of Washington's retreat to Manhattan Island. After colonial morale is lifted by Washington's surprise attack on the British at Trenton, Joseph re-enlists for the duration of the war and participates in the long, miserable winter march to and encampment at Valley Forge. Joseph remains in the Continental Army until the signing of the provisional peace treaty with the British in 1783. By this time he is twenty-two and has grown from a boy to a man.
This is an excellent choice of historical non-fiction for young adults for several reasons. First of all, the personal story, told in Martin's own strikingly honest words, is never embellished upon, and helps to focus an otherwise complex political story. Secondly, the American forces, often depicted in domestic versions of this war as having been invincibly heroic, are here described exactly as the poorly trained and undisciplined force that they initially were. Washington's losses and retreats from the British are diligently explained. Since Martin's military experience involved serving in several capacities, he is a good choice for a commentator. The author, who has received awards for his previous works on military history for young adults, does not shy away from the unpleasant news that Americans, confronted by a superior fighting force and often low on morale, walked away from battlefields once their enlistments were up and, in some cases, deserted. Moreover, he points out that, while Washington's army was starving at Valley Forge, the local citizenry had food in surplus and could have shared more with the soldiers, many of whom had no shoes that winter.
Heavily illustrated with reproductions of prints and paintings of the events discussed, this creative approach to an old subject highlights the subjectivity and propagandistic nature of "historical" art: The same series of events are depicted differently by various artists depending on their political affiliations. Murphy is careful to point out that elegant artistic renderings of American troops have very little in common with the crude reality of their service. A complete bibliography is provided as well as a useful time line. This book is highly recommended for grades six and up as well as for adults interested in an objective account of the American War for Independence.