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A Young Patriot: The American Revolution As Experienced by One Boy
Vivid black and white photographs and background details add to the compelling wartime memoirs of Joseph Plumb Martin, a fifteen-year-old Connecticut farm boy who enlisted in the revolutionary army in the summer of 1776. "An outstanding example of history brought to life through the experience of one individual." -- School Library Journal, starred review
101 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1996
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125 people want to read
About the author
Jim Murphy
32 books87 followersAn American author of more than 35 nonfiction and fiction books for children, young adults, and general audiences, including more than 30 about American history. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for his contribution in writing for teens. Jim lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, in a hundred-year-old house with his wife Alison Blank, a children’s TV producer and children’s book author and editor, his two talented musician sons, a regal mutt, an African water frog that will live forever, and a house vast collection of books..
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 2, 2023
1996 was a banner year for Jim Murphy. In January he earned a Newbery Honor for The Great Fire, a nonfiction tome about the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Later that year he released A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy, one of five books cited in 2010 when the ALA gave him the Margaret A. Edwards lifetime achievement award for young-adult literature. Countless juvenile books have been written on the Revolutionary War, but Jim Murphy zeroes in on the written account of Joseph Plumb Martin, who at fifteen years old joined the fledgling American army to fight the British. Born in the Massachusetts village of Becket in 1760, Joseph was raised by his grandparents. As a child, he vaguely recalls discontent among the populace at King George III's interactions with the American colonies, but didn't take much notice until 1775. That April, King George sent hundreds of troops across the Atlantic to tamp down insurrection, but the colonists' patience was at its limit over the tax increases of the past decade, and gunfire was exchanged. Revolution had arrived, but Joseph hesitated to join the military. Would they accept a kid only fifteen years of age? He also feared dying, and taking up arms against the powerful British was a good way to lose one's life. Could General George Washington's rebellion possibly end well?
Joseph watched in envy as other boys and men enlisted with the Continental Army, which spent its time hiding in thickets and shooting at British redcoats in formation. Spurred on by these reports, in spring of 1776 he committed to six months' service under George Washington's command. A farm boy with no combat training, Joseph's only assets were his youthful energy, passion for freedom, and willingness to follow orders, but Washington needed every soldier he could get. Joseph's grandparents reluctantly supported his decision, and by July he was stationed in New York City awaiting dispatch. Joseph and his fellow soldiers practiced marching drills around the city as they adjusted to their new life. Boredom and homesickness were equally acute, and Joseph indulged in a few shenanigans that luckily didn't hurt his standing with the army. In August the British attacked New York City; Washington mustered his outnumbered forces, but the methodical British rout had Americans deserting by the thousand. Even Joseph ran, though he eventually returned to Washington's army in Harlem. The war was not going well for the colonists.
As Joseph's contract ended that December, he had misgivings about signing up again. The Continental Army was mainly comprised of ordinary citizens without military training, and their cause seemed lost as winter set in. The British held off pursuing Washington's men; rather than chase a disorganized army through the snowy woods, they would wait for spring. Desperate to regain a small measure of momentum, Washington ordered several skirmishes the British would have considered illegal, but which boosted American morale heading into winter. National spirits rose as 1777 dawned, and Joseph and many others signed up for the Continental Army, giving Washington new military reserves. Joseph's company of soldiers marched all over New York, positioning themselves as backup for the main army. Washington was winning his share of battles even as the British retained dominance. The redcoats were a cumbersome lot, and Washington's smaller units nimbly employed guerrilla warfare. In September, however, the British took Philadelphia, and the American Congress had to evacuate. The colonists were still losing the war.
Winter of '77 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania saw American soldiers starving and exposed to extreme temperatures. Joseph often went days without food, huddled in his ramshackle tent against the lethal weather. After joining a foraging party, he had it easier; he could requisition food and supplies from farmers, most of whom had plenty but preferred selling to the British even if they were sympathetic to the American cause. The British paid the farmers well for their goods but American soldiers could not, beholden to paychecks issued by a Congress on the brink of insolvency. Freedom-loving civilians supported the soldiers in spirit, but weren't ready to sacrifice their livelihoods. That sacrifice was left to the fighting men, who risked everything in hopes of emancipation from King George.
Returning to Valley Forge after four months foraging in the countryside, Joseph was surprised to see a turnabout in the troops. Previously on the verge of revolt, the men now seemed optimistic. France and other European powers had recently pledged support to the Americans, and sent several respected military men to train the soldiers. Baron Friedrich von Steuben's teaching methods worked wonders, and Washington's men were ready to reengage with their redcoat foes. Washington confronted the enemy in the crucial Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey. Featuring iconic moments of the war (including Molly Pitcher's brave actions), Monmouth was Britain's last stand north of the Delaware River. They gave up reclaiming that region to concentrate on the South. Still, Joseph's days were mostly occupied with marching through Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. Food supplies constricted to a degree not seen since Valley Forge, and little mutinies broke out in the ranks, some of which Joseph participated in. Congress and the American people couldn't expect their soldiers to function without food, and the men were tired of empty promises. In spite of this the Continental Army, bolstered by European troops, continued making the redcoats retreat, culminating in the Battle of Yorktown. Surrounding General Cornwallis's fort, with the French cutting off escape on the water, Washington forced a final surrender.
Against long odds the Americans had repelled the vaunted British military to earn their own national sovereignty. Saying goodbye to the soldiers of his fighting outfit was bittersweet for Joseph; he lingered a few days to swap stories with the only other men who knew how it felt to stand in the gap between the American people and tyranny. But eventually Joseph, now twenty-two years of age, went home to make a living as an adult in his new country. Civilian life yielded mixed results: Joseph married in 1794 and became a farmer, but by 1818 he required pension assistance as part of a Congressional aid program for impoverished Revolutionary War veterans. Joseph led a life of modest means into his late eighties, publishing a book in 1830 about his experience in the Continental Army. Like many soldiers of the Revolution, he wasn't commonly treated as a hero, but his service helped underwrite the American way of life that continued to blossom long after his death, and the town of Prospect, Maine erected a simple statue in his memory. "A soldier of the Revolution", the inscription reads. Joseph Plumb Martin was that and more.
What can we learn from A Young Patriot? The American Revolution was won not by a superior army or weaponry, but by average citizens standing up in defense of freedom. Most Americans, even ones who wanted independence from the British, were unwilling to risk their lives and finances. That's fine; in any situation the majority does nothing to fight injustice, and the future depends on those rare few with the courage to actively uphold liberty and individual rights. America achieved independence not because their military could equal King George's, but because enough of the people craved freedom, and the only avenue to it was to win the war. Indeed, whenever authoritarian culture or government are defeated, it's because ordinary people rise up and say no, ignoring their apparent inadequacy for the task. It's farmers walking away from plows, blacksmiths leaving anvils in order to fight for a society that grants individuals the right to determine their own lives rather than having their course determined by an elite overclass. Defense of liberty is most effective when its engine is common citizens like Joseph who refuse to let their shortcomings and fear keep them from serving the cause. May the example of such men be ever at the front of our minds.
A Young Patriot isn't suspenseful or dramatic, but it removes the romanticism from the Revolutionary War so we see what truly led to America's triumph. Without young people like Joseph tolerating starvation, exposure to extreme weather, and long periods when Congress paid them not a cent, Washington had no army and America would have been dead on arrival. Jim Murphy reveals the image of a handsome, rugged, confident warrior in the Continental Army to be false: most were farmers, millers, and other tradesmen with little knowledge of how to use a firearm. Yet the true American Revolutionary War soldier is more inspiring for his flaws, and engenders fiercer pride in the nation's fighting men than many readers will have felt before. This is the chief accomplishment of A Young Patriot, one of Jim Murphy's best books even though it's low-energy compared to most good juvenile nonfiction. I'd rate it at least two and a half stars and likely the full three. I'm glad young readers have Jim Murphy's insight into history, and I hope they continue finding his books for generations to come.
Joseph watched in envy as other boys and men enlisted with the Continental Army, which spent its time hiding in thickets and shooting at British redcoats in formation. Spurred on by these reports, in spring of 1776 he committed to six months' service under George Washington's command. A farm boy with no combat training, Joseph's only assets were his youthful energy, passion for freedom, and willingness to follow orders, but Washington needed every soldier he could get. Joseph's grandparents reluctantly supported his decision, and by July he was stationed in New York City awaiting dispatch. Joseph and his fellow soldiers practiced marching drills around the city as they adjusted to their new life. Boredom and homesickness were equally acute, and Joseph indulged in a few shenanigans that luckily didn't hurt his standing with the army. In August the British attacked New York City; Washington mustered his outnumbered forces, but the methodical British rout had Americans deserting by the thousand. Even Joseph ran, though he eventually returned to Washington's army in Harlem. The war was not going well for the colonists.
As Joseph's contract ended that December, he had misgivings about signing up again. The Continental Army was mainly comprised of ordinary citizens without military training, and their cause seemed lost as winter set in. The British held off pursuing Washington's men; rather than chase a disorganized army through the snowy woods, they would wait for spring. Desperate to regain a small measure of momentum, Washington ordered several skirmishes the British would have considered illegal, but which boosted American morale heading into winter. National spirits rose as 1777 dawned, and Joseph and many others signed up for the Continental Army, giving Washington new military reserves. Joseph's company of soldiers marched all over New York, positioning themselves as backup for the main army. Washington was winning his share of battles even as the British retained dominance. The redcoats were a cumbersome lot, and Washington's smaller units nimbly employed guerrilla warfare. In September, however, the British took Philadelphia, and the American Congress had to evacuate. The colonists were still losing the war.
Winter of '77 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania saw American soldiers starving and exposed to extreme temperatures. Joseph often went days without food, huddled in his ramshackle tent against the lethal weather. After joining a foraging party, he had it easier; he could requisition food and supplies from farmers, most of whom had plenty but preferred selling to the British even if they were sympathetic to the American cause. The British paid the farmers well for their goods but American soldiers could not, beholden to paychecks issued by a Congress on the brink of insolvency. Freedom-loving civilians supported the soldiers in spirit, but weren't ready to sacrifice their livelihoods. That sacrifice was left to the fighting men, who risked everything in hopes of emancipation from King George.
Returning to Valley Forge after four months foraging in the countryside, Joseph was surprised to see a turnabout in the troops. Previously on the verge of revolt, the men now seemed optimistic. France and other European powers had recently pledged support to the Americans, and sent several respected military men to train the soldiers. Baron Friedrich von Steuben's teaching methods worked wonders, and Washington's men were ready to reengage with their redcoat foes. Washington confronted the enemy in the crucial Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey. Featuring iconic moments of the war (including Molly Pitcher's brave actions), Monmouth was Britain's last stand north of the Delaware River. They gave up reclaiming that region to concentrate on the South. Still, Joseph's days were mostly occupied with marching through Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. Food supplies constricted to a degree not seen since Valley Forge, and little mutinies broke out in the ranks, some of which Joseph participated in. Congress and the American people couldn't expect their soldiers to function without food, and the men were tired of empty promises. In spite of this the Continental Army, bolstered by European troops, continued making the redcoats retreat, culminating in the Battle of Yorktown. Surrounding General Cornwallis's fort, with the French cutting off escape on the water, Washington forced a final surrender.
Against long odds the Americans had repelled the vaunted British military to earn their own national sovereignty. Saying goodbye to the soldiers of his fighting outfit was bittersweet for Joseph; he lingered a few days to swap stories with the only other men who knew how it felt to stand in the gap between the American people and tyranny. But eventually Joseph, now twenty-two years of age, went home to make a living as an adult in his new country. Civilian life yielded mixed results: Joseph married in 1794 and became a farmer, but by 1818 he required pension assistance as part of a Congressional aid program for impoverished Revolutionary War veterans. Joseph led a life of modest means into his late eighties, publishing a book in 1830 about his experience in the Continental Army. Like many soldiers of the Revolution, he wasn't commonly treated as a hero, but his service helped underwrite the American way of life that continued to blossom long after his death, and the town of Prospect, Maine erected a simple statue in his memory. "A soldier of the Revolution", the inscription reads. Joseph Plumb Martin was that and more.
What can we learn from A Young Patriot? The American Revolution was won not by a superior army or weaponry, but by average citizens standing up in defense of freedom. Most Americans, even ones who wanted independence from the British, were unwilling to risk their lives and finances. That's fine; in any situation the majority does nothing to fight injustice, and the future depends on those rare few with the courage to actively uphold liberty and individual rights. America achieved independence not because their military could equal King George's, but because enough of the people craved freedom, and the only avenue to it was to win the war. Indeed, whenever authoritarian culture or government are defeated, it's because ordinary people rise up and say no, ignoring their apparent inadequacy for the task. It's farmers walking away from plows, blacksmiths leaving anvils in order to fight for a society that grants individuals the right to determine their own lives rather than having their course determined by an elite overclass. Defense of liberty is most effective when its engine is common citizens like Joseph who refuse to let their shortcomings and fear keep them from serving the cause. May the example of such men be ever at the front of our minds.
A Young Patriot isn't suspenseful or dramatic, but it removes the romanticism from the Revolutionary War so we see what truly led to America's triumph. Without young people like Joseph tolerating starvation, exposure to extreme weather, and long periods when Congress paid them not a cent, Washington had no army and America would have been dead on arrival. Jim Murphy reveals the image of a handsome, rugged, confident warrior in the Continental Army to be false: most were farmers, millers, and other tradesmen with little knowledge of how to use a firearm. Yet the true American Revolutionary War soldier is more inspiring for his flaws, and engenders fiercer pride in the nation's fighting men than many readers will have felt before. This is the chief accomplishment of A Young Patriot, one of Jim Murphy's best books even though it's low-energy compared to most good juvenile nonfiction. I'd rate it at least two and a half stars and likely the full three. I'm glad young readers have Jim Murphy's insight into history, and I hope they continue finding his books for generations to come.
Read
October 26, 2016Joseph Plumb Martin joined the American Continental Army at 15. He continued fighting until the war ended, when he was 22. As a boon to historians, he managed to be at many of the critical battles of the war: Long Island, the long winter at Valley Forge, the Battles of Monmouth and Yorktown. And he wrote about his experiences.
This book is a distillation of the best quotes from that book, with the addition of a little background to put it in perspective for the young contemporary reader, and lots of period engravings. I think the idea is that all that "dry" history will be more interesting to young people if it is presented as the story of someone about their own age, someone they should be able to relate to. My daughter had to read this book for school, which is how I happened to read it.
I think this book is a good introduction to what life was like for a soldier during the Revolutionary War, and as a broad outline of the course of the battles. I still thought it a little on the dry side, but then, I just finished reading Forge, by Laurie Halse Andersen, which covers some of the same territory. They can't be compared, because this is non-fiction, and Forge is history-steeped fiction, but I thought the novel more vivid.
This book is a distillation of the best quotes from that book, with the addition of a little background to put it in perspective for the young contemporary reader, and lots of period engravings. I think the idea is that all that "dry" history will be more interesting to young people if it is presented as the story of someone about their own age, someone they should be able to relate to. My daughter had to read this book for school, which is how I happened to read it.
I think this book is a good introduction to what life was like for a soldier during the Revolutionary War, and as a broad outline of the course of the battles. I still thought it a little on the dry side, but then, I just finished reading Forge, by Laurie Halse Andersen, which covers some of the same territory. They can't be compared, because this is non-fiction, and Forge is history-steeped fiction, but I thought the novel more vivid.
November 13, 2017
This book is a little too hard for my 5th grader so we are reading it out loud.
We read a few pages a night, complete with side discussions about How Things Were Different Then.
The story follows Joseph Martin, 14 year old boy who joined the Patriots to fight the British, ended his stint in the army, and re-enlists for the full war.
Questions spawned by the book:
Joseph in NY lived on his family's farm. Were there a lot of farms in NY?
Didn't the army give the soldiers uniforms?
Why didn't the British just go away?
Why did some colonials want the British to stay?
Why do cannons have wheels as tall as a person?
Why were 8 people pulling a cannon instead of horses?
Why didn't the Congress pay the soldiers? (no money)
Why didn't the government have money?
Me - That's in the next book. 10 year old: Let's read that now.
What does abandon mean?
Why would the British leave the North and attack the South? Is it more important?
Where is New York, Delaware River, and South Carolina?
Me - looks for maps.
Why did words change so we don't use those words anymore?
Who says reading aloud is just for little kids?
We read a few pages a night, complete with side discussions about How Things Were Different Then.
The story follows Joseph Martin, 14 year old boy who joined the Patriots to fight the British, ended his stint in the army, and re-enlists for the full war.
Questions spawned by the book:
Joseph in NY lived on his family's farm. Were there a lot of farms in NY?
Didn't the army give the soldiers uniforms?
Why didn't the British just go away?
Why did some colonials want the British to stay?
Why do cannons have wheels as tall as a person?
Why were 8 people pulling a cannon instead of horses?
Why didn't the Congress pay the soldiers? (no money)
Why didn't the government have money?
Me - That's in the next book. 10 year old: Let's read that now.
What does abandon mean?
Why would the British leave the North and attack the South? Is it more important?
Where is New York, Delaware River, and South Carolina?
Me - looks for maps.
Why did words change so we don't use those words anymore?
Who says reading aloud is just for little kids?
April 22, 2012
Summary: Joseph was a young teen who set off to war his experiences help paint a picture of what happened during the war from a common soldiers point of view. He is good at leaving not details out good or bad and has no problem admitting his own failures.
Critique: The story uses a lot of dates which could be looked up for accuracy. So I would say that the book is very accurate. It is very well organized and easy to understand. The information is presented very well. The information is very interesting and I believe children would be interested in know what happened to Joseph during his time in the war and would want to keep reading to hear what else he had to share. The author seems very enthusiastic about the writing. I know he has more than one book about this subject.
Response: I liked the story. It was interesting. I would use this book in a social studies unit to give my students more information from a more personal level and not just from a text book point of view.
Critique: The story uses a lot of dates which could be looked up for accuracy. So I would say that the book is very accurate. It is very well organized and easy to understand. The information is presented very well. The information is very interesting and I believe children would be interested in know what happened to Joseph during his time in the war and would want to keep reading to hear what else he had to share. The author seems very enthusiastic about the writing. I know he has more than one book about this subject.
Response: I liked the story. It was interesting. I would use this book in a social studies unit to give my students more information from a more personal level and not just from a text book point of view.
January 15, 2024
A pretty good history of the American Revolution as told in the diary and letters of a young man who lived through it. The book contains some common inaccuracies (like not acknowledging that King George III was actually the one that got Parliament to repeal most of the taxes, which had been passed by Parliament in the first place - not decreed by the king as implied by most American retellings of the events of the time). But on the whole, this is a really good history, based mostly on primary sources.
November 27, 2024
I thought the age range for this book was older, it was a gift from my grandmother. I realized after i started reading it that it was a middle school-level book (hardly) and she had purchased it for my cousin but my cousin had not wanted it so I received her unwanted gifts. Overall, it was a good book and made the entire Revolutionary War seem more vivid and understandable. When the author spoke in terms we would understand, simply and clearly, it made the whole affair seem very personal and interesting to the readers.
Age: 10+
7/10 stars
Age: 10+
7/10 stars
May 3, 2024
We thought this was fascinating, and drove home the sacrifices American patriots made. It includes excerpts from a Revolutionary soldier’s memoirs, as well as historical details to round out the story. It’s not particularly graphic, but does discuss starvation, being half naked in winter, snipers, etc. I would recommend for upper grade schoolers who aren’t particularly sensitive.
March 17, 2023
Great spine for Revolutionary War history. Follows the life of a 15 year old soldier and uses his personal writings to cover major points and battles.
July 15, 2020
Jim Murphy did a great job in bringing the Revolutionary War to life...letting us see it through Joseph’s eyes, a true story...the reality of battles fought, and a war finally won.
March 26, 2010
A vivid account, much of it first-hand, that shatters the illusions that I, at least, was taught about the Revolutionary War. Joseph Martin was 14 when he marched off to war from his grandparents' home in Milford, Connecticut, eager to join what he was sure would be a monumental experience. Unfortunately, the Continental soldiers and their leader, George Washington, were inexperienced and poorly equipped to meet the larger British army. During most of his years in the service Joseph and his outfit were poorly fed ( that doesn't mean only one meal a day--it means maybe a few bites of food every three or four days). It is stunning to me to realize how many times the Continental Army (which Congress refused to fund adequately) came close to losing decisively battles or maneuvers which might have ended the war in Britain's favor had they turned out just a bit differently. That they won is testament to the Continental soldiers' loyalty, unbounded perseverance, and courage. This book is a gripping account of the War from the point of view of an individual young soldier, that casts the military events in deeply human terms. Lexile 1140.
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September 28, 2013I'm a big fan of Jim Murphy and was not disappointed. This is the most accessible yet descriptive account of the American Revolutionary War I have read (though not being a history buff, that's not saying much). This will be great as a content-area (nonfiction) read aloud or to use excerpts for teaching close reading. I found the descriptions of the difficulties soldiers faced both during and after the war quite powerful, especially in comparison to the romanticized representations in popular images and writings about it. There is much here that could be related to other wars as well as current conflicts and the soldiers who have been involved in them. The personal story and anecdotes of Joseph lend a realism that will appeal to kids.
May 4, 2009
A nice compare and contrast with "No Man's Land." Again, we have a good historical book centered on a boy, 15 this time, who went to fight in the Revolutionary War. "No Man's Land" was more historical fiction, but this uses a lot of maps, old cartoons and images, plus quotes from several sources to tell the story of Joseph Plumb Martin. "A Young Patriot" takes the reader through pretty much the entire war. Murphy does an excellent job of showing the horrible conditions those men and boys had to go through, and how close the colonies came to losing. A great book for older grade school and middle school.
April 19, 2010
I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants a brief history and appreciation of the revolutionary war. The one thing I didn't like was that the book jumped in with no introduction of who Joseph was. So the only introduction you get is from the title of the book, but it explains who he is in the last chapter so I guess that's good enough.
June 20, 2023
SIGH! I liked this book but what I wanted was "Joseph Plumb Martin's" work not a person who took a very few of his quotes and the gist of his autobiography. I guess this book was alright. I mean it IS in the Juvenile section of the Kahuku public Library. I hope to have better luck with other "translations" of JPM's original script.
May 22, 2023
This is a really great compilation of this soldier’s diary, details that connect the dots between his recollections, and a lot of illustrations depicting the events discussed. It’s the perfect read aloud for any student studying the American Revolution, especially those I’d say 3rd through 8th grade.
August 4, 2010
The story of the American Revolution as seen by the experiences of Joseph Plumb Martin, a young Connecticut soldier. I learned more about the progess of the Revolutionary War from this short book than I had ever learned before.
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November 29, 2013It is a war story. It has mostly quotations from a young soldier who fought the American Revolutionary war. He suffered starving and freezing. Wars are so bad and we have to solve any problems without violence.
December 21, 2015
I thought this book was a great example of what it would really be like to be in the american revolution.
It was a very informative story about a young adult who survived the american revolution. It was great.
It was a very informative story about a young adult who survived the american revolution. It was great.
May 28, 2012
A beautiful and well crafted tale of the life of a young soldier during the American War for Independence.
July 5, 2014
Joseph Plumb Martins' autobiography of the Revolutionary War interpreted for young adult readers. Very good; I'm sure the original is just so as well.
April 30, 2017
I found the book "A Young Patriot: The American Revolution as Experienced by One Boy" to be a valuable read for any student or adult expanding their knowledge of the American Revolution. The is a true story, as documented in the notes and journal Joseph Plum Martin who enlisted in the army in 1776, lying about his age! This should be read by every 5th or 8th grader learning about this time period. I plan to use it with my 5th graders when we discuss the American Revolution. The book contains pictures, artwork, editorial cartoons, maps, lithographs, and poster reproductions as documents to engage the reader. Superb book for this time period in history!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews