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Summary
Summary
Paul Revere is commonly remembered as the legendary hero of Longfellow's poem about his midnight ride. In this bright, informative biography, Giblin follows Paul Revere from his humble beginnings as a French immigrant's son, to his work as a silversmith and a rider for America's mounting insurgency against England. With precise, accessible prose, and stirring images of the period, Giblin chronicles Revere's many daring rides and his far-flung professional accomplishments. Along the way, he portrays a brave, compassionate, and multitalented American patriot. Illustrated with black-and-white archival photos and lithographs.
Author Notes
James Cross Giblin was born in Cleveland, Ohio on July 8, 1933. He received a B. A. from Western Reserve University in 1954 and an M.F.A. in creative writing from Columbia University in 1955. He pursued playwriting before taking a job at Criterion Books in 1959. He focused on the children's book field. In the early to mid-1960s, he was an associate editor at Lothrop, Lee and Shepard. In 1967, he moved to Seabury Press, where he became editor-in-chief, spearheading the development of the children's book line there, later called Clarion Books. When Houghton Mifflin bought Clarion in the late 1970s, he moved to the company as Clarion's publisher. As an editor, he worked with such authors as Eileen Christelow and Mary Downing Hahn.
His first children's book, The Scarecrow Book written with Dale Ferguson, was published in 1980. During his lifetime, he wrote more than 20 books for young readers, mainly nonfiction, historical nonfiction, and biographies. He won several awards including the 1983 National Book Award for Chimney Sweeps: Yesterday and Today and the 2003 Sibert Medal for The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler. He died on April 10, 2016 at the age of 82.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) The numerous archival photographs of paintings, engravings, maps, and artifacts are the real appeal of this Paul Revere biography, and deservedly so. Many of the black-and-white reproductions are quite large, and assembled together they convey an immediate and strong sense of time and place. Some illustrations are Revere's own handiwork: his engraving of Boston's North End, where he grew up; his silver ""Liberty Bowl,"" made to commemorate the Sons of Liberty's refusal to purchase British goods; the paper money that he printed for the rebel colonists. Other illustrations spotlight Revere and his contemporaries (Samuel Adams, John Hancock), historic events (Boston Tea Party, Stamp Act protests), and important landmarks (Old North Church, Revere's tombstone). Alongside these well-chosen illustrations is Giblin's text, efficient yet fluid. And while he devotes plenty of attention to that famous midnight ride, Giblin doesn't skimp on Revere's other contributions to the American Revolution. Nor does he neglect the patriot's many business pursuits -- silversmithing, dentistry, and bell casting, to name a few. At book's end is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem ""Paul Revere's Ride,"" which Giblin helpfully compares to his own account, itself always careful to distinguish between fact and conjecture. A timeline, map, index, bibliography, and guide to historic Boston-area sites are also included. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Giblin's attractive, large-format book sets the record straight on Paul Revere's life and his role in the American Revolution. Beginning with his father's journey to America, this well-organized biography presents a lucid account of Revere's childhood, his limited education, his training in his father's workshop, his brief military career, and his adult life as a silversmith, family man, and Revolutionary War leader. In that role, he made not one, but many rides to deliver important messages. In creating his portrait of Revere, Giblin presents salient facts and intriguing details to create a well-rounded and credible image of the man. Among the many illustrations are period portraits, narrative paintings, engravings, drawings, and maps as well as photos of significant sites and artifacts. Appendixes include a time line and annotated lists of books, Internet sites, and historic sites to visit. Unlike some biographies of Revere, this one does not relate (only to refute) certain legendary facts, though it does note the ways in which the historical record contradicts the famous poem The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, which is reprinted here. Giblin notes that Longfellow, in attempting to create an American hero rather than to write an accurate history, more than achieved his goal. That's a gracious concession from a writer who has taken the latter path here, and with notable success.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2007 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Most people know that Revere was a silversmith, brave patriot, and famed rider for the Revolution, but the author reveals his many other talents, including those as a bell ringer, businessman, cartoonist, print engraver, and even dentist. Giblin captures readers' interest from the beginning: "If things had been different, his name wouldn't have been Paul Revere. It might have been Apollos Rivoire...." He further engages children with interesting details that help create a true feeling for the time period and a deeper understanding of events. The clear writing makes the information accessible for a wide audience. The book is illustrated with numerous reproductions of archival photographs, maps, engravings, and documents that bring the history to life. A section on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the text of his famous poem, "Paul Revere's Ride," is included. This impressive, attractive addition to Giblin's award-winning work makes for enjoyable reading in its own right and is invaluable as a resource for researchers. A fascinating account of this multifaceted leader.-Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Known as "the messenger of the Revolution," Revere carried out many rides for the cause: to the seaports near Boston to alert residents that the British might try to unload their tea; to New York and Philadelphia to win support for Boston; to the First Continental Congress; to Lexington and Concord, as memorialized in the Longfellow poem of 1860; and to New England towns urging the raising of an army. Giblin packs a lot of information about the family man, businessman and patriot into a brief, attractive volume, illustrated with photographs and archival art. Clear, informative writing and an abundance of backmatter--information on Longfellow and his poem, a time line and a thorough list of historic sites to visit--are clearly meant to involve readers in further research. Useful, too, would have been a guide to other good books for young readers. Since the story of Paul Revere and the history of the American Revolution are so entwined, a short, concise volume such as this is a great starting place for young readers. (source notes, bibliography, map, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.