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Summary
Summary
Starvation, hypothermia, and the loss of all hope-- at Valley Forge, George Washington and his troops faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles. In overcoming them, they became legends.
In this comprehensive volume, Newbery Award-winning author Russell Freedman applies his renowned storytelling skills to examine a pivotal moment in the Revolutionary War-- one in which the nation's future leader would be greatly tested.
Camped twenty miles outside of Philadelphia at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78, Washington's ragtag army was at its most vulnerable; but when the harsh winter ended, the soldiers had survived, and marched away from Valley Forge more determined than ever. The British were defeated in 1783, and Washington, for the rest of his life, said that the credit for the American victory belonged to the soldiers who had braved the horrific conditions at Valley Forge.
A perfect complement to any lesson on the Revolutionary War, Washington at Valley Forge makes this historical moment feel immediate and all too real. A must-have for history buffs, students, and anyone interested in America's past. Impeccably sourced with gorgeous reproductions of engravings, paintings, and more, this NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book is now appearing in paperback for the first time. "Another stunning work from the nonfiction virtuoso," says School Library Journal .
Author Notes
Russell Freedman was born in San Francisco, California on October 11, 1929. He received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley in 1951. After college, he served in the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps during the Korean War. After his military service, he became a reporter and editor with the Associated Press. In 1956, he took a position at the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson in New York, where he did publicity writing for television. In 1965, he became a full-time writer.
His first book, Teenagers Who Made History, was published in 1961. He went on to publish more than 60 nonfiction titles for young readers including Immigrant Kids, Cowboys of the Old West, Indian Chiefs, Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life, Confucius: The Golden Rule, Because They Marched: The People's Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America, Vietnam: A History of the War, and The Sinking of the Vasa. He received the Newbery Medal for Lincoln: A Photobiography and three Newbery Honors for Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery, The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane, and The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. He also received the Regina Medal, the May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture Award, the Orbis Pictus Award, the Sibert Medal, a Sibert Honor, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and the National Humanities Medal. He died on March 16, 2018 at the age of 88.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (6)
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) Freedman again illuminates a piece of American history: here, the Revolutionary War, using the winter of 1777-78 as his focal point. Opening with a vivid description of the shivering, starving march of Washington's troops, the author establishes them in their wilderness campsite at Valley Forge and then backtracks to explain how the army got into that dire situation. Thanks to General Washington's increasingly desperate pleas and political maneuverings and to drilling by General von Steuben, a quite different army left the following June, going on, eventually, to win the war. Freedman's customary graceful prose, eye for the telling detail, and clear narrative arc make this a pleasure to read. Frequent quotations, including first-person reminiscences, and judiciously chosen artistic interpretations add to the appeal (although readers may struggle to reconcile the text's descriptions of near-naked men with the jacketed soldiers shown). Informative maps, a timeline, source notes, a bibliography, and an index add to the utility of this invitingly designed book. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* With most of the presidential-history attention this year directed at Abraham Lincoln, Freedman turns instead to the man whose remarkable display of leadership during the direst of times helped to found the Union that would eventually need preserving. The winter of 1777 was a bleak one for the Revolutionary army though, as Freedman points out, even calling it an army is generous. A relatively inexperienced Washington made the decision to camp his ragtag bunch of irregulars at Valley Forge, a defensible location close to the British holed up comfortably in Philadelphia. With his usual clarity of focus and keen eye for telling quotations, Freedman documents how Washington struggled to maintain morale despite hunger, near-nakedness, and freezing conditions; as well, he managed to reconstruct failed supply lines, evade political maneuverings from within the Continental Congress, and train his troops to win a war. Throughout, high-quality reproductions depict Washington among the men, and with the numerous other influential people who played critical roles. While Washington is certainly the center of this book's cosmos, it is less a look at one venerable figure from history than it is a tale of the triumph of endurance. Lacing facts and history into a winning, if not always tremendously exciting, narrative, this solid book will dispel any fogginess children may have about why that winter in Valley Forge was such a pivotal time in our country's founding.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2008 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
Henson dramatizes the story of the "Pack Horse Librarians," women hired by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s to take books to families in distant hamlets of the Appalachian Mountains, where there were "few schools and no libraries." Small's illustrations - in ink, watercolor and pastel chalk - unfold at times almost as in a graphic novel: succeeding panels show a "book woman" guiding her horse through "rain and fog and cold," carrying new books for a boy named Cal and his sister Lark to read and swap for the old. THE HOUSE IN THE NIGHT Written by Susan Marie Swanson. Illustrated by Beth Krommes. Houghton Mifflin. $17. (Ages 3 to 6) This year's winner of the Randolph Caldecott Medal is composed of just three colors: black, white and an intense sunflower yellow. The scratchboard and watercolor drawings zoom in and out, giving an aerial view of neat checkerboards of fields around a little "house in the night ... a home full of light," where on a bed waits a book "all about the starry dark." Krommes's widening perspective manages to exude both comfort and daring. CLOUDS Written by Anne Rockwell. Illustrated by Frané Lessac. Collins/HarperCollins. Paper, $5.99. (Ages 3 to 6) The Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series is notable for its clear, detailed lessons on everything from gravity to volcanoes, illustrated in a jaunty, colorful style. Here, the standard earthscience lesson on where clouds come from and how they're classified has the charm of a Grandma Moses painting. In a tableau of children playing with flashlights on a dusky gray day, the text helpfully says: "There's one kind of cloud you can feel standing on the ground. That is fog. It's the lowest kind of cloud." DO YOU LOVE ME? Written and illustrated by Joost Elffers-and Curious Pictures. Bowen/HarperCollins. $14.99. (Ages 2 to 5) An eye-catching valentine to children everywhere who love to get reassurance on the basics (even if they don't always admit it): "Would you leave me? Never ever. Do you want me? Only forever." The book's superbright pictures of friendly squishy faces - the creatures are credited to Elffers and, curiously, Curious Pictures, the studio behind "Little Einsteins" - are instantly appealing to children (and not just the intended preschool age group). WASHINGTON AT VALLEY FORGE By Russell Freedman. Illustrated. Holiday House. $24.95. (Ages 8 to 12) Here's one way to commemorate George Washington's birthday: Read about the very first time it was celebrated publicly. As we learn in this fascinating account of the winter that nearly finished the Continental Army (a failed supply system was largely to blame for leaving the soldiers starving and barefoot), General Washington overcame doubts about his leadership to win the lasting loyalty of his men, and on Feb. 22, 1778, he was surprised by a serenade of fifers and drummers in the snow. Many such stories enliven this history. HOW TO HEAL A BROKEN WING Written and illustrated by Bob Graham. Candlewick. $16.99. (Ages 3 to 6) The simplicity of Graham's story contains a surprising power. In few words, he tells the tale of a pigeon who lies unnoticed on a sidewalk until a boy finds it and takes it home to heal. Parents may recognize the barely concealed alarm of the mother and father, but take note: They help anyway. JULIE JUST SWAMP THINGS A podcast with Carl Hiaasen talking about "Scat," his new novel for young readers, at nytimes.com/books.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-Another stunning work from the nonfiction virtuoso. In a gripping, gritty account of the months that General Washington and his troops spent camped at Valley Forge, Freedman deftly brings to life this storied, nearly mythic period of the Revolutionary War. Vivid depictions of the harsh realities, not just the difficult winter weather, but also the lack of food, supplies, and clothing, all came together to create a perfect storm of misery that led to low morale, desertions, and death. Using first-person accounts from a variety of sources, Freedman offers a stirring portrait of a man who not only demanded that Congress step up its support of the troops, but who also brought in military experts to help transform the ragtag militia into a unified, trained military force. Everything-from quotes to images-is impeccably sourced, and a thorough, annotated bibliography is appended. Interwoven throughout are sepia-toned images that range from photographs of historical sites to reproductions of period artwork, which help to immerse readers in the era. Pair this with Thomas B. Allen's George Washington, Spymaster (National Geographic, 2007) and the man behind the legend becomes more intriguing and real to budding historians. An excellent choice for every collection.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The turning point of the American War of Independence came when the Continental Army emerged from the "starving winter" at Valley Forge as a "tested and toughened" fighting force. As the British occupied Philadelphia, the largest city in the colonies, George Washington selected Valley Forge as a spot close enough to keep an eye on the British and retake the city if given the chance. It was a dreary and desolate place, and the soldiers faced malnutrition, starvation and disease but somehow came out strong and ready to take on the British army. From Private Joseph Plumb Martin to 19-year-old Marquis de Lafayette to German-born General Friedrich von Steuben, Freedman focuses on actual players' individual stories to make the history personal. The writing unfolds with characteristic clarity and sense of pacing, and gorgeous reproductions of engravings, drawings, lithographs and paintings illustrate the attractive volume. A bibliographic essay plumbs the author's sources, but there are no accompanying suggestions for young readers. A fascinating book and a good match with the author's Give Me Liberty! (2000). (maps, timeline, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
Washington and his troops suffered the winter of 1777-78 in an encampment 20 miles outside of British-held Philadelphia. There the army went from being a ragtag group of citizen soldiers to being a trained fighting force, ready to win the American Revolution. This is the latest by Freedman, the author of almost 50 books for children and teens and the winner of both a Newbery (for Lincoln: A Photobiography, 1987) and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for his lifetime contribution to children's literature. Something You (Probably) Didn't Know: Some 300 women and 400 children joined the Revolutionary Army at Valley Forge, enduring the same conditions as the troops. Why It Is for Us: It is hard to write about just one Russell Freedman book. His books combine beautiful layouts, first-rate research, and elegant prose. He is the David McCullough of children's and teen nonfiction.-Angelina Benedetti, King Cty. Lib. Syst., WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
