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 "An outstanding example of history brought to life through the experience of one individual." - School Library Journal (starred review) Jim Murphy lets Joseph Plumb Martin speak for himself throughout the text, weaving in historical background details wherever necessary, giving voice to a teenager who was an eyewitness to the fight that set America free from the British Empire. 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. Author: Murphy, Jim. Publisher: Clarion Books Pages: 112 Publication Date: 1998-03-23 Edition: Illustrated Binding: Paperback MSRP: 7.15 ISBN13: 9780395900192 ISBN: 0395900190 Language: en Store Location: History "Book cover image may be different than what appears on the actual book."