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Long Road to Gettysburg

Name: Long Road to Gettysburg
Author: Jim Murphy
ISBN: 9780618051571

by Jim Murphy

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Overview

A description of the Battle of Gettysburg as seen through the eyes of nineteen-year-old Confederate lieutenant John Dooley and seventeen-year-old Union soldier Thomas Galway.

Describes the events of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863 as seen through the eyes of two actual participants, nineteen-year-old Confederate lieutenant John Dooley and seventeen-year-old Union soldier Thomas Galway. Also discusses Lincoln's famous speech delivered at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg.

Synopsis

A description of the Battle of Gettysburg as seen through the eyes of nineteen-year-old Confederate lieutenant John Dooley and seventeen-year-old Union soldier Thomas Galway.

Publishers Weekly

Excerpts from the diaries of two young officers, Lt. John Dooley of the Confederacy and Cpl. Thomas Galway of the Union army, are at the heart of this compelling account of the Civil War's bloodiest battle. Expertly blending details about the battle and each side's plans with the diaries, Murphy conveys all of the tension, tedium and excitement of the battlefield. Archival photographs of the site powerfully present young readers with a grim reminder of the high cost of waging this conflict. Several photos show dead horses and soldiers, their bodies not yet removed for burial. The conclusion explains what happened to the young officers after the war was over, neatly tying up the end of the book and making these men from long ago even more real to today's readers. Ages 9-12. (Apr.)

About the Author, Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy is the author of An American Plague, which received the Sibert Medal and a Newbery Honor and was selected as a National Book Award finalist. His Clarion titles include THE BOYS' WAR and other award-winning nonfiction as well as a picture book, FERGUS AND THE NIGHT-DEMON. He lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, with his family. For more information visit www.jimmurphybooks.com.

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Editorials

From the Publisher

"The excellent use of quotes and descriptions from Dooley and Galway’s journals brings authenticity and immediacy to the narrative. By focusing on these two ordinary soldiers, readers get a new perspective on this decisive and bloody battle. A first-rate addition to Civil War collections."

School Library Journal, Starred

"Beginning and ending with the dedication ceremony at which Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, Murphy’s intriguing book presents the story of the battle from the points of view of two actual participants. . . . The firsthand accounts, drawn from Dooley’s and Galway’s own writings, give the narrative immediacy and personalize the horrors of battle. Like Murphy’s The Boys’ War, this volume is generously illustrated with period drawings, engravings, paintings, and, especially, photographs. An important addition to the Civil War shelf."

Booklist, ALA, Starred Review

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Children's Literature

This well-written text describes the events of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, as seen through the eyes of two actual participants-nineteen year-old Confederate lieutenant John Dooley and seventeen year-old Union soldier Thomas Galway. This outstanding resource contains drawings, archival photographs, engravings, and maps that evoke the hardships and anxieties of battle preparation, the long days of fighting, and the treatment of wounded and dead soldiers.

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up—Balancing tactical and historical descriptions of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War with the firsthand diary accounts of two young soldiers, one Union and one Confederate, Jim Murphy's title (Clarion, 1992) is solidly narrated by Ray Childs, Terry Bregy, and William Dufris, each lending his talent to a different section of the text. The use of different voice actors for the narration is especially effective in helping listeners differentiate the Union and Confederate points of view, with snippets of snare drum music separating the passages to further reinforce the shifts in viewpoint. Another narrator reads the introduction and conclusion, which describe the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg and includes Lincoln's famous address. Key figures are quoted and given distinct voices, some more successfully than others. Listeners will get a sense of the emotion, pain, and fatigue experienced by the two soldiers through the performances, though occasionally the voice used for Galway, the Union corporal, sounds too similar to the narrative voice, making it difficult to differentiate the diary excerpts from the exposition. Overall, this is a worthwhile addition to non-fiction audiobook collections.—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL