Illustrated with archival material and supplemented with extensive backmatter, this is a thoroughly engaging portrait of a...
Fleming presents a lively, evenhanded portrait of William “Buffalo Bill” Cody, a master of self-promotion who became a world-famous entertainer and whose name became synonymous with “Wild West.”
When his abolitionist father died from a savage attack after delivering an anti-slavery speech in “Bleeding Kansas,” 11-year-old Cody herded cattle, worked on wagon trains, and rode for the Pony Express. He joined the anti-slavery Jayhawkers, served the Union during the Civil War, and worked as a civilian scout during the Plains Indian Wars. He earned the nickname “Buffalo Bill” for single-handedly slaughtering thousands of bison. Throughout her chronicle of Cody’s adventures, Fleming notes the ever present challenge of distinguishing the realities of Cody’s life, given his penchant for embellishment and outright fabrication. Fleming depicts Buffalo Bill as the first global superstar, whose lasting fame came as a result of his Wild West Show, which toured throughout the United States and Europe and featured fellow living legends Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley. Fleming also suggests without exploring at great length that the show did much to mythologize the “Wild West” in the popular consciousness, with many misconceptions persisting.
Illustrated with archival material and supplemented with extensive backmatter, this is a thoroughly engaging portrait of a fascinating, larger-than-life figure. (photos, bibliography, source notes) (Biography. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-59643-763-0
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Neal Porter/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
In 1910, Pascal D’Angelo and his father left the harsh Abruzzi region of Italy to escape its impossible poverty and journey to the United States; Pascal was 16 years old. Murphy, a graceful narrator of history, presents the life of the peasant as he journeyed through life in the new country. He never became wealthy or even comfortable, but did leave an impression with his poetry—and this from a man who became literate in English as an adult, largely self-taught (and librarians will be delighted to know that they helped him). D’Angelo also wrote an autobiography, Son of Italy, relating to life as an immigrant and the hard—largely pick-and-shovel—work he did to earn a scant living. Such a telling should resonate when readers think about why people come to a new country where they do not speak the language, do not know the customs, and too often are alone, even (or especially) today. The protagonist does not come through as a sharp personality; he is somewhat shadowy against the times and places of his life. He stands out as a symbol rather than a full person. But his accomplishments are certainly large. Archival photos are interesting but sometimes captions are non-indicative; what do they mean? When and where were they taken? There are two photos of D’Angelo. As usual, Murphy provides details that help set the story. A biography of a common man that is also the history of a civilization and its times. (index and bibliography) (Biography. 9-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 6, 2000
ISBN: 0-395-77610-4
Page Count: 162
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
If only Benedict Arnold had died sooner. Had he been killed at the Battle of Saratoga, he’d be one of the greatest heroes of American history, and “we’d celebrate his life as one of the best action stories we have.” Instead, he survived and went on to betray the colonies and die in shame. Sheinkin sees Arnold as America’s “original action hero” and succeeds in writing a brilliant, fast-paced biography that reads like an adventure novel. Opening with the hanging of Major Andre, the British officer who plotted with Arnold to turn West Point over to the British, the story sticks to the exciting illustrative scenes of Arnold’s career—the invasion of Canada, assembling America’s first naval fleet, the Battle of Valcour Island, the Battle of Saratoga and the plot with Andre, whose parallel narrative ends in a bungled mission, his execution and Arnold’s dishonor. The author’s obvious mastery of his material, lively prose and abundant use of eyewitness accounts make this one of the most exciting biographies young readers will find. (source notes, quotation notes, maps [not seen]) (Biography. 11-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 9, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59643-486-8
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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