How could such a larger-than-life figure have become so little known? He’s not likely to stay that way any longer.
Two veteran storytellers carefully separate legend from equally astonishing fact in this rousing introduction to Peter Francisco, a genuine supersoldier of the American Revolution.
Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and with the brawn of a trained blacksmith, Francisco, the “Colossus of the Continental Line,” fought bravely in most of the war’s major battles—riding a horse named Tarleton after the British commander from whom he stole it and, according to witnesses, sometimes casting aside his firearm to wield an outsized broadsword. Though a foundling of mysterious origin, he went on in later years to enjoy a long life as a country gentleman and prominent war hero. Along with embedding their subject’s verified exploits into vivid accounts of the fledgling Colonial army’s trials and triumphs, the authors deliver a coherent picture of the war’s general progress. They also add numerous sidebar comments on topics from women and African-Americans who fought to step-by-step instructions for rapidly loading a musket, tuck in clearly labeled tall tales, and close with generous bibliographies for both young and general audiences. Brennan’s retro illustrations depict Francisco towering over his fellow troopers (although with pink skin rather than dark, as the text states); other illustrations include reproductions of paintings and photos of artifacts.
How could such a larger-than-life figure have become so little known? He’s not likely to stay that way any longer. (glossary, timeline) (Biography. 11-13)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-62619-117-4
Page Count: 160
Publisher: The History Press
Review Posted Online: May 28, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014
Logically pointing out that the American cowboy archetype didn’t spring up from nowhere, Sandler, author of Cowboys (1994) and other volumes in the superficial, if luxuriously illustrated, “Library of Congress Book” series, looks back over 400 years of cattle tending in North America. His coverage ranges from the livestock carried on Columbus’s second voyage to today’s herding-by-helicopter operations. Here, too, the generous array of dramatic early prints, paintings, and photos are more likely to capture readers’ imaginations than the generality-ridden text. But among his vague comments about the characters, values, and culture passed by Mexican vaqueros to later arrivals from the Eastern US, Sadler intersperses nods to the gauchos, llaneros, and other South American “cowmen,” plus the paniolos of Hawaii, and the renowned African-American cowboys. He also decries the role film and popular literature have played in suppressing the vaqueros’ place in the history of the American West. He tackles an uncommon topic, and will broaden the historical perspective of many young cowboy fans, but his glance at modern vaqueros seems to stop at this country’s borders. Young readers will get a far more detailed, vivid picture of vaquero life and work from the cowboy classics in his annotated bibliography. (Notes, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2001
ISBN: 0-8050-6019-7
Page Count: 116
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2000
An introduction to ancient Egypt and the Pharaohs buried in the Valley of the Kings. The authors begin with how archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb of King Tut, then move back 3,000 years to the time of Thutmosis I, who built the first tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Finally they describe the building of the tomb of a later Pharaoh, Ramses II. The backward-forward narration is not always easy to follow, and the authors attribute emotions to the Pharaohs without citation. For example, “Thutmosis III was furious [with Hatshepsut]. He was especially annoyed that she planned to be buried in KV 20, the tomb of her father.” Since both these people lived 3,500 years ago, speculation on who was furious or annoyed should be used with extreme caution. And the tangled intrigue of Egyptian royalty is not easily sorted out in so brief a work. Throughout, though, there are spectacular photographs of ancient Egyptian artifacts, monuments, tomb paintings, jewels, and death masks that will appeal to young viewers. The photographs of the exposed mummies of Ramses II, King Tut, and Seti I are compelling. More useful for the hauntingly beautiful photos than the text. (brief bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7922-7223-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
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