The Long Road to Gettysburg

by Jim Murphy

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.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American Civil War, Civil War, Middle Grade, Audiobook, American History

116 pages, Hardcover

First published April 20, 1992

About the author

An American author of more than 35 nonfiction and fiction books for children, young adults, and general audiences, including more than 30 about American history. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for his contribution in writing for teens. Jim lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, in a hundred-year-old house with his wife Alison Blank, a children’s TV producer and children’s book author and editor, his two talented musician sons, a regal mutt, an African water frog that will live forever, and a house vast collection of books..

Reviews

[Ben Denison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short audiobook. But for a short book it focused on a few key players i had not heard of in previous books and i thought it was well put together overview of the lead up to, the 3 day battle, the aftermath, and even the memorial later that Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address. Nice short book.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my kids on our way out to Gettysburg. We enjoyed how the author follows one soldier from each side of the Civil War using quotes from their journals. These journal entries were linked together with factual information and details about the battle. Altogether it was very interesting and informative. I had not heard of Jim Murphy before, but I will look for more of his books to use in our future history studies.

[Skylar Newbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful younger readers Civil War non-fiction, it may have just been the best I read, scratch that, it was the best I read. A lot of Civil War non fiction for the younger audience will chop bits out so it isn't to gory, this book doesn't do that. You can't have an accurate Civil War non fiction and take out all of the gory stuff, the Civil War was simply a very gory time. I thought the photos fit in the book nicely, and included photos I have never seen of the war before (and I am a very avid Civil War enthusiast). I also thought the quotes spoken by men actually at the battle were a very good addition. All in all, this is a great book for any Civil War enthusiast, young or old, It won't bore you.

[Mary L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read a lot of non-fiction and fiction about the civil war but Jim Murphy using the actual known events and the journals of two soldiers on opposing sides was fascinating. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Civil War. The pictures and maps were also very interesting. Especially interesting was the take on Lincoln's Gettysburg address by the newsmen of the time. Little did they know how famous it would be in years to come.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing special. I find it helpful to get a better picture of history by reading diaries of real people. It gives the time period a far different feel. This book does that for Gettysburg to a small degree.

[Karl Worsham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun short book about Gettysburg from the perspective of two of the soldiers that fought there.

[Deborah Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened as I drove to Gettysburg. Good story and perfect for setting the stage to see the actual battlefields

[Arnulfo Ybarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The civil war is always interested reading and this book is no failure. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Brevin BB · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a quick look at the lead up to Gettysburg: perfect.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and brief recap of the battle. It is told from the perspective of two young soldiers, one from each side. One can only imagine how horrific it truly was.

[Stacy Croushorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for middle school students interested in the Civil War.

[Lars Guthrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In conjunction with my current history reading project--Nineteenth Century America--I decided to read two children's books about the Civil War I've had lying around: this one and the Colliers' (of 'My Brother Sam Is Dead' fame) 'With Every Drop of Blood.'

I think any good children's library should have Jim Murphy's books. This marks the second in mine, along with 'The Great Fire.' Murphy's carefully researched melanges of text and illustration, with their focus on individual stories, make history real and alive.

It's too bad more middle schools don't use books like this. Usually teachers supplement history textbooks, generally dull reading packed with a confusing amount of information in order to meet standards, with fiction. It's too bad that formula isn't turned around, so that fiction is matched with non-fiction by single authors (as opposed to the bureaucratic committees formed to author textbooks) telling compelling stories in the way Jim Murphy does with the Battle of Gettysburg.

Part of the reason that history isn't engaging or fun for many young scholars is that they associate it with textbooks and Wikipedia. Asking students to read books like 'The Long Road to Gettysburg' may not help educators to meet enough of the required standards, but it would help students reach a more valuable goal, the understanding that history is more than lists of names and facts, that history is exciting and relevant.

The only way most young readers discover interesting non-fiction is on their own. That's a shame when there is so much good non-fiction out there. In American history, books by Jim Murphy and Jean Fritz immediately come to mind, as well as the wonderful 'Ain't Nothing But a Man,' a search for the real John Henry behind the myth by Scott Nelson.

Oh, how I wish schools could be free of 'the laundry list of goals currently harnessing our teachers and students...devoted instead to just a few narrowly defined and deeply focused goals' as Susan Engel so eloquently put it in her New York Times piece, 'Playing to Learn' (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/opi...). Our zeal to have children learn everything often results in apathetic students who have learned very little.

[Carol Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

In true Jim Murphy style, readers are taken through the experience of being a Confederate solder at Gettysburg, and alternately being a Union soldier in the same battle. He does this by pulling our focus in to real soldiers who kept journals of their experiences.

This book has plenty of photographs and maps that show troop troop movement. The author points out General problems on both sides, which led to Lee's largest defeat at Gettysburg, and Meade's victory, the battle that turned the tide of the war for the Union. Confederate troops would be reduced by a third at this 3 day battle and would never again regain full strength although the war would linger on for another two years. On the Confederate side, Longstreet did not agree with Lee's strategy and delayed giving issuing the order for Pickett's charge until it was too late for the cannons to continue to give support to the charging infantry. On the Union side, the general who didn't agree with Lincoln's plan quit. Lincoln accepted this and appointed General Meade to the post, a decisive, aggressive general who made all the difference in this key victory, which turned the tide for the Union.

This is a quick and interesting read that gives good basic information about the Battle of Gettysburg. There is an extensive Index and Bibliography in the back that can lead you to further reading.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's pretty hard to make nonfiction enjoyable without embellishing it to the point of fiction. In my opinion, Jim Murphy accomplishes it better than just about anyone.

If there's one Civil War battle that people need to know a little something about, it's Gettysburg. It was the bloodiest battle, it was the turning point of the war, and as this book successfully describes, the victory could have gone either way if different decisions had been made.

It starts with Lincoln at the battlefield just before giving the Gettysburg Address. Then it flashes back to the days leading up to the battle. It gives a first hand account of two soldiers. One from the Confederate side. One from the Union side. There are helpful maps that show the routes the different regiments took to get there and how their positions changed over the 3 days of fighting. There are photographs and drawings. Some photographs show dead soldiers, but nothing overly morbid.

Neither of the two soldiers die in battle, but their lives end up very different and this is explained before cutting back to Lincoln and the words of his address. Interestingly, no one thought it was a particularly good speech at the time. In hindsight, we see how well it shows Lincoln's character.

Won't be a book that interests everyone, but a must for history buffs.

[Shaunya Harden]

The Long Road to Gettysburg is a first hand account of what happens in the Battle of Gettysburg. Lieutenant John Dooley's diary/journal entries are used throughout the book. He was a part of the Confederate army. One of the entries says that there were hardly any farmlands that aren't covered in blood. The battles that took place at Gettysburg were fierce and deadly. Some men had their limbs blown off by the cannon shells. Corporal Thomas Galway's journal entries were used also. He was a part of the Union army. He was very impatient with the situation he was in. The Union army was at a stand still for a ferw days. One of his entries states, " At last, the army is moving once more." Some of the battles that took place were so horrific that the site were nicknamed. One place was named Slaughter Pen.

This book gave me a huge understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg. It was really informative. The journal entries were a good asset to this book.

I think an intelligent 8th grader would love to read this book.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my YA Lit class, I had to choose one award winning book of Jim Murphy's, and this is the one I chose. (Several of his books were awarded the Margaret A. Edwards Award for 2010.)

This book includes firsthands accounts of the battle of Gettysburg from the perspective of two young men - Confederate Lieutenant John Dooley and Union soldier Thomas Galway. Telling the story from their points of view really added a human element to the battle. The book also includes many photographs, drawings, and maps to give context to the story of the battle. Concluding with a chapter on the Gettysburg Address by President Lincoln was a great way to end the book because it reminded me of what the young men were fighting for.

I enjoy reading about the Civil War, and I've actually visited Gettysburg and several other battlefields with my Civil-War-buff uncle. I think this is a nice book to introduce young readers to the history of the Civil War.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good children's history. Concise yet thorough. photos really contribute to its clarity. I enjoyed it having read a few histories of the Civil War. I encourage giving it a go especially if you are not informed on the topic. It provides a nice available text and I can't imagine children not liking it, but I'm not up on how this information is presented these days.

[Jaclynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This covered aspects from several different men involved in the war and leading up to and beyond this battle. It was a good overview.

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[Sue Poduska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful descriptions with glimpses into the minds of the participants. Painstakingly researched. Great book for anyone interested in this phase of American history.

[AnnieM · Rating 3 out of 5]

It isn't my favorite of Murphy's books. The multiple narrators made it disjointed instead of adding to the feel.

It's a popular topic and a good intro to the subject, but Murphy has done better.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

We listened to this book on a car trip. It was interesting to hear first-hand accounts of a Union Soldier and a Confederate Soldier. Very interesting.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty, bloddy, and harrowing the descriptions in this book about the civil war.

[Alyssia Saldana · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Long Road to Gettysburg tells the story of two actual participants of the battle. It is told in the perspective of 19 year old Confederate lieutenant John Dooley and 17 year old Union solider Thomas Galway. It also includes a description of the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg. The book includes actual dates, real events, maps, and photographs from the battle and the dedication.