WHY LONGFELLOW LIED

Almost 100 years after Paul Revere’s ride, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his famous poem.

When he penned it, Revere’s ride was barely a footnote to history. Since Longfellow was already a famous poet, his narrative, whether true or not, would frame the soon-to-be-famous story. Educator Lantos uses his teaching skills to work his way through the jaunty verse, analyzing both why the poem works so well and how Longfellow didn’t always stick by the facts. The possible reasons for this are numerous. Sometimes the story bogged down in unfortunate details, such as the abrupt end of Revere’s ride when he was captured by the British before reaching Concord, Massachusetts. Other times, Longfellow exercised poetic license to slow the narrative and enhance suspense, or left out unneeded details to pick up the pace. In addition to his engaging conversational narrative, Lantos includes maps, photographs, and wonderful, brief callout boxes with fascinating historical details, conveying all in a delightful underlying tone of mildly ironic humor that’s just right. Outstanding backmatter rounds out this first-rate presentation of a story that many Americans wrongly believe they know very well. At the same time, Longfellow’s poem remains the star of the show, his tale enriched by the accompanying backstory. This work displays all the qualities of excellence that children deserve.

Exemplary myth-busting with appeal that spans audiences from children to adults.