Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Paul Revere's Ride Reviews

• 
  Saffron Moon

  This rating is for the edition illustrated by Paul Galdone.
• 
  Luisa Knight

  There are several illustrators that have put pen and color to Longfellow's famous poem, but Ted Rand's stands out to me. His illustrations are beautiful, life-like and telling. The images stick with you wonderfully and bring the poem alive.
  
  Definitely recommend this one!
  
  Ages: 4 - 8
  
  
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• 
  R. C.

  This particular version is illustrated in a way that makes a four-year-old and that child's mama think maybe we can tackle it now.
  
  
  My son noticed that the British soldiers were identical. "What's his name? And his name?" We talked about soldiers remaining nameless and identical and how that makes it easier not to think of them as people.
  
  He then noticed that the soon-to-be Americans were not identical and in fact were not even soldiers. I couldn't resist. I told him not that it was because we always humanize our side, but that we weren't soldiers. We were just a bunch of hippies, activist farmers, fighting for what we believed in.
  
  The poem of course didn't really keep him too absorbed, with all those big words. I explained the story first. That helped. I also had him clap out a hoofbeat while I read it, explaining that the poem was supposed to sound like Paul Revere riding.
  
  The illustrations of soldiers from later American wars at, "through all our history, to the last" made me well up. There is a patriotic fool inside me and this illustrator brought it out even after I've grown used to the poem.
  
  The kid liked it and I liked it so I say it was a winning read.
• 
  Shari

  Read for Patriot's Day, April 19th, "The Shot Heard Round the World."
• 
  Colette

  What a beautiful book! The poem that generations of Americans memorized and loved is beautifully illustrated, and as inspiring as ever.
• 
  Sheila

  The beauty of this book lies not in the poem, which many American children have heard (Listen my children and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere) . The beauty for me was in this specific edition copy, illustrated by Christopher Bing.
  
  Opening the hardcover book I was greeted with beautiful period artwork, showing items laying on the desk, old reading glasses, a quill pen, letter sealing wax with a stamp, and ink pot, and wait...what is this? Right inside the cover is a folded letter, an attachment to the book, which I carefully unfolded and read. The letter is written by Thomas Gage, instructing Lieut. Colonel Smith to have his troops go to Concord to destroy all artillery, ammunition, provisions, tents, small arms and all military stores whatever.
  
  Turning the page, I find a historic map of Boston, Lexington and Concord, with details of the Plan for the Secret Expedition to Concord.
  
  Then the poem begins. Beautiful illustrations accompany each verse, drawing the reader into the feelings of the events.
  
  At the end of the book, we are given the historic story of Paul Revere's ride, and the historical inaccuracies of the poem, which was written long after the event, are explained. We are then given another map, showing the routes that all of the riders of the alarm took, also showing where Paul Revere was captured, and where Dr. Samuel Prescott continued on without him to warn the people of Concord and the towns beyond.
  
  In closing, the back page of the book contains another inserted letter, neatly folded and sealed for us to open, giving the historic written deposition of Paul Revere, which was prepared for the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.
  
  A BEAUTIFUL copy, a beautiful historic piece of reading. I would highly recommend this specific copy for anyone looking for a book on The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.
  
  
• 
  Monica

  Didn’t know Longfellow wrote this poem on the eve of The Civil War in the hopes his fellow Americans would see that liberty and bravery were for all. Made me like it all the more. Images and illustrations a delight, especially the black cat in the graveyard & the barn animals throughout.
• 
  Shanna Gonzalez

  On April 18, 1775, a silversmith named Paul Revere and two other men rode from Boston to Lexington to warn American patriots that the British troops had arrived. This helped prepare the American soldiers for the battles of Lexington and Concord, the first in the American Revolution. About 95 years later, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote a poetic tribute to Revere's actions. He exercised some poetic license with historical details, so it should not be considered a historical document but rather a piece of great American literature.
  
  The courageous patriotism exemplified by Revere makes him an admirable hero, especially for young boys. Ted Rand's illustrated version of Longfellow's work visually represents the suspense and danger of the night, allowing young readers to experience the story before they have fully grown into the poem. The dramatic scenes work well with the rhythmic action of the poem, and while turning the pages one can almost hear the horse's hooves pounding the road as Revere rides on and on.
  
  The book contains a brief historical afterword which helps contextualize Revere's ride in the events of the Revolution, and inquisitive readers can also explore the online Paul Revere Heritage Project or the website of the Paul Revere House.
• 
  Tara Lynn

  My mother read this to me for the first time when I was younger. At the time, I believe that it was a children's illustrated copy, and might have been edited a little for a younger audience. I picked up this copy as a teenager, and read it for the first time as an adult. Although I love the poem itself, as a student of history in college, I was a little disappointed to find that like so many other moments in American history, Revere's famous ride was greatly exaggerated. The ride was completed by three men, and Revere didn't ride into Concord. Still, it's a great childhood memory.
• 
  Kaethe

  Damn you, Longfellow. You're a mediocre poet and a lousy historian and why should Revere get all the attention, anyway.
• 
  John Yelverton

  This is a beautiful and epic poem which will ring in your ears long after you've finished reading it.
• 
  K. Anna Kraft

  I have arranged my thoughts into a haiku:
  
  "Never has such praise
  Since been given for keeping
  Others from sleeping."
• 
  Clay Davis

  A great poem and book.
• 
  Margaret Chind

  We read this aloud the other day, that is we read aloud from our paperback copy of
  Paul Revere's Ride as recommended in several lists from Memoria Press including the Simply Classical American Studies supplemental readers and Memoria Press Second Grade Classical Core Curriculum. Weeks ago, we finished reading
  Mr. Revere and I: Being an Account of certain Episodes in the Career of Paul Revere, Esq. as Revealed by his Horse and started out to read the Paul Revere chapter in Notgrass History's Our Star-Spangled Story and reread the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Paul Revere's Ride illustrated poem. But then, allergies. This morning was the day! I'm so grateful for the Memoria Press Classical Core recommendation of Ted Rand's illustrated Paul Revere's Ride even if I did originally buy the wrong edition in Chronicle Books gorgeous Christopher Bing's edition,
  The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. What an experience to be able to compare the two and take the conversation of wood cutting even further.
  I have to confess I get a little animated when reading such a poem. Quite my father's daughter at such a moment...
  
  Right now, during the quarantine, Memoria Press is offering 20% to their read-aloud sets. A better deal you will not find. Head over and check them out and use the code: cherryblossom to let them know I sent you.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  David Kuriny

  "Paul Revere's Ride" is a famous poem written by the author Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. His poem has been illustrated many times by various artists. This is a historical retelling of a very famous event in American history. The language is not complicated and could most likely be read by an elementary student with ease, besides some specific vocabulary words that would need to be defined by a stronger reader. The famous story that is described in this book is of Paul Revere, an American revolutionary that helped to warn American rebels of a pending invasion by the British forces. His vigilance and quickness were the deciding factors in whether or not the Americans would be taken by surprise in Boston. The language used by Longfellow is both intriguing and exciting. Additionally, the fact that this is a rhyming poem adds to the theatre of being read aloud. The reason I rated this book two stars is due to the lack of creativity in the illustrations. Although the simplicity of her designs matches the level of reading comprehension needed to understand the story in some capacity, they do not match the excitement that is described in the story itself. For example, there are hardly any differences in Parker's nighttime and daytime illustrations. This lack of detail deflates the energy that is coming from the danger of the night that Paul Revere faces.
  With such an exciting and fun poem to read aloud, it is difficult to find the right age group to read it to with illustrations such as these. I think the poem itself is a wonderfully adventurous way to introduce a class to that part of American history, but I wish the illustrations were different.
• 
  Margaret Chind

  Weeks ago, we finished reading
  Mr. Revere and I: Being an Account of certain Episodes in the Career of Paul Revere, Esq. as Revealed by his Horse and started out to read the Paul Revere chapter in Notgrass History's Our Star-Spangled Story and reread the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Paul Revere's Ride illustrated poem. But then, allergies. This morning was the day!
  
  Originally, I bought this book,
  The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, when I actually intended to buy another book,
  Paul Revere's Ride, from the recommendation of Memoria Press Second Grade Classical Core Curriculum. However, I'm delighted with the mistake and being able to compare the two containing the same Longfellow classic poem. The woodcuts and overlays are gorgeous and creative and this book is a treasure to look through.
• 
  Sheree

  What a beautifully illustrated book. Christopher Bing’s illustrations bring Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” to life. Bing masterfully included maps and historical documents comparing what actually happened the night of April 17, 1775, with Wadsworth’s famous rendering. Bing included “The Deposition of Paul Revere prepared for the Massachusetts Provincial Congress”, a full account of Paul Revere’s testimony of his historical ride. In fact, there were many riders alerting every Middlesex village and farm.
  I did not know that Wadsworth wrote “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” the year before the outbreak of the Civil War. He knew our Nation was in crisis and war was looming. He was an abolitionist and believed in freedom for All.
  Most remember the opening lines “Listen, my children and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,…” My favorite line comes much later in the poem “…The fate of a nation was riding that night…”
  I’ve always loved walking the Freedom Trail in Boston and have taken the “Paul Revere Ride to Freedom Tour” tracing Revere’s path throughout Middlesex. This book is a treasure for all who are interested in this time period.
• 
  Rick Silva

  A slim and handsome little hardcover edition that I bought at the visitors center at Minute Man National Historical Park in Massachusetts. It contains two pieces of writing. First up, in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride", which is some really good quality rhyming verse, with powerful use of imagery and detail. It lacks some important historical accuracy, most notably having Revere make his way all the way to Concord, when, in fact, he was captured by British soldiers soon after leaving Lexington. That being said, there were a lot of good historical details in the poem, and it does a tremendous job of capturing the mood and atmosphere of that night.
  
  The second piece is a letter written by Revere himself in 1798 to Secretary Jeremy Belknap with his own recollections of the events surrounding the Battle of Lexington. Especially fascinating were his accounts of the intrigues of the Sons of Liberty and his suspicions of the treason of Doctor Benjamin Church.
  
  This is a nice small collection for anyone with an interest in the history of the American Revolution.
• 
  Greg Bittner

  My family and I toured Boston last summer, during which we visited Paul Revere's house and several historic sites along his route. We read this book together around an outdoor fireplace at our hotel. What's special about this edition is that it includes Revere's own account of that night, which inspired Longfellow's poem. The illustrations and ornamentation are beautiful. Every American should read this and see Boston. I came home with a deep appreciation for what a brilliant and noble man Paul Revere was. We are such a jaded and cynical society today, looking for "dark" backstories to every hero, but there is none for Revere, just a brave, decent family man with sincere convictions and belief in liberty. Yes, Longfellow's poem embellishes history, but it does not mislead. It was meant to inspire, and Americans need to be re-inspired by real heroes.
• 
  Vanessa

  I have always loved this poem, but I hadn’t read it in a long time (high school? Maybe even elementary?). There’s a reason it’s a classic. This version of the poem, with the illustrations & additional materials is great. The illustrations have a Revolutionary time period look to them, and I especially loved the fold-out letter inside the front cover and the fold-out Revere deposition in the back cover. Some students may only read the poem and not bother to read the small text that follows explaining more about what really happened, but those that do will find good historical details. This was clearly a passion project for the illustrator (who lives, or lived, in Lexington, MA), and it shows.
• 
  Emily Siniard

  This book takes the poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and puts it to illustrations. There are also the historic elements and information included, along with some historic looking documents about this time in history.
  
  I gave this book 4 stars because of the content. I loved how this poem was used to relate to this time period in history. Because the author did that, I can use it to integrate poetry studies and history at the same time!
  
  I can use this book to study the American Revolution, Paul Revere, poetry, Longfellow, and many things because this book is such a wonderful integration of so many topics!!
• 
  essie

  This is just wonderful. Of course there is a lot in the story of Paul Revere that may have been embellished, and I’m sure it certainly wasn’t as glorious as the stories make it out to be, but that’s kind of the point. Why shouldn’t we have our own American legends? Tales of bravery and courage and fortitude? Why shouldn’t the stories be told and told until they grow and change and become the legends we know and love? That’s how you feed hungry children, that’s how their spark of adventure ignites, that’s how their hearts grow ablaze with courage.
• 
  Janet

  A nicely illustrated version of Longfellow's poem about Paul Revere. Having recently visited Old North Church and Lexington and Concord this was an especially enjoyable book. However, the poem never tells us that Paul Revere was captured and never finished the ride as most of us believe. The redeeming fact of this title is that a map of the ride is depicted on both the inside front and back covers and yes, it does say that Revere was captured and we see Prescott finishing the ride.
• 
  Loren

  Historical fiction Creates a Hero of Revere
  
  Used this as a comparison of how authors like Longfellow took an event and made a hero of someone who played a small role in what actually happened. If you read Paul Revere’s true statement, you’ll know that he never made that ride alone- he was 1 Of 3 riders. Paul Revere never got to finish his ride and the brave man who did and warned the folks in Lexington was not heroicized in a poem. Revere became the hero because his name had a great ring to it. The other 2 riders were lost to history.
• 
  Crystal

  I used to have my 5th graders memorize the first few stanzas of this classic poem. I was inspired to reread it after reading a historical fiction book about Longfellow. My goal is to commit the entire poem to memory, just for fun. I love the Rhyme and rhythm, though I will be honest that I need my dictionary nearby.
• 
  Lauren

  Read this because I am currently reading 1776 by David McCullough. Should’ve read this poem years ago. Definitely an interesting read & having read The Legend if Sleepy Hollow, I feel like they have a similar feel in terms of writing. (Topically, I think I prefer Sleepy Hollow but between the two, you can’t go wrong with your choice.)