Corporal "Lige"'s Recruit: A Story of Crown Point and Ticonderoga

Otis, James, 1848-1912Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 2.8

Word count: 252K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Corporal 'Lige's Recruit: A Story of Crown Point and Ticonderoga by James OtisAuthor: Otis, James, 1848-1912,Language: English, Class: PZ: Language and Literatures: Juvenile belles lettres, Release Date: Jul 8, 2010

Editor's review

This book is a historical novel for young readers by James Otis, set against Crown Point and Ticonderoga during the American Revolutionary War. Through the experience of a new recruit being enlisted, it links frontier military life with major campaigns. Its appeal lies in embedding historical events in a young protagonist's coming-of-age perspective, letting readers feel the era's camp atmosphere, the hardships of marching, and interpersonal trust as the plot unfolds, rather than dryly listing historical facts. Otis is skilled at youthful adventure, with brisk narrative pacing and period-flavored dialogue, making it suitable as an introductory read for understanding the history of the American Revolution. It can be read as a historical story, attending both to the protagonist's psychological changes and to the author's handling of place names and military details, thereby appreciating the difference between popular historical narrative and rigorous historical scholarship.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Young readers interested in the history of the American Revolutionary War
General readers who enjoy youthful adventure and coming-of-age stories
English learners who want to approach historical subjects through light reading

Not a good fit for

Professional researchers seeking strict historical verification and footnote systems
Readers who prefer modern fast-paced suspense or romance

Reading tips

First learn the strategic positions of Crown Point and Ticonderoga, then enter the story
Read chapter by chapter and record each choice the protagonist makes to observe his growth trajectory
After finishing, compare with a concise history of the Revolutionary War to distinguish fiction from fact

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no historical background?

Yes. The novel drives the plot through the characters' experiences, and historical background emerges naturally through dialogue and scenes. Readers need not know Revolutionary War details in advance to follow the main story, though familiarity with the two locations' campaigns will enhance immersion.

Should I prepare a map while reading?

It is advisable to have a map of the northeastern United States marking Crown Point and Ticonderoga, which makes it easier to understand the spatial relations of marches and their strategic significance, and enhances the vividness of reading.

How difficult is the English in this book?

It is an early English novel for young readers, with sentences somewhat longer than modern works but vocabulary not overly difficult. Readers with intermediate English reading ability can finish it with a dictionary, making it suitable as extensive reading material.

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About the author

Otis, James, 1848-1912 Author

James Otis (1848–1912) was an American author known for juvenile coming-of-age fiction, with 42 of his works held in this collection. His representative works include Toby Tyler; or, Ten Weeks with a Circus, which follows a boy’s experiences and growth in a circus, and Mr. Stubbs’s Brother, also centered on boyhood life. Other titles, such as Sarah Dillard’s Ride: A Story of the Carolinas in 1780, With Porter in the Essex, Martha of California: A Story of the California Trail, The Boys of ’98, and Defending the Island: A Story of Bar Harbor in 1758, place themes of growing up within American historical events and regional settings. His style is accessible and vivid, using a boy’s perspective to explore courage, responsibility, and self-reliance; his works are often classified as inspirational coming-of-age stories and offered positive guidance to young readers of his time. Public information is limited and biographical details are largely unavailable, but the surviving works clearly reflect his creative orientation.