Jim Murphy (2) (1947–2022)

Jim Murphy writes so eloquently about a terrible tragedy for early America, the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. The first thing that hit me about this book was Murphy's excellent story-telling style of writing. I almost felt like I was reading Tolkien in the first paragraphs, "The sun came up, as it had every day since the end of May, bright, hot, and unrelenting. The swamps and marshes south of Philadelphia had already lost a great deal of water to the intense heat, while the Delaware and show more Schuylkill Rivers had receded to reveal long stretches of their muddy, root choked banks. Dead fish and gooey vegetable matter were exposed and rotted, while swarms of insects droned in the heavy, humid air.
In Philadelphia itself an increasing number of cats were dropping dead every day, attracting, one Philadelphian complained, 'an amazing number of flies and other insects.' Mosquitoes were everywhere, though their high-pitched whirring was particularly loud near rain barrels, gutters, and open sewers.
These sewers, called 'sinks' were particularly ripe this year. Most streets in the city were unpaved and had no system of covered sewers and pipes to channel water away from buildings. Instead, deep holes were dug at various street corners to collect runoff water and anything else that might be washed along. Dead animals were routinely tossed into this soup, where everything decayed and sent up noxious bubbles to foul the air." (p1,2)
I have several things that I want to talk about for this opening. As previously stated, the writing is phenomenal. Murphy goes into great detail to provide excellent imagery and really put us in Philadelphia. Harping on the vile atmosphere, further set up by his description of the spoiled coffee that had been dumped by a nearby ship on the next page sets up really well for the plague, because doctors at the time really thought that disease originated from bad smells. I love how much Murphy goes into the medical practices and beliefs at the time because bleeding a patient to get out the bad blood does not seem like something an American doctor would prescribe. There is a hint about the mosquitos however, the true carrier of the epidemic.
This leads into my next commentary about how thoroughly this book is researched. I have done many literature searches in my time for science papers, but I have no idea how he found a quote from some random citizen on what was at the time just a normal day complaining about the number of flies. There are 12 pages of sources listed in the back of the book, even categorized topically.
Anyone looking for a good read will love this book, learning something is an excellent perk. I would recommend this for any American history class, especially to read for summer reading or over a break so that students can fully appreciate the writing, although if they enjoy reading, they won't need the whole break because they won't be able to put the book down. show less

Jim Murphy does a fabulous job engaging readers in a relatively unknown tragedy. Malaria, or Yellow Fever, swept through Philadelphia in 1793, killing hundreds, and causing mass panic. Anybody who was able to (the wealthy) fled the city, running for shelter in the countryside. Readers get a taste of what life was really like in the colonies. Medical care often resulted in the death of the patient, and bathing was thought to cause sickness. Nobody knew how the fever was spread. The mosquitoes show more who carried the fever bred in the stale, standing water and sewage that clogged the gutters. Food became scarce and many who may have survived the fever died of starvation, having been abandoned to their fates while unable to care for themselves. The research here is outstanding and the narrative is engaging and lively. show less

One dark night when we were all in bed
Old lady Leary lit a lantern in the shed
And when the cow kicked it over, she winked her eye and said
There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight.

Before I read this book, that sums up about all I “knew” about the 1871 fire that destroyed most of Chicago. I found out that the little I knew was wrong. The fire did start on the O'Leary's property, but a reporter added the bit about the cow and the lantern to add some color to his story.

Murphy pieces show more together eyewitness accounts to tell the story of the fire, beginning with the initial alarm raised when someone noticed the flames in the O'Leary's barn. He describes several things that went wrong in the process of reporting and responding to the fire. He tells about the chaos during the fire, as people fled to what they thought was a safe place, only to have the flames catch up to them and force them to flee again. Families became separated in the crowds, and it must have been terrifying for them, not knowing if their loved ones were safe or if they would ever be able to find them again. Murphy also describes the rebuilding that took place following the fire, and the problem faced by the poorer residents of the city, who couldn't afford fire-proof building material like brick and granite.

The book is targeted for middle grade readers, but it's written in a way that readers of any age can enjoy. It would be a good choice for readers looking for a brief, non-scholarly account of Chicago's Great Fire. show less

While it's marketed as a juvenile or young adult book, I’m not convinced that readers in that age group would fully grasp the depth of the subject matter without some prior knowledge of American history. The book weaves together Robert Louis Stevenson’s journey across the United States with the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad and the U.S. government’s handling of the so-called “Indian problem.” While much of the content felt fairly general, the inclusion of primary show more sources—particularly quotes from General William T. Sherman—stood out. I was genuinely shocked by Sherman’s language and his apparent support for the extermination of Native Americans. I guess I shouldn't be shocked, it was just jolting! 168 pages show less