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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
challenging
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Jim Murphy writes historical fiction that reads like a story, without ever being fictionalized. Out of all the muddle of history, he pulls out a story complete with suspense, fascinating characters, and plot twists that would be hard to believe if they weren't completely true.
In Truce, Murphy tackles a little piece of a big story - the first World War. A note mentions that he originally intended to write more thoroughly about the war, but stuck to this one aspect for various reasons. His initial research shows in the way he manages to paint a picture of what led up to the war as well as its early days. He succinctly provides context for his story without letting it get overwhelmed by the larger story, describing the beginnings of trench warfare (a tidbit that was new to me) as well as what happened after the truce, and why it was never repeated.
The story of the truce is heartbreaking but also inspiring in the way it reveals the potential for good in humanity. The photographs chosen are a perfect complement to Murphy's story - official photos show life in the trenches and the faces of soldiers, while blurrier, unofficial photos document the truce itself. Since the truces where completely unauthorized, the only photos are amateur and not as crisp, which hardly matters once you see the faces of enemies briefly at peace.
On a side note, the story made me think of Kate Seredy's [bc:The Singing Tree|826852|The Singing Tree (Puffin Newbery Library)|Kate Seredy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178729411s/826852.jpg|812581] (the sequel to [bc:The Good Master|258038|The Good Master (Puffin Newbery Library)|Kate Seredy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173210368s/258038.jpg|250092]) which was one of my early introductions to WWI and mentions, if I remember correctly, a Christmas truce.
Source: public library
In Truce, Murphy tackles a little piece of a big story - the first World War. A note mentions that he originally intended to write more thoroughly about the war, but stuck to this one aspect for various reasons. His initial research shows in the way he manages to paint a picture of what led up to the war as well as its early days. He succinctly provides context for his story without letting it get overwhelmed by the larger story, describing the beginnings of trench warfare (a tidbit that was new to me) as well as what happened after the truce, and why it was never repeated.
The story of the truce is heartbreaking but also inspiring in the way it reveals the potential for good in humanity. The photographs chosen are a perfect complement to Murphy's story - official photos show life in the trenches and the faces of soldiers, while blurrier, unofficial photos document the truce itself. Since the truces where completely unauthorized, the only photos are amateur and not as crisp, which hardly matters once you see the faces of enemies briefly at peace.
On a side note, the story made me think of Kate Seredy's [bc:The Singing Tree|826852|The Singing Tree (Puffin Newbery Library)|Kate Seredy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178729411s/826852.jpg|812581] (the sequel to [bc:The Good Master|258038|The Good Master (Puffin Newbery Library)|Kate Seredy|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173210368s/258038.jpg|250092]) which was one of my early introductions to WWI and mentions, if I remember correctly, a Christmas truce.
Source: public library
This book did an excellent job of making history simple for children in 5th grade and up. A great deal of research was done in the making of this excellent history book.
It gives a clear description of the impetus for World War I, which makes it easier to understand why the soldiers made their own truce on Christmas day-- many of them expected the war to be over quickly and didn’t feel a passionate disdain for their enemies. The photographs are interesting and the time line and index are good. It’s a solid non-fiction book.
Truce by Jim Murphy (2009)
Through a well-explained backdrop, Murphy sets the scene of World War I and what became known as the Great War, for its trench warfare with modernized weaponry and lack of defensive measures that led to millions of casualties. In Truce, Murphy shares an objective view that shows all parties’ men honored to go to war, somewhat naively, before realizing that this would not be a simple fight or an easy win. After months of muddy and unsanitary conditions, soldiers found that war was not the glorious image they had in mind. While generals and commanders on both sides of the line ordered their men not to fraternize with the enemy, Christmas approached and a miracle occurred: soldiers defied orders and offered a temporary truce to celebrate the holiday and bury the dead. While the truce did not occur completely down the line, hundreds of thousands of men postponed fighting. Many found themselves in No Man’s Land, wishing their enemies peace and realizing that neither group of soldiers wanted war any longer, but the war would continue until politicians and reigning leaders brought it to an end. With sepia toned photographs and illustrations, Murphy drives home the hardship of the war and beauty in the short respite as enemies socialized and shook hands on Christmas of 1914. In larger print, the narrative captivatingly draws the reader into that December miracle and uses soldiers’ quotes from journals and letters on both sides, showing the wonder of peace. In the epilogue, Murphy makes a modern connection between WWI and the Iraq War, urging future generations to consider negotiations of peace and prohibition of propaganda use in order to avoid risking many innocent lives. With its timeline, easy to follow prose, and recommended further reading, Truce offers younger readers the opportunity to explore war through a different lens, examining “The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est, / Pro patria mori”.
Owen, Wilfred. “Dulce et Decorum est” 1917
Through a well-explained backdrop, Murphy sets the scene of World War I and what became known as the Great War, for its trench warfare with modernized weaponry and lack of defensive measures that led to millions of casualties. In Truce, Murphy shares an objective view that shows all parties’ men honored to go to war, somewhat naively, before realizing that this would not be a simple fight or an easy win. After months of muddy and unsanitary conditions, soldiers found that war was not the glorious image they had in mind. While generals and commanders on both sides of the line ordered their men not to fraternize with the enemy, Christmas approached and a miracle occurred: soldiers defied orders and offered a temporary truce to celebrate the holiday and bury the dead. While the truce did not occur completely down the line, hundreds of thousands of men postponed fighting. Many found themselves in No Man’s Land, wishing their enemies peace and realizing that neither group of soldiers wanted war any longer, but the war would continue until politicians and reigning leaders brought it to an end. With sepia toned photographs and illustrations, Murphy drives home the hardship of the war and beauty in the short respite as enemies socialized and shook hands on Christmas of 1914. In larger print, the narrative captivatingly draws the reader into that December miracle and uses soldiers’ quotes from journals and letters on both sides, showing the wonder of peace. In the epilogue, Murphy makes a modern connection between WWI and the Iraq War, urging future generations to consider negotiations of peace and prohibition of propaganda use in order to avoid risking many innocent lives. With its timeline, easy to follow prose, and recommended further reading, Truce offers younger readers the opportunity to explore war through a different lens, examining “The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est, / Pro patria mori”.
Owen, Wilfred. “Dulce et Decorum est” 1917
Truce is a wonderful book that not only tells the story of the unofficial Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War I, but also gives a coherent, thorough history of the events leading up to the hostilities and just what those terrible first months of war was like in the trenches.
The fact is that most of us don't really remember World War I from our high school history days. And I know I never learned that World War I could have and almost was prevented. So I can honestly say that I (re)learned a lot reading Truce. Jim Murphy has a real gift for explaining history in his well-researched, totally accessible book about how the enemy soldiers stopped fighting in the middle of a war and celebrated Christmas together. And as he points out, the truce wasn't quite as spontaneous as we have been led to believe.
Murphy explains that there are two sides to trench warfare - the fighting side and the boring side. The fighting side was basically barbaric, with soldiers charging across a No Man's Land towards the enemy and the enemy mowing them down with all kinds of artillery, including machine guns. The boring side was waiting in the trenches for the next charge or counter charge. But, although carnage was taking place on the battlefield, newspapers were publishing stories about victory, causing enlistment offices to be packed with men want to enlist.
The fighting was horrible as were the conditions in the trenches. The soldiers were plagued not only by bullets and grenades, but also by "nonmiliitary dangers," like swarms of hungry rats, lice and fleas in their clothing, bedding and food. And sometimes these can be just a bad.
But sometimes, Murphy writes, when it was quite the soldiers of one side could hear the soldiers on the other side talking, singing, playing music. Then they began to contact each other from across No Man's Land, exchanging greetings, remarks, even food.
And so, when Christmas came and the men received cards and parcels from home, on both sides of No Man's Land, they were feeling mellow and friendly. The rest is history...
While the main focus of Truce is on the events leading up to war and the truce of Christmas 1914, Murphy also includes a brief history of the rest of the war and the subsequent conditions Germany was subjected to when they surrendered. Murphy has written a nicely detailed, well-rounded history, just graphic enough for the intended middle grade reader. It will hold their interest without turning them off. Truce is very well documented, and includes maps, photographs, a timeline, notes and sources - in other words, all those things that make an informational text really creditable and user-friendly. I particularly liked the list of books, poetry, movies and websites where the reader can go to learn more about World War I.
One of the things I have always wondered about was why the unofficial Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War II has become the subject for lots of fiction. Well, I found my answer in this well-researched, well-written book. The Western Front was a lot longer than I had ever imagined - two parallel trenches ran 475 miles from the North Sea to the Swiss border, separated by a No Man's Land tangled up with barbed wire. On the eastern side of the front was the German trench, on the western side were the Allied troops from Britain, France and Belgium. 475 miles means that not everyone could have experienced the truce in the same way, leaving it wide open to the imagination.
What a great book!
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was purchased for my personal library
The fact is that most of us don't really remember World War I from our high school history days. And I know I never learned that World War I could have and almost was prevented. So I can honestly say that I (re)learned a lot reading Truce. Jim Murphy has a real gift for explaining history in his well-researched, totally accessible book about how the enemy soldiers stopped fighting in the middle of a war and celebrated Christmas together. And as he points out, the truce wasn't quite as spontaneous as we have been led to believe.
Murphy explains that there are two sides to trench warfare - the fighting side and the boring side. The fighting side was basically barbaric, with soldiers charging across a No Man's Land towards the enemy and the enemy mowing them down with all kinds of artillery, including machine guns. The boring side was waiting in the trenches for the next charge or counter charge. But, although carnage was taking place on the battlefield, newspapers were publishing stories about victory, causing enlistment offices to be packed with men want to enlist.
The fighting was horrible as were the conditions in the trenches. The soldiers were plagued not only by bullets and grenades, but also by "nonmiliitary dangers," like swarms of hungry rats, lice and fleas in their clothing, bedding and food. And sometimes these can be just a bad.
But sometimes, Murphy writes, when it was quite the soldiers of one side could hear the soldiers on the other side talking, singing, playing music. Then they began to contact each other from across No Man's Land, exchanging greetings, remarks, even food.
And so, when Christmas came and the men received cards and parcels from home, on both sides of No Man's Land, they were feeling mellow and friendly. The rest is history...
While the main focus of Truce is on the events leading up to war and the truce of Christmas 1914, Murphy also includes a brief history of the rest of the war and the subsequent conditions Germany was subjected to when they surrendered. Murphy has written a nicely detailed, well-rounded history, just graphic enough for the intended middle grade reader. It will hold their interest without turning them off. Truce is very well documented, and includes maps, photographs, a timeline, notes and sources - in other words, all those things that make an informational text really creditable and user-friendly. I particularly liked the list of books, poetry, movies and websites where the reader can go to learn more about World War I.
One of the things I have always wondered about was why the unofficial Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War II has become the subject for lots of fiction. Well, I found my answer in this well-researched, well-written book. The Western Front was a lot longer than I had ever imagined - two parallel trenches ran 475 miles from the North Sea to the Swiss border, separated by a No Man's Land tangled up with barbed wire. On the eastern side of the front was the German trench, on the western side were the Allied troops from Britain, France and Belgium. 475 miles means that not everyone could have experienced the truce in the same way, leaving it wide open to the imagination.
What a great book!
This book is recommended for readers age 8+
This book was purchased for my personal library
In July of 1914, the world's peace was shattered as one by one, the European nations entered into conflict. But just a few months later in December of that same year, peace was momentarily restored when troops openly defied their commanders' orders and met their enemies in the war-torn barren ground between the trenches of the Western Front, known as No Man's Land. There they sang carols, exchanged small gifts, and attempted to bring about the oft-repeated refrain of "Peace on Earth, goodwill to men." Murphy's impeccable research and powerful storytelling not only bring to life the story of the Christmas Truce--as it came to be called--but provide one of the most articulate explanations I've seen of the complex events leading to the start of World War I. Archival photographs and artwork illustrate the story, and several maps help readers make sense of the changing geography. A list that includes books (fiction and nonfiction), movies and websites about World War I gives interested readers a starting place for learning more about this pivotal point in history. History buffs or anyone looking for a book that exemplifies the spirit of Christmas will want to read this book.
Great book to use while teaching my 5th graders about WWI.
Once again, Jim Murphy shares a little-known story with great depth of information.
World War I is often called "The Forgotten War" and most of what we know about it are the horrible conditions: trench warfare, often rainy and cold weather. Murphy explains just what made that so miserable--and how, for one Christmas, soldiers on both sides of the very long Western front shared a day without war. They also shared time with their enemies.
Murphy explains the conditions that set up the War (so THAT'S why the death of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand led to the war), and then also gives reasons for why World War II took place.
It's a great book, and a rare 5 stars from me.
World War I is often called "The Forgotten War" and most of what we know about it are the horrible conditions: trench warfare, often rainy and cold weather. Murphy explains just what made that so miserable--and how, for one Christmas, soldiers on both sides of the very long Western front shared a day without war. They also shared time with their enemies.
Murphy explains the conditions that set up the War (so THAT'S why the death of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand led to the war), and then also gives reasons for why World War II took place.
It's a great book, and a rare 5 stars from me.