Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
An excellent companion to the 2005 French film, Joyeux Noël. This is a must read for anyone who knows little to nothing about World War One or knows a great deal about this war in our history. In other words everyone should read it! It is a travesty we are not taught more about the 'war to end all wars'. We need to hear more stories like this one that humanize the components of warfare beyond a "good guy" and a "bad guy".
Jim Murphy does a tremendous service for readers with not only focusing on the Christmas Truce, but also detailing precursors to the war and leading into it.
Jim Murphy does a tremendous service for readers with not only focusing on the Christmas Truce, but also detailing precursors to the war and leading into it.
I've taught ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, and I've talked about the Christmas Truce, but I was glad to see a short, focused book on the 'events'. Murphy gives background on the causes of the war -- confusing, infuriating, ironic. Knowing this, it makes the troops' decision to put down their weapons and celebrate Christmas together even more poignant. Ordered to continue fighting, the men discovered or rediscovered we are all more alike than different...It makes it more difficult to fight someone when you know that. But fight they did, for years to come. And the seeds of WWII are firmly sowed.
The line drawings and old photos add to this little gem. Murphy quotes from diaries and letters of the day, giving us a first-person point of view. Makes me wish I still taught the Remarque book. I can see lots of ways to incorporate this one.
The line drawings and old photos add to this little gem. Murphy quotes from diaries and letters of the day, giving us a first-person point of view. Makes me wish I still taught the Remarque book. I can see lots of ways to incorporate this one.
Surprisingly honest for a children's book. It never underestimates its reader's intelligence or reading comprehension and it never talks down to the reader. I appreciated that.
I meant to finish this closer to Christmas but oh well, I read it now. Still an inspiring read, reminding us all we are more alike than different. An amazing moment in time.
Truce is a very accessible book for a young reader, as it ties together the story of WWI with the scenes of the Christmas Truce at the Western Front.
Unlike the picture books, and songs about the truce, Murphy tells a heartbreaking story of small, unstable agreements between the front lines, where no official agreements were made. He tells a history of that night, rather than a romanticized tale.
This book would make a great gift ( even a Christmas gift!) for a middle school history buff with an interest in the cold hard facts of war.
Unlike the picture books, and songs about the truce, Murphy tells a heartbreaking story of small, unstable agreements between the front lines, where no official agreements were made. He tells a history of that night, rather than a romanticized tale.
This book would make a great gift ( even a Christmas gift!) for a middle school history buff with an interest in the cold hard facts of war.
While this book is in the Juvenile section of the library, I have to say it's the best book on WWI (or any war) that I've ever read. The causes and consequences of WWI are so much clearer to me; I could probably even carry on a lengthy discussion about it. I have read textbook chapters about WWI both in high school and college, and once I started this text, I felt like I didn't know a THING about it. So, I do recommend this to adults who love history but don't necessarily love reading adult nonfiction books about history.
As for the targeted audience: this book will be just right for someone who is at a solid middle school reading level. The vocabulary is 7-9th grade (according to Oxford-Sadlier), and it is extremely well written and totally fascinating. The reader learns how the public was misled to support the war, how the leaders blundered here and there, how the war defied expectations and how it led to trench warfare, what the Western Front was actually like, and how the miraculous Christmas truce came about and how it was forcefully ended. The author even provides commentary in the Epilogue on how there are similar issues with the Iraq war. Definitely the author is anti-war but very interested in it, and he succeeded in educating me without boring me; war is my least favorite historical topic.
Well, I recommend it!
As for the targeted audience: this book will be just right for someone who is at a solid middle school reading level. The vocabulary is 7-9th grade (according to Oxford-Sadlier), and it is extremely well written and totally fascinating. The reader learns how the public was misled to support the war, how the leaders blundered here and there, how the war defied expectations and how it led to trench warfare, what the Western Front was actually like, and how the miraculous Christmas truce came about and how it was forcefully ended. The author even provides commentary in the Epilogue on how there are similar issues with the Iraq war. Definitely the author is anti-war but very interested in it, and he succeeded in educating me without boring me; war is my least favorite historical topic.
Well, I recommend it!
This book is OK, its not as good however, as I expected . The problem with this book is that there is little conflict in the book and I felt the author could really have expanded on a lot of the things discussed in the book.
Excellent book - very informative and well written. I'm looking forward to Russell Freedman's book on World War I even more now! (And I'm beginning to suspect that from now on, every time I read about WWI I'll think in terms of which parts match Scott Westerfeld's LEVIATHAN and which are different....)
I have long been vaguely familiar with the truce on Christmas Day during the first year of World War I. Some Christmas songs mention it, and that's where my knowledge has come from, no doubt. In listening to an audiobook set during WWI, I came across the mention of the truce once again. This inspired me to seek out more information. Hence, reading this book.
I think the book gives a good understanding of both how the war begun as well as the truce. Appropriate for upper elementary students on up. It is full of pictures and artwork depicting the war and truce as well.
I think the book gives a good understanding of both how the war begun as well as the truce. Appropriate for upper elementary students on up. It is full of pictures and artwork depicting the war and truce as well.
An amazing nonfiction offering showing a different side of war. Perfect for grades 5-8, Murphy combines riveting text with maps, photographs, newspaper clippings and other primary source material to tell the story of how soldiers from every country called a spontaneous truce on Dec 25, 1914, during World War I.