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jm3684's review
5.0
This was a great graphic novel. I think the characters going through the story were really interesting and funny. I think the humor is really great, especially in a book that deals with some pretty heavy topics i.e. racism, slavery, losing limbs, yellow fever, etc. I also really liked the illustration. It was just overall a very creative and informative book.
padawan17's review
5.0
This book is funny while dealing with bloody and brutal parts of history. I loved it, and finished it within 24 hours of getting it from the library. Nathan Hale has done it again.
mvprince's review
5.0
I love these books so much. I'm an adult, but I still learn a lot from them. The author's approach to history is wonderful: it's all well-researched and true, but told in a fun, entertaining way by the narrator (Nathan Hale, staving off his execution Scherezade-style) and his sidekicks: the executioner, a total goofball who loves animals; and a British officer who's stuffy but loves the tales as much as we do. Billy, the young Black man who tied the noose for Hale's actual hanging, has joined as a character; he's more straightforward than the other two but still cute). These are a great way for adults to fill in the gaps of their American history education (or to find out what actually happened to the Donner party). They'd also be excellent for kids who prefer non-fiction books. Recommended for all ages!
erine's review
5.0
I vaguely recall the tale of the Louisiana Purchase, but this version fills in all the gaps and cracks in the history. There’s a bit of Napoleon’s early history; brief mentions of American colonial exploration; a lightning round of the French Revolution; a quick tie-in to the transatlantic slave trade; some details of European monarchy and U.S. government; a reminder about how disease affects the path of history, especially during war; and what single-minded activism can do (obtain your freedom but at a very bloody cost). It’s a lot to cover, and it’s a bit haphazard, but it’s also an endless series of fascinating tidbits.
I think one of the oddest pieces in this history is how the Haitian revolution did not inspire the U.S. to give slaves their freedom after seeing this violence. Instead they doubled down on restrictive and humane measures.
I think one of the oddest pieces in this history is how the Haitian revolution did not inspire the U.S. to give slaves their freedom after seeing this violence. Instead they doubled down on restrictive and humane measures.