Posts Tagged ‘Union’
The Civil War is being discussed everywhere this year for the 150th anniversary. I just finished reading The Boys’ War by Jim Murphy. This book is about Confederate and Union boy soldiers and their war experiences. The book is a short read and probably best for kids in 3rd grade or older.
The book takes the reader on a journey through the Civil War from the boys’ points of view. It starts with the beginning of the Civil War and the frenzy to sign up and fight the opposition. The author describes the mood and willingness to join the armies. The author then moves to the training and fighting experiences of the boys to the changes the boys undergo over time. The boys notice that what once would have made them ill, like seeing a dead soldier, no longer does. The book ends discussing the prisoner of war camps and the treatment of the wounded. I felt out of all the chapters in the book this was the most graphic and I’m sure compared to adult reading it is very tame.
Throughout the book many examples and quotes are provided from actual diaries kept by boy soldiers and musicians. The book is filled with photographs of boy soldiers so the reader really gets an idea of just how young these boys were.
For those interested in Civil War history and how the younger generation participated, read The Boys’ War.
