From the Publisher
In June 1861, when the Civil War began, Charley Goddard enlisted in
the First Minnesota Volunteers. He was 15. He didn''t know what a
"shooting war" meant or what he was fighting for. But he didn''t
want to miss out on a great adventure.
The "shooting war" turned out to be the horror of combat and the
wild luck of survival; how it feels to cross a field toward the
enemy, waiting for fire. When he entered the service he was a boy.
When he came back he was different; he was only 19, but he was a
man with "soldier''s heart," later known as "battle fatigue."
From the Jacket
"A stark, utterly persuasive novel of combat life in the Civil War
that may well challenge generations of middle-school
readers."--The New York Times
"Paulsen's storytelling is so psychologically true that readers
will feel they have lived through Charley's
experience."--Publishers Weekly, Starred
"The nightmare of the Civil War comes to the pages in this novel
from Paulsen . . . based on the real-life experiences of a young
enlistee."--Kirkus Reviews, Pointer
"The novel's spare, simple language and vivid visual images of
brutality and death on the battlefield make it accessible and
memorable to young people."--Booklist, Starred
About the Author
Gary Paulsen is the author of more than 100 books.
Bookclub Guide
author fun facts
Born: May 17 in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Previous jobs: Farm hand, ranch hand, truck driver,
sailor, dogsled racer, teacher, field engineer, editor, soldier,
actor, director, trapper, professional archer, migrant farm worker,
singer
Hobbies: Sailing, collecting and riding Harley Davidsons;
twice ran the Iditarod, the challenging 1,000 mile dogsled race
across Alaska
Inspiration for writing: After a librarian gave him a book
to read--along with his own library card--Gary was hooked. He began
spending hours alone in the basement of his apartment building,
reading one book after another.
Format: Mass Market Paperbound
Published: September 12, 2000
Language: English
The following ISBNs are associated with this title:
ISBN - 10: 0440228387
ISBN - 13: 9780440228387
