Wednesday, October 1, 2008

War Is...: Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk About War

War Is...: Soldiers, Survivors, and Storytellers Talk About War edited by Marc Aronson and Patty Campbell
In a provocative anthology, two editors with opposing viewpoints present an unflinching collection of works reflecting on the nature of war.Marc Aronson thinks war is inevitable. Patty Campbell thinks war is cruel, deceptive, and wrong. But both agree on one thing: that teens need to hear the truthful voices of those who have experienced war firsthand. The result is this dynamic selection of essays, memoirs, letters, and fiction from nearly than twenty contributors, both contemporary and historical — ranging from Christian Bauman's wrenching "Letter to a Young Enlistee" to Chris Hedges's unfl inching look at combat to Fumiko Miura's Nagasaki memoir, "A Survivor's Tale." Whether the speaker is Mark Twain, World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle, or a soldier writing a miliblog, these divergent pieces look war straight in the face — and provide an invaluable resource for teenagers today.

1 comment:

Readingjunky said...

This was a very powerful book. I've passed it on to a teacher in our high school. We are both concerned about our young people seeing the military as their only choice today for employment and a way to pay for college. The selection that encouraged schools to help seniors read the military contract they might be signing gave excellent advice.