About this item
Highlights
- Ross is fed up with being on the losing side, as Bruntsfield Primary soccer team suffer another humiliating defeat.
- 8-12 Years
- 7.7" x 5.1" Paperback
- 160 Pages
- Juvenile Fiction, Historical
Description
About the Book
A remarkable novel based on a true story of war, soccer and loyaltyBook Synopsis
Ross is fed up with being on the losing side, as Bruntsfield Primary soccer team suffer another humiliating defeat. But after soccer practice each week he goes to visit his grandmother, and this week she has a special present for him.
Pat digs out a pair of old soccer boots and strip which belonged to her father, who once played for Heart of Midlothian Football Club. Ross is amazed that his great-grandfather, Jack, had played for the famous Hearts. As he finds out more about Jack, an incredible story unfolds -- a tale of Edinburgh's young heroes and a battalion of soccer players and fans who fought in World War One at the Battle of the Somme.
Based on the true story of the 16th Royal Scots, otherwise known as the 'Hearts Battalion', this moving book brings a fascinating moment of Scottish history to life. Jim Killgore interweaves the present day life of an ordinary soccer-mad boy with a story of young men who volunteered for war. He focuses on the friendships that develop as the lads play soccer and learn to become soldiers together, making this remarkable story enjoyable and accessible for young people.
Review Quotes
'This simply told story brings to life a small slice of Great War history and puts football into perspective.'
- The Scotsman
'A worthy addition to a school fiction collection supporting the study of the period ... The interweaving of the stories of two soccer-mad boys presents a moving and thoroughly researched account of one aspect of the War.'
- The School Librarian
'This is a very well paced and plotted book, and the different strands are nicely entwined and equally nicely resolved at the end.'
- Undiscovered Scotland
'Books that boys will read are few and far between but this is a book which is well worth reading, whether you're male or female.'
- Lothian Life
'A great little book which cleverly combines soccer and World War One... The descriptions of both the soccer and the battlefield in the book are excellent ... No matter what team you support you will be sure to enjoy this book. It's engaging, moves along at good pace, and tells a thoroughly interesting story. It's a must read for any soccer fan.'
- Literature for Lads
'This was an enjoyable read... I would personally recommend it as a really good read.
- Teen Titles
'This is a fantastic book that combines sports and war history. The reader is taken into the life of the soldier so they can really understand what it was like to be a soldier during world war one without feeling like you're stuck in a history book and the football sequences were fantastic. There is a nice set of facts at the back so readers can get information about the war. It is a short and quick read. '
- booksyourkidswilllove.blogspot.com
About the Author
James Killgore was born in New Orleans in 1959. He studied both in the USA and England, where he met his wife Ann who is from Ayrshire. Jim worked in New York as an editor on a children's science magazine before moving to Edinburgh in 1987. He is now a magazine editor in Glasgow, and has two children. Jim has written two previous novels for young people: Buck Falaya and The Passage.