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Based on a true story, this book would appeal to football fans of about 10+. Set in WW1 it doesn't skimp on some gruesome details, but has some good description of the beautiful game too. Could be good for reluctant readers as it has short chapters and is an interesting subject - the true-story element adds appeal.
What a great little book, took me just under 2 hours to read,Enough detail to keep me sucked in, and a cracking story 😁
Tom Palmer delivers yet another thought provoking and insightful World War 1 novel. Based on the true story of an English soccer/footballer, the tale of the formation of the Footballer’s Battalion highlights the pressures placed on young men through government propaganda and societal expectations. Told in respectful detail, we follow the Battalion through the cataclysm that was Flanders and beyond, rejoicing in their triumphs and mourning with them in their tragedies.Especially good for high sch...
Read this with my 9yr old daughter - her choice. Both really enjoyed its highs and lows.
Great story which thoroughly hooked the boys within my class at school, they were enthusiastic and couldn’t wait to find out what happened to the footballers during the war. Equally enthused were the girls who enjoyed comparing their lives with the characters in the book and also empathising with them.
A smart way to introduce kids to trench warfare. Tom interweaves football reportage with warfare, capturing the bravery of football battalions.
Perfect mix of football action and fairly gritty trench warfare. I loved that this was based on real people and events. Great for reluctant readers age 10+.
Perfect mix of football action and fairly gritty trench warfare. I loved that this was based on real people and events. Great for reluctant readers age 10+.
Loved this book. The balance of War and Football was perfect. I can’t wait for more of my class to read this and get a better picture on what that time would have been like.
Easy read aimed at 10-13 years - a good introduction to the life of soldiers in the first world war. Also should be popular with mature football mad kids.
My review in swedish ---> Romeoandjuliet
Written for children 10+. This is gritty, realistic and a little gruesome in places. Definitely not for the faint hearted. Based on a true story of a young footballer from Yorkshire as he signs up to go to the trenches in the First World War.There is lots of football involved. I'm not a football fan and have never read a book about football but it didn't detract from it at all for me. It's interesting to see things from someone else's viewpoint. And it's an excellent hook for football obsessed k...
A fantastic story from Tom Palmer - as always. I loved that this was based on true events and real people, it’s absolutely right to honour their memories in this story. Will definitely recommend to children at school.
I am not usually a lover of historical fiction but this based on fact 1st WW football story kept my interest all the way through. It taught me facts I’d never heard of before and includes a sensitive but understandably upsetting account of life in the trenches.
Firstly, I do not like football! But I really liked this book. It is based on the life of Jack Cock, who played his first professional match for Huddersfield Town in 1914. It is his dream to play for England. But WW1 had already begun, and the footballers were slammed for playing when other men were dying for their country. At the end of his first season, Jack and several of his friends sign up to a footballers battalion. Will Jack ever play professional football again? ...
Tells of the harsh realities of The Great War in no-holds-barred way (relative to the intended audience's age) but with the moments of hope that football brought to the lives of soldiers in the Footballers Batallion. Based on true stories and expertly told. Gripping stuff.
Based on true events, this is a great little novel for reluctant boy middle grade readers, especially those interested in soccer and/or war stories as it's a combination of both. At times gritty in its details of war, even though there's a low level of vocabulary, the tone is not condescending - more factual (even 'proper', which suits the era) than anything. Suitability: Year 6 - 9 boys.
This is a great little story for any child aged 10 +, or teen, who is into football and also likes Horrible Histories, combining as it does a tale of survival of a footballer with accounts of the battlefields of Flanders in the First World War. The main character, Jack Cock, based on a real person, played professionally for Huddersfield and Chelsea and was part of the Footballers’ Battalion. It is well researched – all the historical details read authentically – so it would be also be good for t...
It's good on last page
It's good on last page