Customer Reviews

Echoes of Andersonville

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really liked this story because I enjoy the Civil War very much. Unlike some other books I've read that don't portray the very real face of the war, this book pulls no punches when describing combat and the horrors of the battlefield. It describes Civil War combat as the awful experience it really was, shocking, gory and sad.I didn't know anything about Civil War prisons and had never even heard of Andersonville and all the men that died there. This book was very informative and provided lots of factual information to support the storyline, which made it even more interesting. I like authors who know what they are talking about and Mr. Dean is a re-enactor! I really learned alot of history while still enjoying the interesting plot. Andy, Josh and Parson John are all believable characters that seemed so real. Even though it's fiction, it's obvious that this actually could have happened. What sets this book apart from others I've read is the key element of faith that runs throughout it. Even though it's full of plenty of death and sorrow, and portrays the Civil War as it really was, it presents a spiritual dimension that is often overlooked. But it's not preachy or contrived. No matter what age you are, if you love the Civil War, you will probably like this book. It's easy to read and hard to put down once you've started. Parents can feel good about it because there is no bad language or suggestive material to offend young readers. I will recommend Echoes of Andersonville to all my friends who like good war stories. I think this would be a terrific movie!

Echoes of Andersonville is a beautiful portrait of the Civil War. It's about two young boys so different, yet so similiar. Andrew Parker is fifteen years of age and an Union soldier. He has no faith in Christ or God. He cannot understand how his friend can belive so strongly in the Lord and Christ. Then, there is Joshua Smith, whom is a prison guard in Andersonville Prison and sixteen years old. Andersonville was one of the most horrid and nightmarish prisons of the South for Union soldiers. Joshua is cruel, and full of a burning hatred that was set within his soul. He,like Andrew, does not believe in Christ nor God. Joshua's own fellow guards even fear him. Andrew Parker is then taken as a prisoner of war to Andersonville Prison, where the boy meets a man named John Brady, nicknamed Parson John. Parson John has a strong belief in Christ and God. He has such a powerful faith in the Lord, a faith that is so undeniable. Parson John's faith changes both the darkness of Joshua's and Andrew's futures from dark to light with his beautiful and strong faith in the Lord. At the very same time, this novel tells of an unforgettable story. A story of two young boys that are in the very midst of an era and place that would forever scar American history. Echoes of Andersonville brings you into Andersonville prison without stepping a foot out of your home. It's a story full of meaning, hope and love. For this story shows that no matter one's age or physical strength, one can conquer and live thru every obstacle that blocks them and that one can do this by having three things hope, faith and the most powerful force of all...love. Echoes of Andersonville deserves a place of honor not only here, but in the Kingdom of the Lord.

This is a great story that features the depth of the historical facts with the dimension of the human interest factor. You are captivated by the characters and you find you are engaged with their struggles and emotions. You are able to visualize the depth of both sides having to struggle in a war that had family against family. You could almost smell the smoke of the gun fire in the battles as you are reading through the chapters. It is a very appealing story and holds your attention from beginning to end. I highly recommend this for a great read.

A well told story that gives us a feel of how it would have been there in the hell-hole that was Andersonville Prison. An engaging book that has the reader sitting alongside the young prisoner, consoling, encouraging and, at times restraining him. Author Robert Dean can be well pleased with this novel that will reach a very broad readership.

My son was laid up with surgery this summer, and read this during painful recovery. He couldn't put it down, read it twice, and dog-eared many pages to return to. I read it twice after him. The story had action, reality, and a wonderful message that a positive relationship with God and people (through strength from God) can fluorish no matter how impossible/ tortuous one's physical circumstances may be. To this day, my son doesn't take the little things for granted... and has grown into a grateful young man. My sincerest thank you to the author for writing a life-altering book. I hope more are forth-coming!!

This is a youth-oriented book with a Christian focus, set in Andersonville prison in the Civil War. I've read other Andersonville books, and was looking for a book to introduce the topic to my children. I wanted to convey to them both the everyday courage and the everyday barbarity of people.

This book will probably do the trick, but it was... obvious? ...heavy-handed? It wasn't very good literature.

This is a very engaging book that is a pleasure to read. Quite frankly I had a had time putting it down. The story of how our Lord used the horrors of Andersonville to lead men from both the Blue and the Grey to Christ is wonderful and uplifting. Additionally, for those interested in history, the author appears to have a firm grasp of the events and historical conditions of that era.

First of all, I did not realize that this was for written for teens. Secondly, the author made the book seem like a civil war "twist" of a bible sermon. Not enough true historical content for my liking and too many references to religion.