From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up–This high-quality title fills a need in that it shows another side of war. Gottfried starts out by explaining that a group in Connecticut rallied together in 2003 to peacefully protest the war against Iraq. This immediately brings the main idea into the here and now for readers. Then the author discusses the antiwar movement during the Civil War and proceeds through history, beginning with the ancient Greek play Lysistrata, one of the first examples of antiwar discourse in western society. The pictures, political cartoons, and quotes are an excellent addition, and the bibliography gives some interesting titles that researchers can pursue. This is a book that can be read for general interest as well as for reports.–Marianne Fitzgerald, Severna Park High School, MD
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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 8-11. Is opposition to war an aid to the enemy? Were people who were against the Civil War in favor of slavery? What about those who did not want to fight Hitler? Part of the People's History series, this overview of protest movements from the Revolutionary War to the present war in Iraq is as much a history of America at war as a discussion of politics at home. The subject is daunting, and Gottfried's prose is dense, even turgid at times. But the handsome, very spacious design, with thick paper, lots of white space, and frequent subheads and sepia-toned photos, will draw readers both for personal interest and for reports. There is so much to talk about, past and present: the difference between isolationism and pacifism; the nuclear threat; the class war. A time line is appended, and the excellent documentation includes chapter notes and a lengthy bibliography. The teacher in Janet Nichols Lynch's novel Peace Is a Four-Letter Word, reviewed on p.49, would use this book in class. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
