Megiddo's Shadow [Hardcover]

Arthur Slade (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2006

Fueled by anger at the death of his two brothers in World War I, 16-year-old Edward abandons his ailing father on their farm and leaves Canada to enlist. After proving that he can tame any wild horse, he's is sent to Jordan to fight with the Cavalry.

Luckily, his horse is the extraordinary Buke; in battle, a trooper's horse is the key to life and death, and his true companion. In the harsh desert, Edward is grateful for the camaraderie of his tent mates, Cheevers and Blackburn,and letters from Emily, a nurse he met at base camp. As they close in on the enemy Edward finds that the glory and noble vengeance he seeks is replaced by the horror of war and the realization that he must fight not only to survive, but also, to kill.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 7 Up–An engrossing and thought-provoking story of a young man fighting in World War I. Upon learning of his brother's death at the German front, 16-year-old Edward Bathe lies about his age and enlists, leaving Canada and his father's farm for England. When he injures himself training a horse, he meets Emily Waters, an army nurse. Their relationship progresses through letters when Emily transfers to the front. A move from the infantry to the yeomanry starts Edward's war in earnest, but his plans to avenge his brother's death are altered when he is sent to Palestine to fight the Turks. Soldiers die from the heat and disease, horses fall in action, and friends die in battle. The young man's faith in God and in humanity are shaken, and he returns to Canada injured in body and spirit. All of the characters are fully realized, from Edward, a church-going innocent, to his Uncle Nix, a friend of the family and an army colonel who spouts platitudes about people in the Empire having to dig in and give but who honestly believes what he says. Edward's camaraderie with his tent mates keeps him reasonably sane until he discovers that one of them enjoys killing. Megiddo's Shadow is the perfect book to have on hand for the ever-popular historical-fiction assignment, but don't purchase it for only that reason. Buy it because it is a powerful book that needs to be read.–Lisa Prolman, Greenfield Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

After his older brother is killed in World War I, a devastated 16-year-old Edward cares for the family farm while his depressed father lays mute in bed. In his pain and anger, Edward vows to continue his brother's fight and help defeat the Huns. Lying about his age, he enlists in the Canadian army and is shipped to England to embark on his tour of duty. There he is transferred to a cavalry unit destined to fight the Turks and begins a tentative romance with a young nurse. Edward's coming-of-age story culminates in the plains near Megiddo, the ruins of King Solomon's city, where it is said Armageddon will take place and Satan will "climb out of hell and gather his armies." Slade skillfully integrates the plot-driven war narrative with the more psychological underpinning of loss: loss of a loved one and loss of innocence. A solid addition to teen war fiction, this book expands the comparatively small body of realistic World War I novels for this age group. Holly Koelling
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books (October 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385747012
• ISBN-13: 978-0385747011
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,296,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Arthur Slade was raised in the Cypress Hills of southwest Saskatchewan (on a ranch) and began writing at an early age. He received an English Honours degree from the University of Saskatchewan, spent several years writing advertising and now writes fiction full time. He is the author of sixteen novels, including the "Northern Frights" series of books, "Dust" (which won the Governor General's award), "Tribes," "Monsterology" and "The Hunchback Assignments" series. He currently lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical fiction at its finest, July 30, 2007

By 

Camille "at the BookMoot!" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Megiddo's Shadow (Hardcover)

Arthur Slade dedicates this novel to the memory of the five Slade men who served in World War I, his great grandfather, grandfather and great uncles. The dates of the youngest one jump out at the reader, "Private Percy James Slade, 1897-1918 (KIA.)

If my memory serves, I do not think there is a village or town in France and England that does not have a memorial to the fallen of The Great War. World War I does not loom as large in the memory of Americans. In Megiddo's Shadow, Slade takes the reader to a lesser known front of that war, to Palestine in the Middle East.

Sixteen-year-old Edward Bathe leaves his farm in Saskatchewan, Canada and joins the army after receiving the news that his beloved older brother Hector has been killed in France. All he wants to do is get to the front and kill the Hun who took his brother's life but upon arrival in England he is transfered to the Fifth Imperial Remount unit to break horses. He chafes at the assignment but does meet a horse who will be part of his future when he is reassigned to the Lincolnshire Yeomanry. Slade describes the role of these units on his website :

"Yeomanry were different than cavalry--they were trained to be foot soldiers and mounted soldiers. The idea was that they could ride quickly to their destination and dismount and fight. Or they could charge. They were even taught to get their horses to lay down, so they could use them as cover. The regiment was also trained to use the sword or lance in a charge."


Edward and his horse, Buke become part of the British Expeditionary Force in Palestine. The description of desert warfare is unforgettable.

"A month later, in July, I was sent to hell...

...We fed and watered our horses, working through the night because the day would be too hot for us to lift a finger. As the sun rose, it revealed a desolation only the Devil could've dreamed up: a low, flat valley of white marl and salt, spotted with swamp, stony plain, patches of dense scrub, and a thin layer of dry grass. The land had never know rain. Lumps of dried flesh--dead camels--lay here and there as though dropped from the sky, a sky that had never seen a cloud. A hot breath of wind drove the salty dust into my eyes. Occasionally, a thirteen-pounder gun would roar just to let the Turks know that His Majesty's troops were still here."


Very much a classic boy-goes-to-war novel in the tradition of The Red Badge of Courage (Tor Classics), All Quiet on the Western Front or Fallen Angels, Edward experiences the comradeship of soldiers, a first love and the grim reality of warfare. He faces the loss of those he loves and his faith in God as he struggles to find meaning and survive.

Slade relates his grandfather and great uncles' true stories on his website. They are as gripping and heartfelt as the novel and are very much the inspiration for this book. The letter Edward and his father receive about Hector is taken almost verbatim from the real letter the Slade family received about Percy Slade.

Moving, emotional and wrenching at times, this is historical fiction at its finest. I will be reading more of Arthur Slade's writing in the future.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A well told story for any age, January 21, 2007

By 

M. Reid (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Megiddo's Shadow (Hardcover)

A sobering story, well told. It follows the journey of 16 year old Edward Bathe, from the Canadian prairie, who joins the army to fight the Huns in France in 1917. Instead, he finds himself in the cavalry on his way to the Middle East. The story is well researched, full of details about army life, and also chronicles the emotional turmoil and growth of Edward. There are a few twists in the story and Slade's writing propels the reader forward. While intended for the young reader, Megiddo's Shadow was very much enjoyed by this 'mature adult'.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gritty war novel, November 29, 2008

By 

Marsha Skrypuch (Brantford, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Megiddo's Shadow (Mass Market Paperback)

Art Slade plunges the reader into the shoes of Edward, a 16 year old who has just lost his revered older brother in the Great War. Edward lies about his age and enlists to avenge his brother's death. He quickly finds out that war is not as glamorous as he thought.

The historical detail is bang-on and Edward's day to day experiences are so real that the reader can practically feel the grit of sand in her teeth. There is much in this novel that is very mature but it's handled deftly. I found myself weeping many times as I suffered Edward's losses. A compelling read.