Foto dell'autore

Geert Spillebeen

Autore di Kipling's Choice

7 opere 203 membri 13 recensioni

Opere di Geert Spillebeen

Kipling's Choice (2002) 133 copie
Age 14 (2009) 54 copie
Abdous oorlog (2007) 6 copie
Man tegen de muur (2005) 4 copie
Zomer in Passendale (1998) 4 copie

Etichette

Informazioni generali

Nome canonico
Spillebeen, Geert
Sesso
male
Nazionalità
Netherlands (birth)
Belgium
Nazione (per mappa)
Belgium
Luogo di residenza
Belgium
Attività lavorative
journalist
radio presenter
high school teacher

Utenti

Recensioni

This book is based on the true story of Patrick Condon a young old Irish boy. Patrick's family was very poor. His parents lied about his age and sent him to work as a dockworker. Patrick hated his job so he enlisted in the army when he was 12 years old. In order to get in, he lied about his name (calling himself John after his brother's name) and age because he was too young. Patrick passed the physical fitness test and was excited to be accepted into the military because this was his dream. He could escape his unhappy life at home. Early in his military career he became friends with two other soldiers, Tom and Michael. Both men knew that Patrick was too young to be in the military but it doesn't matter to them because he was a hard working soldier. Patrick learned a lot from the older men. He liked wearing a uniform, shooting his rifle, and being respected by the people he met. Patrick desired more action though. When World War I broke out in 1914, Patrick was put through a crash course in preparation for the real fight. Patrick and his friends, Tom and Michael, were assigned to the Second Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment. In January 1915, Patrick's Battalion was sent to the front lines in France. In the trenches, the young teen realized that the military isn't all fun and games. He panicked the first time he was hit with shrapnel. During the same gun fire, his buddy Michael was killed in front of him. Patrick had a strong fear of dying but continued to fight in the trenches while being attacked with gas. He fought for many months in very bad conditions around a hot spot called the "Mouse Trap" thanks to the help of his friends and the noncommissioned officers leading his company. Ultimately, he was severely wounded battling against young German soldiers in close range combat for the "Mouse Trap" and then attacked with chlorine gas. Whiling dying on May 24,1915, he is asked his age. He finally told someone that he would have been fourteen next month. Eight years after Patrick's death, he was found in a mass grave site extremely close to his older friend Tom. Their bodies are exhumed and reburied next to each other in the British Cemetery in Flanders, Belgium. Patrick or otherwise known as John Condon was youngest military casualty of World War I.

I rated this book four stars because I thought Patrick's story was interesting. I also rated this book four stars because I liked the WWI history the book gives. I think all ages would enjoy this book. I would recommend this book to people who like military books. I was surprised when I found out that Patrick was a real person. I thought this story was fascinating because Patrick didn't find going to war scary, like other people would. I found Patrick being the youngest casualty of World War I fascinating.
… (altro)
 
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JettJ.G1 | 2 altre recensioni | Jan 19, 2016 |
Interesting perspective on World War I.
 
Segnalato
Sullywriter | 2 altre recensioni | Apr 3, 2013 |
Kipling’s Choice is a non-fiction piece of literature. It was written by Geert Spillebeen and was translated into English by Terese Edelstein. Spillebeen does a remarkable job of retelling the story of John Kipling’s life, family and his time on the battlefield.
The story’s exposition starts with Lieutenant John Kipling in a heated battle against the Germans in WWI. The story mainly takes place in WWI, but also draws back on Kipling’s childhood memories at his home in England. His father was the celebrated writer Rudyard Kipling who wrote the story The Jungle Book . As John tries to lead the British forces to victory in his first battle, he is mortally wounded by an artillery shell. As he lies on the ground, slowly bleeding out, he thinks back to his childhood and teenage years, leading up to his adulthood and this current battle. It really develops the character of John and shows how he lived his life as a young boy, mostly carefree due to his father’s riches. As a young boy, his dream was to join the Navy, which was greatly influenced by his father. Rudyard always wanted to join the Navy, but was unable. As John grows older, his eyesight begins to fail him, and his dreams for joining the navy like his father always wanted to do were dashed. He tries mercilessly to get into a school that would train him to become a soldier. He eventually does become a soldier (an officer in fact by the rank of Lieutenant) and travels to the front to face the Germans. Will John survive his wounds? Pick up this book at our library to find out.
This book is excellent in relating the horrors of WWI and what it does to families. It can be slow at times when Kipling has his flashbacks to his childhood, but it helps to thoroughly develop the characters in the story. It can also be a bit gruesome at times when he describes the battlefield, due to the author’s vivd description of wounds on the soldiers of WWI. Even with these aspects, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes reading about any World War or someone who enjoys a good story.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
ahsreads | 9 altre recensioni | Nov 30, 2012 |
Recommended Ages: Gr. 7-12

Plot Summary: John Kipling, son of Rudyard Kipling, really wants to join the army but his eyesight is poor. He is excited when his dad's friend in Scotland offers him a chance to be a soldier. He goes through training and in his first battle, he is badly injured, apparently losing much of his jaw and mouth. He manages to survive with this injury and pain as people try to save him. This book is told in two voices. The dark bold font, which begins the book, starts with John getting his life-threatening injury in his first battle. The normal font starts when John is about 14, getting his eyes tested, and continues until John is about to enter his first battle.

Setting: England, Scotland, and France, 1914-1918

Characters:
John Kipling - 17 when entering training, poor eyesight, wants to fight for his country, becomes Lieutenant
Rudyard Kipling - "daddo," John's father, famous author of The Jungle Book, wealthy, spoils John by buying him cars, wants his son to be a soldier since he wasn't able to be one himself due to his poor eyesight
Mummy - John's mom
Elsie - John's sister, drives John's Car-uso (car), becomes family chaffeur
Mayor of Acquin - John stays with the mayor's family while nearby training
Celle - Mayor's daughter, very aggressive romantically towards John
Rupert Grayson - John's friend, in same battalion

Recurring Themes: war, world war II, trenches, The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling, death, family relationships, letter writing

Controversial Issues:
pg 21 "A tango is very sexy when you try it in slow motion. He grasps Miss Malone firmly around her middle and furtively sniffs her delicate perfume when she leans against him."

pg 34 "To their bewildered readers they dish out so-called reports about German atrocities: villages burned to the ground, rapes."

pg 47 "nightly escapades at...pricey nightclubs. When he and Ma think about their frail boy, they are reminded that 'in the army you become a man.' ...He laughs heartily at the nightly hell-raising in Car-Uso...His little boy is becoming a man."

pg 63 "Here's to the Kaiser, the son of a bitch"

Graphic description of John's injury and pain. ex: pg 92 "His whole body shakes. John can't cry out, for all that remains of his mouth, nose, and thraod are some holes and patches of raw flesh." pg 112 "A second later there he was, blown to pieces."

There are also a few damns and maybe a few craps.

Personal Thoughts: I originally picked this up because an 8th grade LA teacher said it might be too graphic for some students in our school. I agree that the book is graphic, but I think our students are accustomed to violence from the movies. It might be a little different hearing the voice and the pain from first person, but I believe the boys who pick up his book are looking for it.

I was a little confused a few times about what happened, since there are many characters and things aren't always explicity explained, but I definitely understood the overall plot and most of the details.
… (altro)
 
Segnalato
pigeonlover | 9 altre recensioni | Mar 4, 2010 |

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Statistiche

Opere
7
Utenti
203
Popolarità
#108,639
Voto
3.9
Recensioni
13
ISBN
16
Lingue
2

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