Non-Fiction Reviews | July 2003
by Saviour Pirotta
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There are a lot of exciting non-fiction books rolling off the production line this Spring, especially history titles, so I thought I’d write about a few of my personal favourites.

The My War series from Wayland brings history to life in an entertaining and personal way. The main text is written by commissioned authors, but on each page we meet people who lived through World War II and who reminisce about their experiences. Philip Steele’s My War: Land Girl features, among others, Elsie Hendy and Pat Goggon, both Londoners who became friends working in Cornwall. Their memories help bring the book to life in a direct and refreshing way. So do the pictures, mostly in black and white. The most interesting ones are, of course, the amateur snaps taken by the people featured in the book, or their friends. They evoke a real sense of the period.

Evacuee, by Peter Hepplewhite, follows the children who were evacuated into the countryside to escape the constant bombing in Britain’s cities. The readers witness the kids leaving their city homes, arriving at their new ones, adapting to a new life and finally returning to their old one. The last chapter, which explains how life-long friendships were formed in the face of danger and adversity, is a real treat. Other books in this excellent series include ARP Volunteer; Home Guard ; Prisoner of War AND Royal Air Force.

Wayland also produce The World Wars series. It spans both world wars of the last century, each book focusing on one major aspect of the wars. The titles are self-explantory. They include: Armistice 1918; The Battle of the Somme; Leaders of World War II and The Home Front in World War II. I read two of them, Peter Chrisp’s The War In The Pacific and Alex Woolf’s The Battle Of Britain. Both had me absorbed for hours. The authors are both experienced writers who explain difficult concepts and situations in a clear, accessible style. I started reading for information but found myself hooked on the stories, always a sign of a good reference book. There are also useful maps, archive pictures; a time line; a glossary and links to relevant websites.

Alex Woolf is also the author of Roman Journey, part of the History Journeys series, also published by Wayland. The book follows a Roman legionary on his travels from France to Hadrian’s wall in the north of England. Along the way, the readers learn about the history of Rome and many details of Roman life. Woolf’s writing is packed with information without being patronising, and he manages to mix well-known facts with rarer nuggets of information. The choice of pictures strikes the right balance between surviving ancient works of art and modern photographs. Other books in the series, written by different authors, include A Tudor Journey, A Victorian Journey and An Evacuee's Journey.

Another history series from Wayland, this one aimed at KS3, features ‘what if’ panels that show the readers what would have happened had not a particular event in history not taken place. The one I read, Nicola Barber’s The Western Front, has the vibrancy of a fast-paced narrative. Other titles to look out for in the same series are Sean Sheehan’s The Cold War and Christine Hatt’s The African-American Slave Trade.

Also top of my list is Orion’s new series of picture books called Brilliant Brits. The first two titles feature Henry VIII and The Beatles. Written and illustrated by Richard Brassey, they present history in an informal and humorous way, in the style of Horrible Histories but for a younger audience. The pictures are pleasantly old-fashioned, with lots of detail and visual information to pore over. The speech bubbles add extra information. Look out for future titles about David Beckham, Shakespeare as well as King Arthur, Queen Victoria, Guy Fawkes and Boudicca. A brilliant series from a brilliant author/illustrator.

Francesca Simon’s Helping Hercules is not a history title but it could be used for a project on Ancient Greece. The seven stories in the book feature Susan, a feisty girl who is whisked back in time to battle with the monsters and help the gods, goddesses and heroes of ancient Greece. Susan is the female equivalent of Horrid Henry, whose nasty exploits have made him a firm favourite with young readers everywhere. Children will adore her exploits, and so will you.

Saviour

BOOKS REVIEWED

My War Series
Evacuee by Peter Hepplewhite
The World Wars Series
History Journeys Series
Questioning History Series
Brilliant Brits Series
Helping Hercules by Francesca Simon

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