Truce by Jim Murphy

Bibliography Murphy, Jim. TRUCE. New York: Scholastic Press, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-0-545-13049-3 Plot Summary This book tells the story of the events leading up to and that took place during World War I. Starting with growing tensions, the trouble reached a boil when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated. This led to Germany, Austria-Hungary, Serbia and Russia to start the war that had been years in the making. Soon, World War I began and countries began fighting one another. Critical Analysis I fully admit I knew very little about World War I before reading this book. I learned a great deal of information and it is obvious Murphy put a great deal of effort into researching and learning about these events. Much historical data is used, including quotes and specific people who were in the battle fields. My favorite chapter is Chapter Five: It Was a Sight No One Will Ever See Again. This chapter is the one that the book is named for and the actual only event I knew about this war. It was Christmas morning and English sergeant Alfred Self said, “It was so quiet, it was uncanny. There were no planes overhead, no observation balloons, no bombs, no rifle fire, therefore no snipers, just an occasional lark…” The chapter goes on to tell that this particular Christmas day, the British soldiers said they would not fight that day if the Germans did not fight. They were calling a truce for Christmas. While some German leaders were not happy with this decision, it did seem to work. The men spend the day drinking and eating with their fellow soldiers, captains from opposing sides trading beer for pudding. The men locate and bury their dead. But no fighting was done. The chapter ends with a quote from British captain R.J. Armes: “I left our friends [the Germans] on Xmas Day in a quiet mood. I stood upon the parapet and had a final look around and not a shot was fired.” In what is very dark subject matter, this chapter gives a bit of humanity to the history. At least for one day, the men could put down their arms and call a truce. The timeline, notes, an index and more resources about World War I are included in the back of the book. These pieces of information would be very helpful if someone wants to get more information on the topic. The epilogue by Murphy is well written, but maybe steeped a little too heavily on his thoughts about the rhetoric of the state of our country right now. The very last line of the epilogue sum up the WWI Christmas Day truce in a beautiful way: “It may have been a small step toward peace on earth, a tiny bit of light in a vast and threatening darkness, but it offered reassurance and hope that a kinder, humane spirit could prevail amid the horrible brutality of war.” The illustrations are helpful in many ways. First, there are a several maps that really put into perspective the battles that were happening at this time. Most of the other illustrations are photos that were taken at this time or illustrations done by people who studied or were a part of the war. These give an authenticity to the book, making it feel even more real. The photo, for example, of the German long-range artillery that is about to shoot down a supply train show the real action of the war. Other photos like that of dead soldiers in a trench give a more horrifying look at the action described in the text. The font color used is a brownish grey which is about the same color as all of the illustrations. This color makes the story seem even more chilling as there was no real color during this dark time in the world’s history. Awards and Review Excerpts A 2010 Notable Book for a Global Society An Editor’s Choice, Kirkus Reviews An ALA Notable Book for Children An ALA’s BBYA Best Book for Young Adults A NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Title Junior Literary Guild Selection Booklist Best Books of 2009 SLJ Best Books of 2009 A BCCB Blue Ribbon Book “World War I was notable for the incredible carnage, the complete senselessness of which was noted by both foot soldiers and...saavy statesmen.... Anyone who has ever felt confused by the connection between the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand and the conflagration that followed will be vastly enlightened by Murphy’s explanation, extended in a comparison drawn in the epilogue [between] Europe in 1914 and the United States just prior to attacking Iraq. Murphy's research is impeccable, and his use of primary sources is both seamless and effective. An excellent addition to ...libraries, this affecting book has a place in history curriculum as well.” – School Library Journal "Murphy's excellent telling of this unusual war story begins with an account of the events that led to WWI and follows the shift in the soldiers' mind-sets from the feverish rush to join before the war ended to the painful realization that no end was in sight. Printed in tones of sepia, the illustrations in this handsome… vividly portrays the context and events of the Christmas Truce." – Booklist Review "The historical background Murphy provides gives the truce emotional resonance; his subsequent, concise summary of the next four years of carnage is all the more sobering in contrast. Plentiful photographs and period illustrations convey the paradoxes well.” – Hornbook “Opening with a cogent recap of the state of Europe….that focuses on those moments when war might have been averted,… the author gracefully moves to the horrific conditions of battle…. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, Murphy takes readers through to the exhausting endgame that spawned the next war, but also he leaves kids with the provocative thought that war need not be inevitable, that the truce "offered reassurance that a kinder, humane spirit could prevail…." Spectacular." – Kirkus Review Connections · Murphy refers to a few other books about the Christmas Day truce. Look at these stories to see if they differ than Murphy’s. Silent Night: The Story Of the World War I Christmas Truce by Stanley Weintraub and Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon. · In the epilogue, Murphy says he first began his research on WWI with looking at the 400,000 African-American soldiers in the war. Read the books he mentions about these men: The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage by Walter Dean Myers and Hell Fighters: African American Soldiers in World War I by Michael Cooper.