The Machine Gunners

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If you like the idea of children taking on adults, and beating them at their own game, you might like to look at this one by Robert Swindells: But underneath all that is the unabashed childhood that springs to the surface that makes the characters in this book fearless and creative. Now with a brilliant new cover look, Robert Westall's gripping first novel for children set during World War Two is celebrating its fortieth anniversary. One of the best war books ever written for children. Completely unputdownable, scary and with incredibly well portrayed characters, itt captures the life during World War II brilliantly. The Machine Gunners won the Carnegie Medal in 1975. I read this one first when I was 12 or so, and recalled it fondly, so when I was looking for another book to read with Ezra, I grabbed this from the library.

The machine gunners - Plot The machine gunners - Plot

So you'll no be speaking to me anymore. You've nae time for Glasgow hooligans. It was you who said to do him proper." Finished the book now, Its great and can be rather interesting, as I have overall given this book a rating of 4 out of 5. I would like to see other books by Robert Westall's and look at them. They might be really interesting as I enjoy reading historical books. e.g warThe Glasses Come Off: Chas gets Boddser to take his off before they start fighting; so he can't be blamed for breaking them. Despite the to-the-point storytelling, The Machine Gunners does not shy away from unconventional turning points in the narrative. This being a time of war, the boys are violent and brutal, irreverent and crude. The book is set in the North East of England near to where I grew up so it was nice to read about places I've been to. Westall paints a very realistic picture as to what life was like during the blitz; the food shortages, the constant stress of being bombed, the fear of being invaded.

The Machine Gunners, Used: Books - AbeBooks The Machine Gunners, Used: Books - AbeBooks

I loved Rudi and Chas. I especially loved Rudi's character as it was so refreshing to see a German character not portrayed in a war book as a terrible person. It showed him as a human with feelings which was lovely. The relationship that he had with the children was heartwarming and that even when he could have escaped, he didn't want to as he viewed them as almost equals but definitely friends. I loved Chas and his sense of adventure, he had his head screwed on for someone so young. The Machine Gunners in libraries ( WorldCat catalog) —immediately, a US edition with library summary A boy's dream, becomes a nightmare. Well, perhaps his dream was a nightmare all along. Chas McGill is about thirteen in 1940. He lives in a small Tyneside town, in the industrial north-east of England, which is subjected to terrible bombing raids. The tea-time call-out is the worst. The air-raid siren goes just as supper is dished up and everyone must run for the Anderson shelter. Do you take your egg and chips with you or leave them until later? Sometimes you are in the shelter all night. Do you lie awake all night wondering if there's going to be a direct hit? Or do you fall into an uneasy sleep at last? And when you come out in the morning, how do you feel when you see that your friend's house simply isn't there any more?The Machine Gunners is a children's historical novel by Robert Westall, published by Macmillan in 1975. Set in northeastern England shortly after the Battle of Britain (February 1941), it features children who find a crashed German aircraft with a machine gun and ammunition; they build a fortress and capture and imprison a German gunner. The author also wrote a play based on the book, and others have adapted it for television and radio. A sequel, Fathom Five, set two years later, was published in 1979. It is interesting because the language layout is old and quite hard to understand, but you get it if you say it aloud, thats why it's interesting. Overall I think that this book is one of the best and most interesting books that I have read, I wonder what happens next in chapter 6. But, at the same time, you would have to admit it made an impact, left a mark, spoke to the young me in ways I probably couldn't quite understand. Over the top" / by an American soldier who went, Arthur Guy Empey, machine gunner, serving in France; together with Tommy's dictionary of the trenches; 16 illustrations and diagrams

The Machine Gunners - Logo of the BBC The Machine Gunners - Logo of the BBC

Explore with the children the power of peer pressure, the impact of charismatic leaders on a population and how difficult it can be for people to challenge the status quo. This book was unpredictable. I had no idea what was going happen next. people who were going about there every day lives were thrown in to a world of bombs, air-raid sirens and running to the air-raid shelters for cover. At some point something reminded me of The Machine Gunners, a book I read when I was about 10 and - if my failing memory is to be trusted - thoroughly enjoyed. After the fortress is finished, the kids spend their free time watching out for German planes. When one finally appears, Chas starts shooting the machine gun, missing it but scaring the pilot into making an error and causing the plane to be brought down by anti-aircraft. The rear gunner, Sergeant Rudi Gerlath, manages to parachute out of the plane just before it explodes. Injured, he is force to spend a week hiding out in a rabbit hutch on a victory garden allotment, eating frozen Brussels sprouts he finds growing there. When he is finally able, he wanders about, wondering what to do. Cold and tired, he eventually finds the fortress, wraps himself up in the blankets he finds there and falls asleep.Conduct an author study exploring Robert Westall’s body of work and consider what experiences may have influenced his writing.