Archie's War: My Scrapbook of the First World War

Archie is just 10 years old when he embarks on the scrapbook sent to him by his Uncle Colin. He is passionate about comics, about his old dog George, his friend Tom and his family. It is 1914, and the outbreak of war has just been announced. This personalised approach is an ideal introduction to World War I for younger readers, and an excellent way in to studying the period in history as viewed through the eyes of a child. Marcia Williams’ strip cartoon retellings of the Greek myths and Shakespeare’s tales have proved popular. Now as she turns her hand to a facsimile scrapbook she includes a wealth of detail stuck in or reproduced on the page. We learn of a favourite uncle who serves on the Western front, his letters opening out to describe the horror of the trenches, of the unexpected Christmas Day truce in No Man’s Land, as well as requests for parcels. Archie’s cartoons depict daily life in the East End of London as the war progresses, moving to the countryside as the family flees from the bombing. Cigarette cards, postcards, newspaper cuttings and photos accompany Archie’s own version of events, filling in the historical background. Infused with laughter as well as tears, describing fear as well as elation at a soldier’s homecoming, this unusual approach to the subject, will be a welcome addition to a school or class library.