Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Wexford College Press
Release Date: November 2003
ISBN: 1929148224
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Format Reviewed: Paperback
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Genre: Historical Fiction
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Nancy Mehl
Reviewer Notes: Reviewer Nancy Mehl is the author of "Graven Images" and "Sinner's Song."
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Harry’s War
By D. Edward Bradley


     It is 1941 and war has come to England. Harry Lockwood is only thirteen, but he finds himself thrust into circumstances that will force him to leave childhood behind. With his father in the service and his mother working in a munitions factory, Harry is sent to a boarding school. But another kind of war rages inside the walls of Markham College. Cruel students and sadistic teachers have created an empire of fear. They rule their kingdom through brutal threats and inhumane treatment. As he tries to adjust to his new world, Harry forges friendships that will be tried and tested as will he. Throughout it all, Harry the boy will become Harry the man, but not without personal hardship and loss.

     D. Edward Bradley presents readers with a moving and unforgettable story, not only through his characters, but also through his ability to portray the reality of war with disturbing clarity. When the dreaded V1 bombs fly over the school, we feel Harry’s terror as he counts the seconds after the sound of the engine stops. If he gets to eight, he knows the bomb will explode. Readers may find themselves counting with him. Drawn from Bradley’s own experiences as a boy, his descriptions make Harry’s War not only more genuine, but much more frightening.

     Well-written, with depth and humanity, Harry’s War is a novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading the last page. I highly recommend it.