UNCIVIL WAR

 

These twin tales follow the raising of the King's Standard at Nottingham Castle in 1642, through to 1646, when King Charles surrendered to the Scottish army outside Newark. Set in Nottinghamshire, Uncivil War tells the story of five children caught in the conflict of the English Civil War. Tom, a stable boy; his sister Meg, a maidservant at Pierrepoint Hall; Nick, who never wanted to be a soldier; Jed, who did but later regrets it; and Alice, who is left to help run a refuge for victims. Seen through the eyes of innocent children, Uncivil War depicts the characters' initial excitement at the thought of conflict but later hating the war and questioning the need for it at all. This book highlights the struggles children may face during wartime, as well as the lessons that still need to be learnt. While all the children are fictitious, the main adult characters are based on real people who lived in the county of Nottinghamshire at the time. This book gives a modern take to novels such as Marriott's Children of the New Forest.

 

Paperback: 248 pages

Publisher: Matador (6 Nov. 2014)

ISBN-10: 1784620408

ISBN-13: 978-1784620400

Retail Price: £8.99

 

 

Review for Uncivil War

 

'It is with a certain genius that Noel Harrower has brought moments in history back to life. The reader is engaged in an action-packed story ... history becomes realistically present!' --Christine Michael

 

'Conversely, because the book is a fast read, and does not get bogged down into too much detail, yet gives the reader a good feel for life during this era, especially for children, Uncivil War could very well find a niche role in education as an extremely useful book for schools covering the 17th century in general, and the war in particular.' --Historical Novel Society

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Noel Harrower was a national serviceman before studying English and Modern History at Manchester University. He spent most of his working life as a Careers Officer in Nottinghamshire, where he also won several awards for his one-act plays.