Lines in the Sand: New Writing on War and Peace, Mary Hoffman and Rhiannon Lassiter, The Disinformation Company Ltd, 2003
This is a group of new short stories, poems and pictures, from all over the world, on the subject of war and peace. They cover the gamut, from the Crusades of the 13th century, to both World Wars, the Middle East, Africa, Kosovo, the Falkland Islands and both Gulf Wars. The contributions focus mostly on the point of view of those who are on the receiving end of the bombs and bullets.
My favorite piece in the book, called "Give Peace a Chance," tells the story of the end of apartheid in South Africa in language that any young person can understand. Another must-read piece, "Eco-Wolf and the War Pigs," is an allegory for the younger reader. I am not much of a poetry lover, but I really enjoyed the poems in this book.
Is "extraordinary" too strong a word? Not in this case. As far as history class in school is concerned, the average young person may think that there hasn't been a war since 1945. This book is very highly recommended for just such a young person who is becoming aware of the wider world out there. It's also recommended for older people.
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