Red Thunder

by John P. Hunter

Book Overview

While cannons thundered, swords flashed, and the sky turned red with flame, Nate Chandler and his slave friend, James, went about the darker business of espionage. Their spy-world of whispered... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879352310
• ISBN13: 9780879352318
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

History and Adventure in a Page Turner

Nate Chandler, a fourteen-year-old boy, lived on the family farm near the York River. In May 1781 the British launched a major campaign at Yorktown to end the six-year War for Independence. Bands of British Cavalry roamed the area ruthlessly attacking and killing innocent citizens. Nate and his parents were left for dead, their cattle taken, and the farm burned to the ground. He was determined to avenge the attack but felt helpless. A young militia officer recognized Nate's ability to "think-on-his-feet" and paired him with James, a former negro slave with a photographic memory. They became an espionage team that provided valuable intelligence that General Washington and General Lafayette used to defeat the British and end the Revolyionary War. The author has done an admirable job of "humanizing" the historical characters, thus making them more believable. The political and social realities of the times are presented objectively and fairly. Finally, the boys' adventures make the book enjoyable as well as educational. This is a great read for the history buff and non-history reader alike. It is a historical novel about the Battle of Yorktown and the role that espionage played. It is a unique blend of fact and fiction that keeps the reader turning the page.