Some Union and Confederate soldiers were as young as twelve when they went off to fight in the Civil War. It is thought that as many as ten to twenty percent of all Civil War soldiers may have been under sixteen.

 

The Boys’ War follows these young soldiers through the rigors of camp life and drilling, right into the chaos of the battlefield. Jim Murphy skillfully weaves together firsthand accounts and personal letters of these countless young men with historical context to paint their portrait--young soldiers who, either seeking escape from the drudgery of farm work or embracing fantasies of glory, participated in the Civil War.

 

Handsomely produced with numerous period photographs and drawings, The Boys’ War is a winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.