Day of the Assassins
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Product Description
Product Description
The Year: 1914, The Place: Sarajevo, The Mission: assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Jack Christie and his friend Angus are caught up in a major event that will dramatically change the future. Should they intervene? And, more importantly, will they survive? Join Jack and his friends on a dangerous chase across pre-war Europe to the rain-sodden trenches of World War I, as the future of mankind hangs in the balance. Includes a map of pre-war Europe, a timeline of the First World War, a street map of the assassination and photographs of Ferdinand and Princip. First title in a new fiction series for boys aged 9 years plus now in paperback
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
From the moment I saw the hardback cover with its three simulated bullet holes, and opened it up to find a map and a timeline of the First World War, I knew this would be a good read and I wasn't disappointed. It reminded me of the boys adventure novels I used to read as a child, though updated for a generation who play computer games and can easily make the mental leap from mobile phones to mobile phones that allow you to time travel.
Jack and his best friend Angus attend a school that turns out to be a front for something different. Nothing new there, but it's not long before Jack and Angus find themselves transported back in time a matter of days before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie - an event that led directly to the First World War. The two friends find themselves drawn closer and closer to the place it will happen, as they are manipulated by players in both sides of an argument. One side wants to change history by preventing the assassination; the other wants to protect the present day from changing at all. Jack knows he is a pawn in both sides' plans, after discovering that his father is the one who wants to change history. But ultimately, it is for Jack and Angus to decide what to do - do they protect the future, even though millions of innocent people will suffer, or do they intervene and risk the unknown consequences, be they better or worse.
It's no exaggeration to say that in this ingenious story, author Johnny O'Brien really does bring history to life - life and, indeed, death. There is great poignancy about the story, and it not only makes you think about the responsibility of choices, but it takes you back to a time (the time before the two Great Wars) most people today know nothing about. There is a great moment, for example when Jack is surprised to discover a German aboard a British battleship - but then, of course, nobody would have though that was strange.
If you're still wondering, may I say that if ever there was a book to take a chance on, this is it. Expect it to win awards, it's that good.
Jack and his best friend Angus attend a school that turns out to be a front for something different. Nothing new there, but it's not long before Jack and Angus find themselves transported back in time a matter of days before the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie - an event that led directly to the First World War. The two friends find themselves drawn closer and closer to the place it will happen, as they are manipulated by players in both sides of an argument. One side wants to change history by preventing the assassination; the other wants to protect the present day from changing at all. Jack knows he is a pawn in both sides' plans, after discovering that his father is the one who wants to change history. But ultimately, it is for Jack and Angus to decide what to do - do they protect the future, even though millions of innocent people will suffer, or do they intervene and risk the unknown consequences, be they better or worse.
It's no exaggeration to say that in this ingenious story, author Johnny O'Brien really does bring history to life - life and, indeed, death. There is great poignancy about the story, and it not only makes you think about the responsibility of choices, but it takes you back to a time (the time before the two Great Wars) most people today know nothing about. There is a great moment, for example when Jack is surprised to discover a German aboard a British battleship - but then, of course, nobody would have though that was strange.
If you're still wondering, may I say that if ever there was a book to take a chance on, this is it. Expect it to win awards, it's that good.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
This book was better than expected! It has a stunning look, with real bullet holes in the cover and you open it up to find a brilliant fold out map and in the back a fold out educational timeline of WW1. my son was immediately excited and grabbed it off me! He's a big fan of history and boys adventure books so this is his dream book! I hardly saw him all week in the evenings after school he's been absolutely enthralled with it, he is 12 and it's brilliant to see him really genuinely excited about a book, and best of all he keeps coming to me with 'did you know...' facts so he is actually learning while reading a book he absolutely loves! These really should be part of a schools history program for the children to read because it is all true but contained within an exciting book about time travelling and adventure and will the 2 boys survive? Also has a information reference at the back after the novel with key history questions and which page the answer is found and some details for quick reference.
A fantastic book, my son finished it in a week and it is quite a thick book, and i'm in the middle of it now and i'm really enjoying it and actually learning a lot too about WW1 which i was never taught at school, only about WW2, it is a really useful book if you like excitement and a bit of subtle learning, that the children don't necessarily realise! Perfect for any age, child or adult, girl or boy - brilliant, highly recommended.
A fantastic book, my son finished it in a week and it is quite a thick book, and i'm in the middle of it now and i'm really enjoying it and actually learning a lot too about WW1 which i was never taught at school, only about WW2, it is a really useful book if you like excitement and a bit of subtle learning, that the children don't necessarily realise! Perfect for any age, child or adult, girl or boy - brilliant, highly recommended.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am thoroughly enjoying Day of the Assassins. It is a real page-turner and easy to get into. I really like the fact that the story is based on actual historical events especially as I have just been covering the origins of the First World War at school. I particularly like the illustrations and the fold out maps. The bullet-riddled cover is very cool!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Exciting, enthralling adventures
In the first instalment, Jack and his friend Angus not only discover the time machine, they are transported back to 1914, to try and stop the assassination of the Archduke Franz... Read more
Published 6 months ago by beckvalleybooks
Lyrical Reviews - Day of the Assassins by Johnny O'Brien
I'm going to come straight out with it an say that my history knowledge is embarrassingly bad. When I was a school, history was the lesson for catching up on sleep, exploring the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Lyrical Brown
Written for the younger generation, but a great read for adults
I have to say, I loved this book, and look forward to reading the next instalment.
In a nutshell, a teenager and his friend get embroiled in a time-travelling plot to... Read more
In a nutshell, a teenager and his friend get embroiled in a time-travelling plot to... Read more
Published 22 months ago by B. Ashley
great historical adventure
When I got this book, I knew that it wasn't going to just be a children's time travel adventure story, it was going to be a historical story. Read more
Published on 22 April 2010 by Steve Trumpet
Credible time travel
An enjoyable adventure book - more geared to a teenager than adult. A young boy finds out that his father is a scientist working on something illegal - but that could make the... Read more
Published on 17 Oct 2009 by Paul Madge
Fast paced but unengaging
My son has been studying this period at school so the book's arrival was timely. Once some initial positioning is out of the way, we're catapulted into WWI action, and the pacing... Read more
Published on 13 Oct 2009 by Ray Blake
enjoyable, but a little shallow in places.
I lent this book to a 14 year old friend of mine to read this summer - and he seemed to quite enjoy it. Read more
Published on 9 Oct 2009 by E. Heckingbottom
Good fun, and I even learnt some stuff.
This book is beautifully presented - with the "bullet holes" in the front cover, and inserts with a map and timeline of first-world war Europe. Read more
Published on 13 Sep 2009 by N. Gratton
Riotous good fun in the best British tradition!
This book is plugged with the strap line "The first title in an exciting new series featuring schoolboy hero Jack Christie"; very grandiose don't you think? Read more
Published on 6 Sep 2009 by Chris Chalk
Mixed feelings
I wasn't sure exactly what to expect when I picked up this book. At first glance it seems like possibly another cookie cutter childrens book where some friends go on a fairly bog... Read more
Published on 20 Aug 2009 by A. Wright
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