From a Hall of Fame pitcher to a U.S. president, learn what an incredible impact World War I made on young men and women
 
When it started, many thought the Great War would be a great adventure. Yet as those who saw it up close learned, it was anything but. In the Fields and the Trenches traces the stories of 18 young idealists swept into the brutal conflict, many of whom would go on to become well-known 20th-century figures in film, science, politics, literature, and business. Writer J. R. R. Tolkien was a signals officer with the British Expeditionary Force and fought at the Battle of the Somme. Scientist Irène Curie helped her mother Marie run 20 French field hospitals. Actor Buster Keaton left Hollywood after being drafted into the army’s 40th Infantry Division. And all four of Theodore Roosevelt’s sons fought in Europe, though one did not return. With World War I as a backdrop, readers will encounter heroes, cowards, comics, and villains who participated in this life-changing event. Author Kerrie Logan Hollihan uses extensive original material, from letters sent from the frontlines to personal journals, to bring these men and women back to life. And though their stories are a century old, they convey modern, universal themes of love, death, power, greed, courage, hate, fear, family, friendship, and sacrifice.

“As they meet some of the remarkable individuals who took part in the war, readers young and old will find a lucid explanation of the conflict in Kerrie Logan Hollihan’s In the Fields and the Trenches." —The Huffington Post

"[T]he book will hold reader interest and will be valuable for classroom use." —Booklist

"[A] solid addition to medium to large collections." —School Library Journal

“I highly recommend it to anyone interested in reading a fresh perspective on World War One.” —Come Step Back in Time

"Very highly recommended for young readers ages 12 and up..." —The Midwest Book Review

“An ideal introductory work about the war, and even adults well read in the subject may find this of interest.” — NYMAS Review

Kerrie Logan Hollihan is the author of Isaac Newton and Physics for Kids, Reporting Under Fire, Rightfully Ours, and Theodore Roosevelt for Kids, and has written for Bird Watcher’s Digest and Boy’s Life. She lives in Blue Ash, Ohio.