I found this book to be a delightful piece of historical fiction, rich in detail, history and even humor. :) As Adam begins the story in his own words, I was hooked instantly. Here's a short *grin* summary:The book begins in 1811 in pre-unification Germany as a farmer enlists his unwitting farmhand, Adam, in Napoleon's Grande Armée under the name of his only son, Georg Bayh. The bewildered teen, who is sure that this great mistake will eventually be rectified, trains dutifully despite being continually harassed by a sadistic sergeant. He is saved when a young aristocratic lieutenant needs a servant, and his situation greatly improves. This is a tale of unlikely friends marching from Germany to Moscow with Napoleon's ill-fated invasion of Russia. While few battles are detailed, readers experience all of the horror, drudgery, and absurdity of war. Vivid descriptions include the endless walking, hustling for boots and warm clothing, gnawing hunger, and dysentery. Old-fashioned rules of engagement, etiquette, and a strict class system are all seamlessly worked into Adam's believable narrative. The boy grows from being a scared child to an obedient servant, to becoming a capable and resilient, if arguably less innocent, soldier. The first two thirds of first-person account are rich in period detail, but rarely broken up with dialogue, making it a tad slow going. The pacing somehow echoes the experiences of Napoleon's coalition army. Things pick up during its retreat, as the danger increases and the boys are able to lay aside class strictures to forge a true friendship. This is a well-wrought psychological tale that might have a difficult time finding an audience, but has a lot to offer to those seeking to build a deep historical fiction collection.–Christina Stenson-Carey, Albany Public Library, NY
This book could have been so much better if it just explored the relationship between Adam Neve and Konrad Klara more honestly. The book has an interesting plot: a farmer's servant (Adam) gets falsely enlisted in Napoleon's army to battle the Russians (Adam is mistaken for the farmer's actual son, who is supposed to fight in the war). The unfit-for battle-Adam (because he is underage)travels with a hard-ass who physically abuses him, and then is taken under the wing of a lieutenant, Konrad Klara, who's really a sweet (if not altogether sappy) guy. They become best friends, then become "almost like brothers", etc. The book becomes like a somber Richard Pryor-Gene Wilder buddy flick, except it takes place in wartime, which of course is terrible. Of course the author wants to make it a point that war is horrible, almost to the point where 99 percent of their conversations revolve around how bad war is. "War is terrible" became Konrad Klara's quip of the year followed by incessant crying (from a WAR lieutenant??? REALLY???). The focus should have been more about exploring their relationship a little bit, which to me seemed a little gay. I mean homosexual gay. "I would die for him", "I wanted to embrace him right there on the spot", "I would love to make out with him" (Well, not the last one, but you get what I mean). There was even a couple (like, more than one) chapter in which they are both completely naked. They both go for a swim and their clothes get stolen (or "misplaced" if you know what I mean) and they are wandering around the countryside with nothing on, hugging each other for warmth (this is Russia, after all). Ummm, if that's not a gay relationship, then I don't know what is.
What do You think about An Innocent Soldier (2005)?
This book received the Mildred L. Batchelder award. This story is set back in the nineteenth century in pre-unified Germany. Adam an orphan who becomes enlisted in Napoleon’s army by the farmer under which he works. The farmer enlists him under his son’s name, Georg Bayh. Adam is a young boy only in his teens. He suffers ridicule from the sergeant under which he works. Finally, a young lieutenant needs a servant and Adam gets the position. The terrors of war are echoed throughout the book and affect Adam’s life. He ends up forming a friendship, which is great. He needed a friend at this time in his life. It is a great read full of useful history and experiences. From reading the book, one is exposed to the true horrors of war. Much history can be learned form this book. It mentions many of the well-known battles that took place at the time.
—Gordon Pennington
This book was a good read. The book was called an innocent soldier. The book starts out when a farm boy is taken into napoleans army. he is then assigned a lieutenant. After being separated from the rest they bonded.This book reminds me of when Ishmael Beah was forced to join the army. In a way they both had no choice. If i had to rate this it would be a 4. I think that the best part is when adam started bonding with the lieutenant. Even though theyb were from two different worlds. I think what I learned from this book was that even the most different people can become friends.
—Pume
This book was recommended to me by a friend with excellent taste, so I started reading it the moment I could. I think giving a detailed summary of the book is really unneccesary, since several others have already done that and I'm not Wikipedia in any case, so I'll just give the things I liked and disliked about it (and isn't that what reviews are for anyways?). I was a little baffled by the beginning of the book, which had a generic play-by-play style, but quickly moved into a broader, more general tale of events. It flip-flops back and forth for a while, eventually settling into a fairly basic description of Adam's travels, occasionally mentioning an event in detail. This style, while fairly typical of war stories, can be confusing for those who aren't used it.The plot, as well, can get tedious at times, with most of the action consisting of walking without adequate clothing or food. Interestingly, no actual combat is described, with Adam's scant time on the battle scenes primarily spent scavanging trousers from unlucky soldiers. That, as well as some other parts coming together to form the heavy anti-war message, can get a little 'anvilicious'. Fortunately, the book had a saving grace: the 'friendship' between Adam and his lieutenant, nobleman Konrad Klara. (I say 'friendship' because I'm pretty convinced they had gone quite a bit further than being friends.) Watching their suprisingly sweet relationship develop was definitely the most enjoyable part of this book for me.In the end, An Innocent Soldier is a very good book, but rather than reading for the almost overdone message of pacifism, one would be better served in reading, as I did, for the excellent semi-romantic friendship of Adam and Konrad Klara.
—Maggie
