“Chas McGill had the second best collection of war souvenirs in Garmouth and he desperately wanted it to be the best”Chas is fourteen, living with his Mum and Dad in the Tyneside town of Garmouth. Whilst the war is sometimes a schoolboys dream of fun - getting souvenirs, missing school, periods of excitement - it is also quite terrifying, especially the air raids that mean he and his family have to spend the night in the Anderson shelter. When he discovers a crashed plane, complete with machine gun, he decides to take it as a prize and enlists his friends Cem and Clogger to help him. Later, with Audrey and Nicky and Carrot-Juice now part of the gang, they decide to use the heavy gun to help defend their town, first from a German pilot (Rudi, who they later befriend) and later from a supposed invasion. This is based on Westall’s memories of the time period and it clearly shows, a well-told story that is immediate and real and often quite brutal. From the body of the gunner, his eye missing, in the downed plane to the realisation that a schoolfriends house has been totally wiped out by a bomb, from the casual way people deal with the realities of war to the camaraderie that it engenders, this doesn’t pull any punches but works all the better for it. Even with his parents, whilst Chas always thiought of his father meaning safety - ‘large, solid, bristly-faced, smelling of tobacco’ - he comes to realise that grown-ups can’t keep kids safe and that his dad is just a ‘weary, helpless, middle-aged man’, a sequence that is both beautiful and heartbreaking (and echoed by Nicky who, having already lost his sea captain Dad to the war, then loses his Mum when their house is blown up). When Rudi is discovered, the mutual animosity between them - created by their perceptions of each other, rather than reality - is well played, as is the thawing as they come to appreciate each other. The air raids are vividly described, the characters all ring true (Westall dedicates the book to his ‘mother and father, who were the mother and father of the book’), with the grown-ups (teachers, ‘our John’ with his cry of “Where you going now?”, policemen, parents) given as much space as the children. Surprisingly dark at times, funny at others and with an abrupt ending that works perfectly, I really enjoyed this and would highly recommend it.
I have just finished reading "The Machine Gunners." I would give this book a 3 out of 5. My reason for this is because most of the story was interesting and kept you hooked in but, one thing that I didn’t really like was story I’m not really into war type of books but this book changed my mind set! The Machine Gunners is about a English boy from Garmouth. His name is Chas McGill, he is 12. And he found a machine gun off a crashed German airplane and cut the gun off the plane. He didn’t know at the time how much trouble this has got him into. He realized that he needs some help so he meets with his friends and find shelter to hide the gun and while police search it they had to hide. But then a German survivor finds their fortress and starts living there. The greman's name was Rudi, he was in a bad state. A lot of secrecy was getting to there parents and the police included, with the missing parts they needed to supply their fortress. But at the end they were caught and were in deep trouble. The most exciting bit in the book is when the bombing took place it always kept me on my toes and suspense was intense! My favourite character is Chas McGill. Because he is cheeky and sneaky this was fun and interesting to read about through the whole story. Also the way he takes the lead role I think it makes the plot much better to read. The message I think that the author is trying to get through is how the Second World War has changed the life's of those it affected and, how they have dealt with it.So overall I would recommend this book to read since its got a good story line and it gets you hooked !
What do You think about The Machine-Gunners (1995)?
One of my favourites as a child and I still love it now.The characterisation is absolutely brilliant and it's so very British. The Blitz spirit of the kids, how they all band together against the Germans but then befriend Rudy and are so loyal to the fortress that the "us against them" almost extends to their parents. So immensely quoteable too: "British boys fight with their fists" "He held my head under water for 10 minutes and I told him nothing !" "God, ye're half-drowned man ! You're a hard man Chassy McGill, in your own way" "Audrey.. you were as good a boy as any of us." I fancied myself as a bit of an Audrey when I was younger.Honourable mention to the old lady in the Shelter about Nicky's mum and her boyfriend: "Dead in their bed of sin they were, and her with not a stitch on.. disgraceful, I call it"All the characters are fantastic; the bumbling policeman, Chas' dad, Cem, Boddser Brown... but my favourite was Clogger, specifically trying to work out his Scottish accent !
—Lex
CHAPTER 1-5So far the book is going really good, i think its really interesting and i want to read more. So far it has introduced some main characters.We know that Chas is keen on collecting some of the pieces from broken bombs and planes that have been shot down during raids. He has the second best collection but the person who has the best is Boddser. Chas and Boddser dont like each other, Boddser is a bully.An interesting part was when Chas went searching for some good parts to collect.While he was searching he came across a good part but was being guarded by fatty Hardy, the cop. Chas tried to distract him to go get the part but hardy clicked and started chasing him, which forced Chas to go into the wood. While Chas was in there he came across a nazi fighter plane and went and inspected it. Infront of him he saw a machine gun, good and working. Chas new from the moment he saw it he had to have it. Chas looked around more and found a dead nazi fighter. he went and got his dads hacksaw , cut it off and took it through the town at dark through the raid . when chas went to school he saw Boddser showing off a nazi fighters helmet, as soon a Chas saw it he knew boddser had found the plain.Next i think Boddser will get caught for taking the helmet. and the police will suspect him of taking the machine gun aswell .Chas is a cool kid i would say , he seems fine. he likes to get up to mischief and i think he might get into some bother.
—Charlie Hirst
First published in 1975, I read this in the late seventies, aged 9 or 10. I've since read it twice more as an adult and am always gripped by the excitement, the suspense, the build-up and the action. As an adult I can see new aspects to the book, tales of friendship and evolving relationships, heartwarming and heartwrenching at the same time. Contrary to other reviews, this book is not set in London, but in the north east of England, north of Newcastle - honestly, this is an important point, as the book takes on a whole new life when you imagine the characters speaking in Geordie accents. (You didn't really think Nana McGill really thought 'Germans' was spelt 'Jarmans', did you?) It tells the tale of a group of children and their own efforts to defend their country during the second world war, after first appropriating a machine gun from an undiscovered crashed German plane and later acquiring their very own prisoner of war. You'll have missed out on a real treat if you miss this book.
—Jen
