It's saddening when you figure out who the real enemy is. "Battle Lines
Undrawn" is a coming of age tale from Rick Brooks telling of Brad
Stevens, a young man who joins the army. During his training however,
he begins to see the real threats to America are not the communist
boogeyman. "Battle Lines Undrawn" is a quick and fun read, not to be
missed.
Midwest Book Review
Follow an American teenager from his daily struggles at Jump School
training to becoming a paratrooper in the 101st Airborne, to the
beginning of the African-American civil rights movement in Battle Lines
Undrawn by Rick Brooks.
In 1956, Brad Stevens is an All-American kid, star of his high
school's football and track programs. Instead of college, Brad and his
friend, Billy, enlist in the army. After basic training, the pair
transfers to Jump School where recruits are put through vigorous
training designed to separate the men from the boys. Every day, many of
Brad's co-recruits either quit or are kicked out of the unit. Brad must
make five successful jumps to earn his wings as an elite Screaming
Eagle of the 101st Airborne. The training is tough and the jumps
dangerous, but Stevens will stop at nothing to become a paratrooper and
to protect the American way of life against the communist threat. Soon
Stevens begins to see that the biggest challenge in America isn't from
a Soviet or Chinese invasion but from inside the nation's own borders.
Brad and his platoon are sent to Little Rock, Arkansas in September
1957. Once there, Airborne troops are deployed to protect nine
African-American students from an angry anti-integration mob. The
students were prevented from attending Little Rock Central High School
by the Arkansas National Guard.
Author Rick Brooks has done a wonderful job detailing the severe
challenges the brave soldiers of the airborne must face in order to
earn the right to serve their country. Brooks has done his research, as
the training and parachute passages feel authentic. His characters are
well drawn and the dialogue realistic to the time period. His
illustrations are exceptional and add nicely to the imagery of his
narrative. With the election of President Obama, it is easy to forget
that only few short decades ago a level of bigotry existed that would
stop an African-American person from enjoying a movie with his white
friends. This is a coming-of-age story of a naïve teenager and of
an entire nation. This book is geared to young adult readers (10-18)
and I believe it would be an asset to middle school history/social
studies programs. Highly Recommended.
William Potter, Reader's Choice Book Reviews
A recent high school graduate, Brad Stevens enlists in the Army and
volunteers to become a paratrooper. As an eventual member of the elite
101st Airborne Division, Brad is fired up and ready to protect his
beloved country from its sworn foreign enemies; however, as he soon
begins to realize, the safety and prosperity of the nation is far more
threatened by the various domestic challenges that abound than by
anything outside its borders...
Throughout the pages of Battles Lines Undrawn, author Rick Brooks
takes the reader on an eye-opening journey through the annals of vivid,
living history. As young Brad's coming-of-age sojourn progresses, he
undergoes a dramatic epiphany that successfully peels back the
remaining layers of his youthful naïveté and introduces him
to the harsh realities of a complex, often confusing world. Likewise,
the reader is sure to find him/herself equally enlightened, as his/her
accepted understanding of our nation's history and culture is similarly
challenged - hopefully for the better.
Brief, yet powerful, Battle Lines Undrawn is a stirring
true-to-life account of the various physical, emotional, and spiritual
hurdles we must clear on the road to full maturity. Highly recommended.
Karynda Lewis, Apex Reviews
