Geert SpillebeenCritiques

This book is based on the true story of Patrick Condon a young old Irish boy. Patrick's family was very poor. His parents lied about his age and sent him to work as a dockworker. Patrick hated his job so he enlisted in the army when he was 12 years old. In order to get in, he lied about his name (calling himself John after his brother's name) and age because he was too young. Patrick passed the physical fitness test and was excited to be accepted into the military because this was his dream. He could escape his unhappy life at home. Early in his military career he became friends with two other soldiers, Tom and Michael. Both men knew that Patrick was too young to be in the military but it doesn't matter to them because he was a hard working soldier. Patrick learned a lot from the older men. He liked wearing a uniform, shooting his rifle, and being respected by the people he met. Patrick desired more action though. When World War I broke out in 1914, Patrick was put through a crash course in preparation for the real fight. Patrick and his friends, Tom and Michael, were assigned to the Second Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment. In January 1915, Patrick's Battalion was sent to the front lines in France. In the trenches, the young teen realized that the military isn't all fun and games. He panicked the first time he was hit with shrapnel. During the same gun fire, his buddy Michael was killed in front of him. Patrick had a strong fear of dying but continued to fight in the trenches while being attacked with gas. He fought for many months in very bad conditions around a hot spot called the "Mouse Trap" thanks to the help of his friends and the noncommissioned officers leading his company. Ultimately, he was severely wounded battling against young German soldiers in close range combat for the "Mouse Trap" and then attacked with chlorine gas. Whiling dying on May 24,1915, he is asked his age. He finally told someone that he would have been fourteen next month. Eight years after Patrick's death, he was found in a mass grave site extremely close to his older friend Tom. Their bodies are exhumed and reburied next to each other in the British Cemetery in Flanders, Belgium. Patrick or otherwise known as John Condon was youngest military casualty of World War I.

I rated this book four stars because I thought Patrick's story was interesting. I also rated this book four stars because I liked the WWI history the book gives. I think all ages would enjoy this book. I would recommend this book to people who like military books. I was surprised when I found out that Patrick was a real person. I thought this story was fascinating because Patrick didn't find going to war scary, like other people would. I found Patrick being the youngest casualty of World War I fascinating.

Interesting perspective on World War I.

Kipling’s Choice is a non-fiction piece of literature. It was written by Geert Spillebeen and was translated into English by Terese Edelstein. Spillebeen does a remarkable job of retelling the story of John Kipling’s life, family and his time on the battlefield.
The story’s exposition starts with Lieutenant John Kipling in a heated battle against the Germans in WWI. The story mainly takes place in WWI, but also draws back on Kipling’s childhood memories at his home in England. His father was the celebrated writer Rudyard Kipling who wrote the story The Jungle Book . As John tries to lead the British forces to victory in his first battle, he is mortally wounded by an artillery shell. As he lies on the ground, slowly bleeding out, he thinks back to his childhood and teenage years, leading up to his adulthood and this current battle. It really develops the character of John and shows how he lived his life as a young boy, mostly carefree due to his father’s riches. As a young boy, his dream was to join the Navy, which was greatly influenced by his father. Rudyard always wanted to join the Navy, but was unable. As John grows older, his eyesight begins to fail him, and his dreams for joining the navy like his father always wanted to do were dashed. He tries mercilessly to get into a school that would train him to become a soldier. He eventually does become a soldier (an officer in fact by the rank of Lieutenant) and travels to the front to face the Germans. Will John survive his wounds? Pick up this book at our library to find out.
This book is excellent in relating the horrors of WWI and what it does to families. It can be slow at times when Kipling has his flashbacks to his childhood, but it helps to thoroughly develop the characters in the story. It can also be a bit gruesome at times when he describes the battlefield, due to the author’s vivd description of wounds on the soldiers of WWI. Even with these aspects, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes reading about any World War or someone who enjoys a good story.

Recommended Ages: Gr. 7-12

Plot Summary: John Kipling, son of Rudyard Kipling, really wants to join the army but his eyesight is poor. He is excited when his dad's friend in Scotland offers him a chance to be a soldier. He goes through training and in his first battle, he is badly injured, apparently losing much of his jaw and mouth. He manages to survive with this injury and pain as people try to save him. This book is told in two voices. The dark bold font, which begins the book, starts with John getting his life-threatening injury in his first battle. The normal font starts when John is about 14, getting his eyes tested, and continues until John is about to enter his first battle.

Setting: England, Scotland, and France, 1914-1918

Characters:
John Kipling - 17 when entering training, poor eyesight, wants to fight for his country, becomes Lieutenant
Rudyard Kipling - "daddo," John's father, famous author of The Jungle Book, wealthy, spoils John by buying him cars, wants his son to be a soldier since he wasn't able to be one himself due to his poor eyesight
Mummy - John's mom
Elsie - John's sister, drives John's Car-uso (car), becomes family chaffeur
Mayor of Acquin - John stays with the mayor's family while nearby training
Celle - Mayor's daughter, very aggressive romantically towards John
Rupert Grayson - John's friend, in same battalion

Recurring Themes: war, world war II, trenches, The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling, death, family relationships, letter writing

Controversial Issues:
pg 21 "A tango is very sexy when you try it in slow motion. He grasps Miss Malone firmly around her middle and furtively sniffs her delicate perfume when she leans against him."

pg 34 "To their bewildered readers they dish out so-called reports about German atrocities: villages burned to the ground, rapes."

pg 47 "nightly escapades at...pricey nightclubs. When he and Ma think about their frail boy, they are reminded that 'in the army you become a man.' ...He laughs heartily at the nightly hell-raising in Car-Uso...His little boy is becoming a man."

pg 63 "Here's to the Kaiser, the son of a bitch"

Graphic description of John's injury and pain. ex: pg 92 "His whole body shakes. John can't cry out, for all that remains of his mouth, nose, and thraod are some holes and patches of raw flesh." pg 112 "A second later there he was, blown to pieces."

There are also a few damns and maybe a few craps.

Personal Thoughts: I originally picked this up because an 8th grade LA teacher said it might be too graphic for some students in our school. I agree that the book is graphic, but I think our students are accustomed to violence from the movies. It might be a little different hearing the voice and the pain from first person, but I believe the boys who pick up his book are looking for it.

I was a little confused a few times about what happened, since there are many characters and things aren't always explicity explained, but I definitely understood the overall plot and most of the details.

A fictionalized account of the death of John Kipling, Rudyard Kipling's son, during World War I. The story begins with the end, then moves between Kipling's dying thoughts and memories of his life. This is a very, very sad book, made more poignant by the fact that his father pulled so many strings to get him into the war, and he experienced only one battle (although, from recent accounts that I've been reading about World War I, one battle would have been quite enough). It's interesting to see how John goes from being a spoiled young man to being a fairly well-respected lieutenant. This was a quick read, and although I can't call it enjoyable, I am glad I read it.

Engrossing and quick read about Rudyard Kipling's son and his experience in World War I.

This novelization of the life and death of John Kipling, Rudyard's son, in the fields of battle in WWI, ranks in my opinon with The Red Badge of Courage, All Quiet on the Western Front, and Johnny Got His Gun. It is highly recommended.

Kipling's Choice
This little book by Geert Spillebeen vividly portraits the battlefield in Loos, France during WWI. The difference is that Rudyard Kipling's son, John, lays dying in a trench during which he reflects upon his life. Seventeen short years.
Yes, war is dreadful but so is living vicariously through your young sons life. John was rejected by the Navy and Army because of his terrible vision but because of his father's influence and money he was, at last, accepted into the Irish Guard. Because of his military training he was immediately elevated to Lieutant and given the command of his own group of soldiers. There is a tremendous love between father and son and son only wants to do his father proud.
I came away asking myself how often are people placed in a situation for which they are not acceptable because of who they know. In the case of young John Kipling he was placed in a situation which endangered his life and those of his troops.

3 out of 4 stars

I haven't been this affected by an anti war book since reading Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo years ago.

John Kipling, son of the Nobel prize winning legend Rudyard Kipling, joined the Irish Guard and, when promoted to Lt., was positioned on the front lines of a bloody battle in Loos France where Germans quickly overtook his men.

The majority of the story is told from the voice of John as he lay dying on the battle field. Unable to move or speak, we enter his mind as he slips in and out of consciousness and flashes back to his life of luxury.

This is the story of two John's -- the rich, pampered dandy juxtapositioned with the 18 year old bespectacled, small, skinny boy who, in readily accepting his father's mandate that he be a "man", became a casualty of WWI.

Because Rudyard could not have a war career of his own, he pushed his son toward this choice.

The author cleverly shows the harsh reality learned by Kipling that words are powerful and actions have consequences. Prior to the loss of his son, Rudyard had a gung ho mentality, writing and lecturing that war is just against the "barbarians." Believing the sacrifice of life is the highest honor given for a country, Kipling's thoughts and words came back to haunt him when his one and only son is killed.

In the end, by accepting his father's choice that he do what is expected of him, certainly in wartime...for King and Country...the son became one of the 1 million people who died for England and one of the 20 million who died world wide. Rudyard, the father, died years later, a broken man.

Highly recommended.

Gripping and horrifying. A fictionalized account of what may have happened to Rudyard Kipling's only son, John, a young officer in World War I. The story pingpongs between John's experiences as a severely injured officer on the battlefield and his memories of life that lead up to this event. Heartbreaking.

Weird. I'm a Kipling fan, but there is relatively little mention of John in his various biographies. I wonder how accurate the story is - obviously all the stuff about John dying and remembering is fictional, but the rest, before the war - I wonder. It would explain why there's so little mention of him...½

Gripping and horrifying. A fictionalized account of what may have happened to Rudyard Kipling's only son, John, a young officer in World War I. The story pingpongs between John's experiences as a severely injured officer on the battlefield and his memories of life that lead up to this event. Heartbreaking.

In 1915, mortally wounded in Loos, France, eighteen-year-old John Kipling, son of writer Rudyard Kipling, remembers his boyhood and the events leading to what is to be his first and last World War I battle.