An ALA Best Book for Young Adults:Firsthand accounts of the experiences of boys sixteen and younger who fought in the Civil War, with photos included. Winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction "Making extensive use of the actual wordsculled from diaries, journals, memoirs, and lettersof boys who served in the Union and Confederate armies as fighting soldiers as well as drummers, buglers, and telegraphers, Murphy describes the beginnings of the Civil War and goes on to delineate the military role of the underage soldiers and their life in the camps and field bivouacs. Also included is a description of the boys' return home and the effects upon them of their wartime experiences...An excellent selection of more than 45 sepia-toned contemporary photographs augment the text of this informative, moving work." School Library Journal(starred review) "This wrenching look at our nation's bloodiest conflict through the eyes of its youthful participants serves up history both heartbreaking