Sheinkin offers a side of Benedict Arnold of which many people are not aware. In the minds of many, Benedict Arnold is a dishonorable traitor, the first of his kind in American history. Even fewer people know of his other characters as a war hero, an individual who was as reckless as he was driven. It is no wonder the author won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Nonfiction in 2011. The author’s approach to writing the book depicts Benedict Arnold as a hero, skillful, treacherous, but in all, a military force during the American Revolution.
The audience for which the book is intended is the young adult. Although it is not a book based on fiction, it has the feel of a novel. It features first-person accounts; an element that adds to the readability of the book. The resourcefulness of the author is seen in his portrayal of the dynamics of the character traits of the protagonist. Even as a deeply flawed person, he was still capable of sympathy. After adding to the common knowledge of the unfair treatment in political realms and the negative recognition of the protagonist, he still illuminates the other characters for which the protagonist is not commonly known.
I would book-talk this book to an audience comprising of young adults. The contents of the book are part of the indelible history of the American Revolution. Besides the enlightening effect of the book, it is vital that young adults understand the Benedict was not just the traitor that is he portrayed as. Additionally, this audience needs the historical account of a popular figure about who very little is known. The book is readable for this audience type because the author eliminates the dogma that characterizes historical writing and incorporates the adventure and action elements which this audience type favors.
Book
Sheinkin, Steve. The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, & Treachery. New York. Square Fish, 2012. Print.
Bascomb is the author of a narrative nonfiction story detailing the occurrences of the Holocaust. Like the previous author, Bascomb compromises on the tenets of historical chronicles for an approach that helps bring thrill into the book. The narrative approach that Bascomb employed helped gives the book the feel of a fiction novel. This makes the book more readable than the typical history book, a vital element given that the book was intended for the adult audience. The author explores the trial of Adolf Eichmann, an integral facet of the Nazi’s operations during the World War II. The significance of this trial is that it ingrained the Holocaust in the imagination of many people.
I would book-talk this book to an audience comprising of students in the middle grades and also young adult readers. The book contains refreshing and enlightening historical accounts from which this audience type could benefit. The lessons to be drawn are not just on general historical knowledge, but also on the value of perseverance, resolve, and determination. These are lessons from which this audience type can benefit.
Book
Bascomb, Neal. The Nazi Hunters : How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi. New York. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013. Print.
