Darkest Hours

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9 If there is a weakness in this book, it is that the narration is personalized. In relating Artemas Ward's role in Boston, Carter states on two occasions that ``Ward knew.'' In a section about George Washington, he writes that ``Washington kept to himself the dismay he felt on first seeing the raw militia.'' If, indeed, Alden can document this and other such statements from diaries and letters, then it is incumbent upon him to include that information either in the text or notes. Nevertheless, this is a unique volume because it chronicles the various battles and their importance in the course of the Revolutionary War. It should be of great interest to war buffs, who will read it from cover to cover, as well as students looking for report material. Topics are illustrated with pertinent black-and-white maps, reproductions, engravings, and drawings. Janet E. Gelfand, Lawrence Junior High School, N.Y.