Henrik Rehr has been a cartoonist for more than thirty years. He was born in Denmark and lives with his family in New York City. Henrik Rehr has been a cartoonist for more than thirty years. He was born in Denmark and lives with his family in New York City.
This extremely well-researched, compellingly written, and finely
drawn work tells the story of the man responsible for assassinating
Archduke Franz Ferdinand, precipitating the world war that would go
on to claim more than sixteen million lives. The parallels between
Princip's actions and those of the 9-11 bombers are not directly
addressed, leaving readers to reflect on how history repeats
itself. Readers will also have to weigh how much of Rehr's story is
fictionalized and determine for themselves whether this is a
nonfiction work or merely a fictionalized portrayal of real
events.
While educators seem to agree that the new Common Core standards,
which challenge students to become more critical thinkers, are a
step in the right direction, there still seems to be a lot of
confusion as to exactly what this means for teachers and those who
design curriculum. One of the tent poles of the new standards is an
increased emphasis on nonfiction reading that requires students to
not just merely comprehend their reading, but also to contextualize
and analyze their source materials. This is a tall order for
students of any age, but this graphic novel may be the right type
of book to fit the bill. This is a powerful work that, due to brief
strong language, is probably only suitable for older
readers.--VOYA-- "Journal" (4/1/2015 12:00:00 AM)
In the words of Prussian statesman Otto von Bismarck, turn of the
century Eastern Europe was a powder keg simply waiting for the
right spark to explode into what we now know as World War I. The
nationalist, revolutionary, and terrorist, Gavrilo Princip, was
just the man to set the fire that would ignite the keg. The
assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was the inciting
factor that instigated what was one of the 20th century's bloodiest
wars. But little is known about the motives behind the
assassination. Princip and his coconspirators were real people
living in a desperate time. They yearned for a free Serbia, Bosnia,
and Yugoslavia and were willing to do anything in order to achieve
their dream. This narrative is not only informative but intriguing
and ultimately harrowing. The depiction of events leading up to
the Archduke's assassination humanizes a historic event. The author
is able to breathe life into this confusing and conflict-filled
portion of European history. The stark black-and-white artwork and
theatrical art-filled splash pages transport readers to 19th
century Eastern Europe. VERDICT: This nonfiction graphic novel is
an excellent contribution to World War I history
collections.--School Library Journal-- "Journal" (2/1/2015 12:00:00
AM)
The confluence of World War I centennial commemorations and a
flourishing market for graphic novels has already produced the
brilliantly illustrated Trench Poets collection Above the Dreamless
Dead (BCCB 11/14). Now this fictional exploration reconstructs the
life of Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip, organizer of a cabal
to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand (heir apparent to the
Hapsburg throne) and the man who fired the fatal bullet. Rehr
portrays Princip as a serious, impressionable boy, raised on
stories of victories and defeats of his ancestors, and radicalized
among anarchists in Belgrade during a chaotic period in which Serbs
were politically and militarily squeezed between Austro-Hungarians
to the north and Turks to the South. Rehr also pays heed to the
philosophical underpinnings of Princip's adherence to anarchism, a
bonus for teen readers who appreciate some intellectual heft in
their GNs. Even young adults who skim past the kitchen table and
coffeehouse political discussions, however, will be drawn in as
Princip methodically strips his life of ephemeral relationships
(including his attachment to a young woman he once loved) and
dedicates himself to becoming an avenging hero for the Serbian
people. Black and white artwork, grainy and hatched to resemble
etching, moves skillfully between Princip's life and that of Franz
Ferdinand and his wife, who, despite warnings of an assassination
plot, drive willingly and directly to their death. Particularly
affecting is Rehr's segue into the war itself; a series of potent
images highlight not only the violence of the battlefields, but the
suffering that lingered in its aftermath. End matter includes a map
of Europe just before World War I, and an afterword discussing
Rehr's interest in Princip. Source notes are not included.--The
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books-- "Journal" (6/1/2015
12:00:00 AM)
This imagined biography of the Serbian teen whose assassination of
Archduke Ferdinand ignited the start of WWI brings a wealth of
detail to bolster contemporary understanding of the Great War. In
Rehr's stark and moody black-and-white artwork, the tubercular
Gavrilo Princip becomes a fully rounded and even sympathetic
character. The circumstances leading up to the start of WWI were
complicated, to say the least, but Rehr makes an admirable effort
to sift through them by focusing on Princip's experience of the
tumultuous and divisive political atmosphere. After Princip's
world-changing shot, during which the panels slide and skew,
distorting the perspective into a chaotic jumble, Rehr shifts focus
to the war and its aftermath, particularly the complicated state of
affairs concerning the Baltic states, and ends with Princip's death
in prison, as well as the fates of other Black Hand members. With
an author's note providing more detail and a few resources, this
would make a good choice for both casual reading for history buffs
as well as curriculum support.―Booklist-- "Journal" (3/1/2015
12:00:00 AM)
Witnessing the 9/11 attacks in New York City made
author-illustrator Rehr wish 'to better understand what drives
people to become terrorists, ' he explains in an afterword. In this
he succeeds brilliantly, following Serbian nationalist Gavrilo
Princip's long journey toward the assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand with penetrating sensitivity, without glorifying his
deed. The tale begins in Bosnia, then a poverty-stricken region
filled with despair. When Princip, at his brother's dinner table,
calls the fear of God a power wielded by the ruling class, his
sister-in-law remonstrates. 'Talking like that, you'll end up in
hell, ' she says. 'I'm a Bosnian Serb, ' Princip retorts. 'I
already am.' In panels overhung with shadows, Rehr lays out the
development of Princip's ideological convictions and contrasts his
life with sunny pictures of the Archduke's. Not even a love
affair―imagined with credible warmth and passion―turns Princip from
his goal. Just as ably, Rehr follows the train of events that led
to the Archduke's vulnerability in Sarajevo. All of these threads
combine to form a work of power and force, one that will stay with
readers long after they finish it.―starred, Publishers Weekly--
"Journal" (2/16/2015 12:00:00 AM)
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