Elephant Run by:Ronald Smith

Elephant Run

by: Roland Smith
  
     This six weeks I read the book Elephant Run by Roland Smith. The book was officially a copy write in 2007. This book is a non-fictional novel written in 3rd person. Nick,  the main character in this book is living in London during World War II. His father live on a plantation in Burma. He move to Burma where is father thinks he is safer. Not long after moving in the Japanese take control of the Freestone's village and create a prison camp there. After a couple of years the Allies finally wint the war and again take control over Burma and free the area but not before Nick, Mya and a few other characters are able to escape the prison camp.


     The story is told in order of the events throughout the book and is told in present time, and in third person. The authors point of view is through Nick and the actions that take place with Nick.In the beginning Nick is in London during WWII avoiding air raids when his mom confronts him and decides to move him to Burma where his dad lives on their plantation. Not long after moving the Japanese take control of  Burma even though it is heavily guarded by British soldiers. The Japanese turn their village into a concentration camp and  a POW center. All of the village was imprisoned and put to work building a airway for the Japanese. The intended audience would probably be for teenagers and young adults interested in the worlds history and the World Wars. This book would probably fall in to the category of a historical non-fictional being that is a based in a true story and has to do with the history of the world and World War II. The author did a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book. He gave no hints to what would happen next and a dramatic climax would slap you in the face before you realized what was going on. He loves to lay things down in the book before you even have the slightest idea what is going to happen and likes to keep you guessing at what will happen next.

     Elephant Run affected me in one major way. How harshly the Japanese treated their POW's . They had much respect for the people in higher ranks, but for people below them their was no respect shown except for a few guards that had a heart towards their prisoners. It really didn't change any of my ideas I held but I do think that the world needs to have more respect to each other and our ideas and that for every one to get along people need to have more respect. This book did not bring up any other books I have read or authors.

     The quality of work shown for this book far exceeded anything I will possibly ever be able to obtain. Ronald Smith showed a excellent knowledge in the history of World War II. I would recommend this book to anybody willing to read it.

Dawson Merrill
11/5/13
Rating:4.98/5