The Flags of War

by John Wilson

In this novel by John Wilson, Nate MacGregor knows he must fight for his Southern homeland in the Civil War. Meanwhile, his cousin Walt in Canada West fears that due to the seizure of a Confederate ship with British envoys on board, Britain and her colonies could be drawn into the war -- on the side of the Confederate South, and slavery. Walt believes slavery is wrong. He could never fight in defense of it. Nate and Walt have never met, but as a country descends into chaos, a runaway slave named Sunday is about to change the cousins' lives forever.

166 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

John Wilson, an ex-geologist and frustrated historian, is the award-winning author of fifty novels and non-fiction books for adults and teens. His passion for history informs everything he writes, from the recreated journal of an officer on Sir John Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition to young soldiers experiencing the horrors of the First and Second World Wars and a memoir of his own history. John researches and writes in Lantzville on Vancouver Island. There are many more details in his memoir, Lands of Lost Content, https://www.amazon.com/Lands-Lost-Con...

Reviews

[Josephine · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars.

There’s nothing specific about The Flags of War that I didn’t like, but there’s also nothing specific that I did.
The book mostly consists of long drawn out conversations that seem slightly out of place, and toned down battle scenes that are trying to be historically accurate (props to Wilson for that), but end up being historically accurate AND boring. And yes, I understand that The Flags of War is a children’s book so there is only so far you can go with violence. But, I think John Wilson could’ve been a little more realistic about the reality of what war was like not just in general, but for the soldiers too. Also, I feel like Sunday should of gotten more screen time to himself instead of just one chapter. By the end of the book, all we know about him is that he’s a runaway slave. That’s it.
The book also had a oh-guess-what-he’s-your-cousin thing going on. Which in theory seemed like an interesting idea for this book, but in the end, turned out to be a very suspenseful plot line, but was revealed on one of the last pages of the book and was not surprising and/or exciting at all.
But now I’m going to stop hating on The Flags of War, and talk about what I did like about it. The book was written nicely and focused on smaller parts of the American Civil War that you don’t read in most other books and textbooks. I found Judith Henry’s story interesting and liked how they tied that in to the book without making it seem too out of place.
All this being said, I probably won’t be reading the sequel, but still enjoyed small parts of the story.

[Delaney Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flags of War was a horrific adventure of different perspectives of three young men who’s lives were affected by the war. The two men, Nate McGregor and Walt McGregor are long lost cousins, yet they don’t even know. A fight between their two grandparents who are twins split a part their family to different sides of the continent. Nate’s family in Canada owns a slave named Sunday until he escapes to Canada to be free when he shows up at a safe house for slaves to hide which happens to be Walt’s house. The ending is so bitter with slavery and war yet so connecting with the three men. I’d say you’d have to have a stronger stomach because of all the graphic images the authors describes. I absolutely recommend this book to older readers who are interested in reading about the Civil War.

[Peter Lafon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book it about three young men from the civil war with very different view points. Nate is a young boy who lives in the south on a rich plantation, Walt is about the same age as Nate but lives in Canada, and Sunday is a escaping slave from Nate’s plantation. And thought out the book they all get physically closer to each other and at the end they all... no spoilers. But the ending is not the best, super quick and really happy and kid friendly. But through out the book it’s not for 4rd grade because there is really big vocabulary and lots of gore. So I would recommend 5th grade and up to even adults.

[Sage Looram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flags of War is about two boys who happen to be cousins. Walt McGregor and Nate McGregor have never met, mostly because they live on different sides of the continent. A continent that is deeply divided on the issue of slavery and secession. Nate is fighting for the south, and Nate in Canada is eager to fight. When Sunday , an escaped salve from Nate’s family plantation arrives at Walt’s family farm, the three boys will forever be connected. This book is very exciting, and it makes you want to keep reading, it also has very good description. You do have to have a tough stomach to read this book though, because it is very graphic. I would recommend this book to people who like the genre of historical fiction, and to people who would like to learn about the civil war.

[Ian Hewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall the book Flags of War was a pretty decent book. It is about the McGregor family that originated from Scotland and had moved to the colonies is the 1700s. Now Nate McGregor and his father live on a plantation in South Carolina and Walt McGregor lives with is father in Canada and they have never met and don’t know each other exist. When the Civil War comes around Nate joins the Confederate army and Walt is considering joining the Union. This book has a lot of action and really paints a picture in your mind about how the battles were of The Civil War. I recommend this book to people who are interested in history and The Civil War.

[Osman Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

To start off, the book is basically about a time in the civil war. The character Nate and Walt had been cousins without them knowing each other. Sunday was a slave that had been owned by Nate’s dad then Sunday run away from their plantation and accidentally ran into Walt’s family. Nate, Sunday, Walt, were fighting in the war then they ran into each other. The book basically made it where they became family’s again, which I really don’t like it. The author has similar historical informations to the civil war. I would recommend the book to people who can understand books that changes setting quickly. Also for young adults because it has areas I can’t understand.

[Owen Dybus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flags of War is a book telling about the Civil War in different perspectives. This book is not recommended for younger readers because of how graphic it is. The book starts of in Scotland where two sides start of a war and then it starts going into the Civil War, the main characters are Walt, Nate, and Sunday. I recommend this book to people that want to know about the Civil War and need to know about different perspectives, mostly middle school to older generation people.

[Edwin Guzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Flags of War is all about a series of characters. Each chapter is a different person some chapters do have the same character again as you probably guessed. In my opinion I liked how everything was in the beginning and middle of the book but the ending was pretty bad (my opinion). I recommend this book to people who likes suspense that builds up then releases. That’s all I have to say and if you do end up reading this book I hope you enjoy and rate it!

[Shawn Bethea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Flags Of War is a great book it had tragic events that will leave you hanging from your seat, and would want to read more of his books. I recommend this book to people who are like teenagers and adults and don’t read it if you don’t like gory things. The main characters of the book are Walt,Nate, and Sunday they want to know what war felt like but there dad’s would not let them but than eventually you will find out what will happen.

[Gavin Tinker · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all this book was really well made and it was very enjoyable. The book takes place in 2 different locations, and 3 different points of view (excluding the prologue). The book takes place in South Carolina and Canada. With Nate, a plantation owners son, Sunday, a Slave, and Walt a Canadian who is wondering about the American Civil War. Overall, I highly recommend this book to people who likes history and who want to learn what life was like during the civil war.

[Colin McCarthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall The Flags of War was not a very good book. The description of the setting was one of the few parts I liked about the book (possibly the only part I liked). Also the ending was horrible, yes I know there is a sequel but there are a million ways it could’ve been better. This was one of the books I really didn’t like.

[Sam Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flags of war part one was really just a mediocre book. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t absolutely outstanding, it was just mediocre. The conflict itself I personally liked but I read this book with a group so I created some theories and predictions that weren’t even proven wrong (I would excuse that if that were the case) but rather were just not even mentioned. A big thing the group and I were talking about was Frank King’s backstory, was he lying? Was it just exaggerated because he saw it as a child? But that was never touched on. One part of the book I really liked was when Nate met Judith Henry. Her words were so profound and true and it really made you realize that this war was happening in people’s backyard, and that they really couldn’t escape the fighting (yeas I am aware that Judith Henry was a real person). Another example of being unable to escape the fighting was Wilmer McLean (he was mentioned by Judith Henry). His house was destroyed in first Bull Run, and then destroyed again in Second Bull Run, so he moved to Appomattox Court House... the place where the last battle of the Civil War happened (guess what happened to that house). It really does give you perspective of the war.
Now for the story line, Walt was obviously supposed to be the main character but his time in the book was filled with so much nothing that Sunday should’ve been that storyline. Nate on the other hand was absolutely amazing, there was so much conflict internal and physical it was great.
And then the ending. To not spoil anything it was just disappointing. In conclusion, 3 stars, 5/10

[Cassy Castelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nate living in South Carolina, is ready to fight for his hometown, while Walt, living in Canada, fears one wrong move could pull Britain into the war. Their twin grandfathers split apart because of their views on slavery. Nate and Walt McGregor, long lost cousins, find each other, and even though they’re fighting for different sides, that doesn’t stop them from being family. Sunday, an escaped slave from Nate’s farm, as had a brutal past, and along with Nate and Walt, the three of them “become linked forever”.
For me this book made me feel more connected to the characters, but also made me realize and think how much we (now in the future) actually have, and how much everyone in the 1800’s really did something for us, no matter how brutal it was. Without everything that had happened in the past, we wouldn’t have all the rights we have now, and for all we know, slavery and so many other brutal wars (like we’ve had) could be happening right now. Like we’re lucky to have what we do, and the fact that we have history of all this, and we see the view on it now, really makes you think deeply on all this, well at least for me.
I would definitely read this book, and although there is some very graphic
scenes, it is a very interesting but fascinating book to read, and there’s a lot to take note of. It’s definitely a book I’ll come back to in the future.

[Etrefz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story takes place in Scotland,were a man named Rory is fighting the British. Many,many years later, two cousins are in the times of the great American Civil War. Nate and Walt have never met,but are family. Their family broken by slavery. Then along comes a runaway slave,from Nate’s plantation, named Sunday. Soon the three boys are connected by Sunday,War,and blood. All facing the calling for freedom,adventure,and war.
The book was good. I can’t use fancy words like ‘marvelous’ or ‘tremendous’ because it wasn’t. It was good and swell. The ending,no spoilers, was like a fairytale. I will not get into so much because of spoiling it for anyone who wants to read it but to warn you,at the end,it’s like a Disney movie. Also,what I loved what the accuracy with the book. At the end it has a ‘Historical Note’ and reading it you realize many of the parts the author writes is accurate. One part of the book shows ‘Stonewall’ Jackson sucking on a lemon which is accurate.

If you are looking for a historical fiction book that is accurate with most parts then read Flags Of War. If you like gore then this could be a book for you. Flags of War should be a book read 4/5 grade to any age. The book itself was something I would read and I like gore,good character development,and a surprising plot. So if you like those ideas then Flags Of War is for you to read.

[Grace Duffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flags of War, written by John Wilson, is a book about the Civil War. One of the characters Nate, lived in the south and owned a slave named Sunday. Another character Walt, lived in Canada. Frank King, the person who managed slaves at Nate’s home, eventually is after Walt and Sunday. He was very harsh to Sunday so he runs away. The book comes together because eventually Walt and Sunday know each other and at that time Walt and Nate didn’t know each other. Then they all fight in a war. The ending is fantastic and really completes the book.
This book is told from three perspectives, Walt, Nate, and Sunday. I enjoyed getting to know what a Northern person felt, what a Southern person felt, and what a slave felt during this time. I felt that the book had a lot of exciting moments. Also, it had some cliffhangers that made me want to keep reading. I enjoyed the ending because that is when the whole book comes together. Without reading the ending the book would be very confusing and incomplete.
This book is historical fiction. I have never read a more exciting historical fiction book. It is a middle grade book and a great book to discuss about. Also, some of the book is written in cursive. This is a really good book that I high,y recommend you read.

[Jude Pietrucha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flags was a Historic-Fictin book that brought you the trauma of The Civil War. From a slaves perspective to a Plantation Owner’s son to a Canadian perspective of the war. I personally think it does tell you about the war from all persceptives and not brain wash to think the North or South was a better side.
Although it was a good book I would critique a bit, I was not fond of the ending, not any spoilers but I felt it ended in a just “then everything was fine”. There is a sequel coming but I felt the author could have left it on a cliff hanger. Which would have got more people to want to read the next book, even though most people will.
I would recommend this book for teens, and not as much for readers under 10 because it was a bit gory and maybe not for them. It is good for people who like the civil war and Hisorical-Fiction. I rated this book a 4 as maybe John Wilson could have left the book on a cliff hanger. Although this book might not end as well I would definitely recommend picking it up.

[Sophia Minetola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical fiction novel is about two teenage boys who are related through their great grandpa Rory. They both have different views on the world. One of them, Nate, has a father who owns a plantation and owns slaves. The other, Walt, lives in Canada and his father owns a farm. While Nate believes that slavery is fine, Walt refuses to accept the idea of slavery. Both of them want to fight in the war to either abolish or keep slavery in America.
This was a mediocre story with a lot of historical accuracy. I love how the author, John Wilson, put so many facts that actually happened in the war in such a settle way. For example, he mentions how Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was sucking lemons on the battlefield. The ending for me personally was bland, but I understand that it is part one to the story.
I recommend this book to 6th-8th graders. This book was graphic in some parts and it had some vocabulary words that a younger student may not understand. This was a mediocre book.

[Galvin Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flags of War is about 3 characters Nate, Walt, and Sunday. The Prologue you have to read to understand the story better. Basically Nate and Walt’s grandfathers where twins who split apart in the Revolutionary War. One agreed with the British the other agreed with the Americans. So Walt’s grandfather moved to Canada and Nate’s went to South Carolina. There is one small problem they don’t know they are cousins. Will they find out you have to read to find out. I give this book 5 out of 5 because this book is not leaving out any details about anything. That is what I really like about this book it can give you a very good picture of what is going on. John Wilson does an amazing job making the book as real as possible all the generals are real and what the battles where like. This book is not for readers under the age of 10 it will give them nightmares. This book is a little to gross and if you can’t read cursive I would not read this book.

[Corry Lan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flags of war was a pretty good book for me It was also interesting to read. Flags of war is a book about the American Civil War. Walt McGregor and Nate McGregor who are cousins who have never met are living different life styles and different living in different countries. While Walt lives with his father on their farm in Canada Nate is a privileged son of a plantain owner in South Carolina. The thing I like about The Flags of War is that John Wilson added real events that happened during the war like with Judith Henry. But there is how one thing that I don’t like about this book and that is how it ended. I get it that it had to end because it was part one of the book but why did it end where it did why didn’t it end earlier. I would really recommend this to anyone that like the civil war.

[Elliot Reinking · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Flags of War was a great read. Our class was assigned this book for literature circles and I fell in love with it. It is a historical novel about the civil war, swapping from the perspective of a slave, a wealthy plantation owner’s son, and a young boy from Canada. The book captures how every side felt during the civil war. You need to understand the different sides to really understand the war as a whole, and this book did it beautifully. Additionally, it gives detail on other wars, relating all of them together to show that war is just fighting for the cause you believe in. The problem is that violence is used. Moving on from war, I think that this book should be on all bookshelves for middle schoolers and young adults. It is a truly amazing book with a truly amazing storyline. This book deserves praise.

[Madyson Maronski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flags of War is a book that takes place in the Civil War. This book is split up into 3 people that have their different ways of life. One boy is a slave, another boy is the plantation owners son, and the last boy is a farmer. In this book you get to experience 2 different sides getting ready for war and not knowing if they will be in war. I think John Wilson did a very nice job with this book, knowing that it takes awhile to get all this knowledge than writing it into a book. The storyline was mostly accurate and made you feel like you were one of the characters. While reading this book I had a lot of tough questions that I couldn’t answer in my head. Although this book was great it had a few parts that were gory. I recommend this book middle school readers who are wanting or interested in the Civil War.

[Dominick McNew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to think that major action just wouldn’t work in a book that wasn’t a comic. That was before I read Flags Of War. This book is filled with horrific, bloody scenes, emotional character connections, and has characters you’ll love, hate, and be aware of there existence. This is a spoiler free review, but I’ll gladly give you an example of what you can find. (Most of this is taken from the blurb, so if something seems like a spoiler, chill.)

The chapters change perspective. There is Walt, Nate, and Sunday. Nate and Walt are cousins, but they aren’t aware. Nate lives in the South on a slave plantation, Walt lives in Canada, and Sunday is an escaped slave from Nate’s plantation. That’s all you need to know. To know more, read the book. I highly recommend it. Peace.

[Anthony Gervais · Rating 4 out of 5]

The flags of war was a book writen by an author named John Wilson,it was a very interesting book to me it had me as a reader wanting more every page I finished. it took place during the civil war and the slavery ages the way John Wilson wrote the book and explained the characters was amazing I could imagine them in my mind with detail. Some of the characters names were Nate, Sunday, Walt and etc.. One interesting fact about the book is that two boys one from Canada and one from America were fighting on opposite sides of the battle yet they turned out to be cousins.

[Ethan Buchman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave this book four stars because I think this book is all out great. It’s accurate, and it also gives you a relationship or a point of view towards different characters. There is Nate, Walt, Touss, Sunday, and the most evil character in the book Frank King. It gives points of views from slaves and from children who are forced into war. That’s my review, I recommend reading this book if you are interested in seeing different perspectives of the war.

DISCLAIMER: This book contains minor graphic content!

[Alexis Bordi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flags of War is about three boys, Walt McGregor, Sunday, and Nate McGregor and their lives getting torn up because of the War. Nate and Walt are long lost cousins and they don’t know that. Walt lives in Canada and Nate lives in America. Walt is on the Confederate side of the War with Sunday, while Nate is on the Union side of the War. A fight between Walt and Nate’s grandparents is what separated them.

[Tyler Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flags of war was a book about the civil war more then 100 years ago. This book is very amazing, the author includes a lot of detail and his very graphic. This book is really about Sunday, Walt and Nate who are all related in a way but only two of them are family members read the book to find out who. I would recommend this to a reader with a strong stomach that is a upper grade reader.

[Luke Rutkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Flags Of War was ok book, the summary of the book is two cousins who don’t know each other named Nate Walt join the army to fight for each side, the Confederates and Union. My critique is I give it 3/5 because I like the war genre, but it is way, to, gory! I recommend this book to people who are into war and gore.

[Andi Sharku · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really didn’t like this book, and the only interesting character was Sunday. It was boring. Although I did learn a lot about The Civil War.

[Ava! ⋆˚꩜｡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was interesting to see how slaves where treated through the eyes of a young run away, really changed my perspective on things

[Randy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The tale of two cousins begins in Scotland and ends on the battlefields of Tennessee. One family, separated by their views on slavery, end up fighting still on both sides of the American Civil War. Walt's story begins on his farm in Cornwall, and Nate's story begins on his family's plantation in South Carolina. While their family's views on the politics was different, bit cousins unknowingly are drawn together by the battles.

I picked this book up because it is November and the library is focusing on the genre of war fiction. John Wilson is a wonderful writer.

I finished it because, though predictable, I still had no real reason not to finish it.

I would recommend this to those who wish to have a rudimentary understanding of the American Civil War and even Canada's connections to this event.