The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Petersen and the Churchill Club

Reviewed by: Jill O'Connor - North Yarmouth Academy, Yarmouth, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 17, 2015

Review

A meticulously researched and thoroughly captivating true story about a group of Danish boys who saw the Germans taking over their country and wanted to stop it or, at the very least, make some waves. Hoose is a masterful storyteller and has a way of bringing history to life for high school readers. Petersen and his brother and their friends from the Cathedral School were appalled at the way that the Danes bowed down to the Germans and let them enter their country and run things. The boys were virulently opposed to Naziism and Hitler and they wanted their countrymen to fight the way that the Norwegians were. They enacted small feats of vandalism and havoc whenever possible, using their youth and their charm to get away with their treasonous acts. Eventually, they caught the attention of higher military personnel, who wanted the thefts of weaponry and loss of machinery and vehicles to stop. The boys were caught and tried; fortunately, they were turned over to the Danish jail system and not a German prison. Petersen spent two years, miserable, hopeless time spent with little communication with his peers or the outside world, in the Nyborg State Prison. Upon his release, he continued his espionage work. The war ended one year later. Unbeknownst to the Churchill Club, their story had leaked out to the world, and their heroic defiance was contagious, spreading to other Danes who continued their work with great success. This book uses the words of Petersen from interviews with Hoose as well as stories from any of the other players Hoose could track down. The book is inspiring and heart-wrenching and needs to be read by anyone who thinks that change cannot happen from a few people working together; in fact, it can be the thing that lights the match. This book will have appeal for any reader who loves history, particularly that of WWII, as well as those who appreciate a well-told true story or personal narrative. The end matter should not be skipped as it provides a follow-up to the members of the club as well as insight into Hoose's methods for gathering material to write the book. Highly recommend.

Overall Book Score: excellent