'Some bright kid's got a gun and 2000 rounds of live ammo. And that gun's no pea-shooter. It'll go through a brick wall at a quarter of a mile.' Chas McGill has the second-best collection of war souvenirs in Garmouth, and he desperately wants it to be the best. When he stumbles across the remains of a German bomber crashed in the woods - its shiny, black machine-gun still intact - he grabs his chance. Soon he's masterminding his own war effort with dangerous and unexpected results . . . The Machine Gunners is Robert Westall's gripping first novel for children set during World War Two and winner of the Carnegie Medal. Now with a brilliant cover look celebrating its fortieth anniversary. Includes a bonus short story - 'The Haunting of Chas McGill' - and an extended biography of the author.
Author Biography
More than a decade after his death, Robert Westall retains his reputation as one of the most powerful writers for children. He was awarded two Carnegie Medals (for The Machine Gunners and The Scarecrows) and used his own childhood experiences of the Second World War in his books.
Reviews
"Seat-of-the-pants suspense. Westall's writing is smashing throughout." --Kirkus Reviews starred review "The pace is unrelenting." --Booklist starred review