Young Adult Optic, Oliver: A lieutenant at eighteen v1 2.2.2009

[mtravellerh]

William Taylor Adams (July 30, 1822 – March 27, 1897) was a noted academic, author, and Massachusetts state legislator. He was born in Medway, Massachusetts in 1822 to Captain Laban Adams and Catherine Johnson Adams.

He became a teacher in the Boston, Massachusetts public schools in 1845, and remained in that capacity through 1865. In 1846, he married Sarah Jenkins, with whom he had two children. He served as a member of the School Board of Dorchester, Massachusetts, for 14 years. In 1869, he became a member of the Massachusetts General Court. He died in Dorchester in 1897.

He wrote many books of fiction for boys under the pseudonym "Oliver Optic", including:

* Hatchie, the Guardian Slave (1853)
* Indoors and Out (1855)
* The Boat Club (1855)

and others, including novels about Civil War

This one is a Civil War novel, too and describes the adventures of the Lyon clan, including the Battle of Mill Springs.

I am quite ambivalent concerning this book, as the war is described as a jolly adventure suitable for youths. This is against all my deepest convictions and leaves me with a deep disgust. On the other hand, this is a good adventure book and I trust my readers to be mature enough to make their own choices.

A few illustrations inside.

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