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George vs. George: The Revolutionary War as Seen From Both Sides

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There are two sides to every story. Rosalyn Schanzer's engaging and wonderfully illustrated book brings to life both sides of the American Revolution.

The narrative introduces anew the two enemies, both named George: George Washington, the man who freed the American colonies from the British, and George III, the British king who lost them. Two leaders on different sides of the Atlantic, yet with more in common than we sometimes acknowledge. We are lead through their story, and the story of their times, and see both sides of the arguments that divided the colonies from the Kingdom. Was King George a "Royal Brute" as American patriots claimed? Or was he, as others believed, "the father of the people?" Was George Washington a scurrilous traitor, as all the king's supporters claimed? Or should we remember and celebrate him as "the father of his country?" Who was right? History teaches us that there are two sides to every story.

Rosalyn Schanzer's book is an accessible account of one the most vital periods in American history. It is also a timeless lesson in seeing history from different points of view. The author spent two years researching books, paintings, cartoons, and descriptions of Revolutionary times. She uses art, text, and first-hand accounts to illustrate how history should never be reduced to simplistic conflicts between the "good guys" and the "bad guys." Her illustrations, and her engaging quote bubbles, bring the Revolution to life again, and allow the characters of the period to speak for themselves. Through its lively text, detailed illustrations, and fully authenticated quotes, George vs. George shines fresh light on both sides of the story of our country's formative years.

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

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Rosalyn Schanzer

39 books25 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
Profile Image for Julie G (I click boxes to no avail).
963 reviews3,584 followers
November 14, 2023
When we first moved here, two and a half years ago, I enrolled my daughters in a new school district. They are introverted girls and they knew no one at their new schools, so, naturally, those first few months were both precious and tentative and we spent a lot of time talking about their classes, to distract from the fact that neither of them had met friends yet.

My middle child had more to contribute, with her busier workload and school day of various classes, and whenever she answered my questions about what she was learning in her World History class, she'd say something like “so-and-so was evil!”

We don't throw around the word “evil” at our house, so I was confused by this. I started asking her, “What makes you think so-and-so is evil?” (assuming that she had come to this conclusion herself). Every time, she'd answer, “I don't know. That's just what Mr. X says.”

By the Thanksgiving break, this theme of “evil” leaders, both of past and present years, was getting tedious for me. This was public school, not parochial school. I started asking my daughter WHAT ELSE she was learning in there, and I encouraged her to seek her own answers and draw her own conclusions. (WHEN was this “evil” leader in office? WHAT did he do? HOW do YOU feel about his actions as a leader?)

Around the Christmas break, I finally broke down and emailed the teacher. I was as polite as possible, but I still wanted to know WHY our kids weren't being encouraged to use their own critical thinking skills in regard to the events of history and our world leaders and WHY he felt the need to share so many strong opinions with highly susceptible adolescents?

His response was meaningless, and he has since quit the school (having nothing to do with my email, but I suspect mine was only one of many), but I was actually grateful for the reminder that, in our household, at least, we believe in researching, using both critical thinking and intuition, and then coming up with our OWN snarky conclusions about who's an asshole, and who isn't.

So, imagine my delight when I found this particular book about the American Revolution!

(Yes, remember. . . this is a review about GEORGE VS. GEORGE??)



This book, which is illustrated and marketed toward middle grades readers but was just as appreciated by the adult in this buddy read, is refreshing in its objectivity, vibrancy, and fluency.

The illustrations are bold and lively and the author chose to use real quotes in “speech balloons” for the real life “characters” in the story.

She also chose to tell BOTH SIDES.

History isn't about ONE perspective; it's a complex narrative of facts, dates, and opinions that can change over time, as we change over time.

Books like GEORGE VS. GEORGE celebrate our intellect and invite us to sit back, take in the information, and come to our own conclusions.
Profile Image for Shannon Clark.
565 reviews6 followers
January 20, 2013
Let me say this first. I originally thought this was a "short" picture book. The kind I could read to my 5th graders in one sitting. Well, that wouldn't be possible. It is PACKED with information. Which is a good thing. :)

I loved this book!! I'm thinking I can read it to my kids over the entire unit on the American Revolution, a little bit each day. If magic fairies existed I would wish for a class set of this book!! Imagine the possibilities. We would never have to open that history book. Wink-wink. :)

If you are interested in history you need to read this book.

If you like to read picture books you need to read this book.

If you like to read you need to read this book.

Just read the book. :)

781 reviews11 followers
June 21, 2010
Unless you are already a serious historian, I promise you will learn something from this book. It... it may not always be what you WANT to learn (for example, that the Revolutionaries committed atrocities against the Iroquois), but you're bound to learn SOMEthing new.

This is a diligently researched book. Do not let the fact that it is a "picture book" fool you - this book is written at about a seventh grade reading level, and it shows. Many pages of dense text, and a lot more informative than most textbooks I had through high school!

The author worked hard to avoid painting the British and the Loyalists as monsters - and they weren't! They had reasons for their actions just the same as the revolutionaries did. Likewise, she doesn't present the patriots as unalloyed saints - and they weren't, any more than you and I are! They did good things for good reasons, good things for selfish reasons, and bad things for the same reason anybody does bad things. And yes, horrific acts were committed by both sides in this war, against enemies and innocents alike.

The illustrations and quotations enliven and complement the text, but they do not take over the book. I really advise this book for ANYbody wanting to learn more about the Revolution.
Profile Image for Tori (Book Chick).
825 reviews51 followers
April 26, 2017
This looks just like a "kid's" book, but it's packed with info. We used it for homeschool as we studied the Revolutionary war. It gave info from both sides, and kept my children's interest, as well as my own.
Profile Image for A.M..
Author 2 books32 followers
June 25, 2022
When I first saw this book, I knew it looked good. After having read it, I can completely say that I was not disappointed.
It was an unbiased view of the American War for Independence, focusing on the two leaders of each side--ironically both named "George".
One thing that I especially appreciated was that there are a LOT of actual quotes used in the book. I think that is a vital thing for children to hear about history in the actual words of those who lived it!
I look forward to using this book in the future to help kids understand the events of the War for Independence.
Very well done.
There was a few things I didn't appreciate. One of them was that towards the end of the book, the author is telling about what became of both Georges after the war. She says in regard to George III that he was "No villain." And also that although many view him as being a tyrant, he wasn't.
Ok...that, in my opinion, was not unbiased like the author claims to be. That is not fact, but rather opinion. I don't mind reading books that are the author's opinions on matters. Everyone should have that freedom of opinion.
However this book was supposed to be an unbiased view of both Georges and I don't think that was an example of that.
Profile Image for Jess Combs.
146 reviews15 followers
January 21, 2022
I really like getting a perspective of opposite sides,but it seemed a bit rushed at times. My daughter also felt like she didn't get enough information about certain events. We ended up supplementing with a book about George Washington and another about King George
Profile Image for Erin Odom.
Author 9 books181 followers
October 28, 2020
I learned more about the American Revolution from this book than I did in all of high school and college history classes!
Profile Image for Brianna Knutson.
69 reviews
March 24, 2024
Just okay. Pictures were nice. Some of the text was hard to follow with the back-and-forth.
Profile Image for Rae.
3,798 reviews
March 30, 2018
This is a jam-packed look at the Brits and the colonists during the Revolutionary period. Geared for younger readers, but I learned quite a bit. There are always at least two sides to every story.
8 reviews
April 21, 2022
George Vs George is a great novel study to introduce the revolutionary war. It tells the story of how two George’s, sworn enemies, navigate the revolutionary war. The chapters were each told from different sides making it easy to follow along. The pictures were a great addition to help keep students engaged in our social studies class.
Profile Image for Jordan.
Author 5 books109 followers
February 28, 2015
I teach college-level history and, with a baby due any day, I was browsing Barnes & Noble’s children’s history section when I came across this book. It’s a wonderful surprise, doing in under 60 beautifully illustrated pages what I spend semesters trying to do in my US History classes.

Rosalyn Schanzer’s George vs. George aims to present both sides of the Revolutionary War and does a wonderful job. The two Georges of the title are George Washington and King George III, and the book begins by comparing and contrasting them, humanizing both in the process. The two Georges are also the book’s way in to describing the times and places in which they lived and the roles they played in American history.

What you won’t find in this book are stories about cherry trees or wooden teeth or the bloody tyrant King George. Instead, Schanzer presents the reader with two principled people on opposing sides of a divisive issue, and she lays out simply how they arrived at their positions and why. Along the way she gives a brief history of the growing crisis in the colonies, the War for Independence, the Declaration, and what came after—for both Georges. The Revolutionary era has been romanticized unlike any other, and Schanzer—in an age-appropriate way—strips away a lot of the gloss and shows the heroism and brutality of both sides. There were plenty of both.

Schanzer’s text is informative and her illustrations are wonderful. They range from two-page battle scenes, of which the best is probably the Lexington and Concord spread, to what might be called infographics, laying out with simple, engaging pictures the way the British and colonial governments worked, what kind of soldiers fought in both armies, and so forth. Sprinkled throughout are drawings of other figures of the period with their perspectives on events given in their own words. And these are not limited to obvious movers and shakers like Jefferson and Franklin but include others like Samuel Johnson, Patrick Henry, much-dehumanized British generals like Gage and Howe, and ordinary men and women from both sides.

The versions of Revolutionary history many of us grew up with were oversimplified, and detrimentally so. The real story in all its complexity is much more interesting, and George vs. George is an ideal introduction to a rich and important part of our past.

Highly recommended.
50 reviews
November 11, 2013
This book gives both sides to the American Revolution. It talks about how King George the third and George Washington were similar in many ways and gives background information on each. The book also shows how government worked in England and how government worked in America. It talks about the taxes which were put on the colonies, the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act. There is a section on what event caused the war and then what happened during the war. The books gives information on the rebel forces and the British forces. The book ends with the final battle and a “What Ever Happened to King George?” section. I thought that the book had many different little known facts and anecdotes that would be interesting to students while they read the book. There was also many different quotes from famous people in the American Revolution. This book did a great job of comparing the two sides of this war. You got to see King George the third and what he believed. Then you also got to see what George Washington and what he believed. Then it gave you the comparison of the armies and the two governments.
Profile Image for Alice.
4,303 reviews37 followers
March 27, 2019
I love history, and I wanted to know more about the Georges and I guess I did, but I expected more!
This is perfect for a 5th Grade American History class and that is who it is written for, so I should crow to loud!.
But- it does make me want to know more about the Georges, so I need to find a grown up George vs George book.
ANY Recommendations!?
Profile Image for Margaret Chind.
3,194 reviews259 followers
April 13, 2021
This is an excellent book! There is a full verbose text, conversation bubbles, and vibrantly detailed illustrations. There is so much information to be absorbed and devil's advocate for both sides of the debate. There was no good side vs. the bad side, but the good and evil in two men of the same name and the peoples that followed them. We read this on the recommendation of Sonlight Curriculum Kindergarten (2020) Exploring American History and while we read it faster than the schedule suggested, I do suggest you take more than a day or two to read it because there is so much information. I especially enjoyed as I was reading that even my oldest student (11.5 working through Introduction to American History part 1) was able to recognize the history repeats itself and relate these acts and moments of the Revolutionary War to the modern era and said without skipping a beat, well that sounds like Ant!fa tactics... Imagine a band of renegades dressing up as Patriots and causing destruction to cause blame in the wrong place. I own a copy of this book.
8 reviews
February 19, 2022
With under 60 pages, I thought this nonfiction book would be a brief read. Boy, was I wrong! This book is packed with information about the circumstances surrounding the Revolutionary War from two sides: those of George Washington and King George III. I learned so much from this book, and I like the fair treatment it gave to multiple sides of the war. Added to the narrative text are quotes from key players throughout the book, conveniently held in speech bubbles, and beautiful illustrations which provide even more detail.

This book is appropriate for upper elementary grades, though I would caution that some details (particularly about the treatment of civilians) may be inappropriate for sensitive audiences. I can imagine several ways to use this book in a fifth grade classroom, including a study on perspective or comparing and contrasting. You could even use it to assist students in forming arguments for a debate. This book would be a great resource in tying together literature and history.
Profile Image for Willow.
1,289 reviews16 followers
June 1, 2017
An interesting book. Definitely promotes the economic view of American history and sources were books written in the 1960s and later as opposed to original source documents. They did use original sources for quotations.

Illustrations were colorful, and we were fascinated by the "two sides to the story," but as it was coming from a point of historical revisionism, we can't believe everything we read. I will be looking for history books older than 1930s so that we can read history documented by historians committed to portraying the true Providential view of American history.

An incredibly helpful and interesting series on American history is David Barton's American Heritage DVD collection. https://shop.wallbuilders.com/the-ame...
Profile Image for Dolly.
Author 1 book669 followers
September 5, 2015
This is a good book that outlines the two sides of the Revolutionary War. The information is interesting and the illustrations complement the narrative nicely. My only complaint is that the level of detail is too large to keep the interest of younger children. Even though our girls were interested in the topic and willing to listen for a long time, it took us forever to finish this book. Still, it's a good history lesson and I learned a bit by reading it, too. Recommend for middle school-age children.
Profile Image for Karen.
Author 9 books31 followers
November 8, 2018
I bought this book for my fourth-grade son, but the book looked so darn intriguing I had to read it first.

I spend five years, from age 10 to age 15, living in England. In History class in England, we covered the "Rebellion" in about a day. It meant the loss of some colonies with a mostly criminal element to the British. Of course, to the Americans, it was the forming of a new country -- our country.

This book doesn't romanticize the war or gloss over some of the barbaric performed by both sides. It does show Washington as a hero, but it also shows the humanity of George III.

52 reviews
December 8, 2016
A short and informative, yet entertaining read about the American Revolution. Although portrayed as unbiased, and Schanzer certainly did her best not to paint King George as a villain, it still felt like all the glory went to the United States. Maybe that's because to the victors go the spoils, even in history books.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
400 reviews
April 26, 2016
[4.0]

Some children's books don't have enough information but this one was perfect. Beautiful book.

The only thing I would've liked to see would've been some real pictures of uniforms, weapons, documents . . . It would've rounded it off nicely.
2 reviews1 follower
August 29, 2016
George vs George gives a lot of information about everything American Revolution in a small yet interesting book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sue Poduska.
690 reviews5 followers
March 9, 2015
Detailed information about life in the late 1700s.
Profile Image for Samantha.
758 reviews8 followers
July 15, 2023
The Revolutionary War is my favorite time period, yet I've never done much research into the British side of things, so this book piqued my interest. It was just as interesting as the title promised, and I loved the balanced nature of this book.

This book is a simplified retelling of the events, as it was written for a children's chapter book audience, but it still captures the complexity well. There was really only one bit of info I wish had been expanded on but, otherwise, I learned a lot and it's a great introduction.

I will say, the book really leans on the fact the British Parliament holds more responsibility for the war than King George. I don't doubt this, and it is something that is often overlooked, but it really makes me want to learn more about this matter and just how involved (or not) King George was. Which, I guess is part of the point of this book, so it succeeded there.

I guess the above point isn't really a positive or a negative, but just what stuck out to me the most, as it's something that's not talked about much on the American side of history/culture.

My only actual complaint is the tiny bit of info on black men fighting in the American army. The book states by the end of the war, it's estimated a quarter of Washington's army was black. There is also a mention a bit later that many southerners sent slaves to take their place in the army instead of fighting themselves. I wasn't aware of either of these facts (I knew some black freemen helped the American side, but that was about it), so it was quite interesting to learn, but there was no mention if these slaves were freed for going in their master's place. The British were freeing slaves who became soldiers for them, after all.

So, it's great there were mentions of this aspect of history, as it's so often left out altogether or considered a separate history, but it left out relevant info that left me confused.

Other than that, I really love the approach of this book, the layout of the chapters, pages, and information. It's a great start to the complexities of the war and time period, and it was well-written and easy to comprehend.
4 reviews1 follower
February 2, 2018
1. This a picture book version of the events leading up to, the actual event, and the aftermath that was the American Revolution. However, this was told from each side, the American and British side. For every major event of the conflict, the viewpoints and how it affected both the British and American sides were shown. This book gives a pretty in depth telling of the birth of the United States and exposes readers to the importance of knowing both sides.
2. Before you can say you fully understand a subject, you need to know both sides of a story/conflict to truly grasped what happened.
3. I love history, as that is my minor and especially US History so this book stuck out to me big time. I thought it did a great job of explaining the conflict of both sides. I have read many books about the Revolution and even I learned some things, especially about the British side and King George as a person which makes the event more complicated but way more interesting. The graphics were great as they provided a little humor, great visualization and additional info but were not too overbearing and taking away anything from the main body of text. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed learning and laughing about the American Revolution.
4. I recommend this to anyone 3rd grade and up as there is a good amount of text. The diction is not hard or it gets explained it just can be a lot to take in. However anyone that likes history will appreciate this telling of the Revolution, but as I have said it just gives another perspective into the conflict and provided reasoning to the actions of the British which the victors usually forget to mention. This is a great read for anyone willing just learn more about history or America in general. I love history so this may be a little bias but to get a more in depth understanding and visualization of the American Revolution without having to read some old novel that looks like the Bible this is the best option. Interesting from beginning to end with great add ins. Overall a fun read for anyone, and especially those who love history.
Profile Image for Bookbag_Betty.
176 reviews
October 5, 2019


-A Leader, Once Convinced That A Particular Course of Action Is The Right One, Must Be Undaunted When The Going Gets Tough.

At First Glance
A Look At The Life Of King George & His Countrymen
A Look At The Life Of George Washington & His Countrymen
How Government Worked In England
How Government Worked In America
The Trouble With Taxes 1764-1770
A Temptest Over Tea 1770-1774
George Vs, George 1774-1775
The Shot Heard Round The World
British Forces
Rebel Forces
A New Nation 1776
The Tides Of War 1776-1783
The Final Battle
No Kings For America





TRAVELED TO // England, The Colonies, Virginia,
MET ALONG THE WAY // King George III, George Washington
87 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2023
"George vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides” is by far the most balanced children's history book about the American Revolution I have yet found. And it is a children's book as you can see from the excellent, but cartoonish, illustrations. It does not contain the wealth of nuanced detail one would expect from a college-level textbook, but it still packs in more information than most students graduate high school with, and does so in an enormously entertaining way.

On the other hand, it is intended for middle schoolers, and that is where it really belongs, after Brad Meltzer's "I Am George Washington", which is entirely appropriate for preschool and elementary students, and before overly simplistic readings of complex events have had time to set in concrete. The lower age limit should probably be set by some of the graphic descriptions, such as:

(p48) Meanwhile the redcoats were trying to terrorize rebel supporters into giving up. Besides constantly stealing food and horses, they burned entire towns and villages, looted or seized people's houses, raped and murdered innocent civilians, and set fire to crops and timberland. British troops locked prisoners in filthy prison ships where they died like flies from starvation, heat, cold, and disease.
............
For revenge, rebel troops sent by George Washington destroyed 41 Native American villages, many of which were peaceful, and burned all their crops and orchards. They collected scalps and showed off pairs of leggings made from the skin of dead Indians. The Iroquois people call George Washington "Town Destroyer" to this day.


This book might just be the spark to ignite a deep interest in history in some young mind.
Profile Image for Heather.
622 reviews14 followers
July 19, 2017
I enjoyed this book as an adult. I learned quite a bit from it.

The timeline occasionally confused me, but after analyzing the structure, I see why the author constructed it the way she did.

I think this story is more from the American viewpoint. It only really gets to the British viewpoint in the Afterword.

The beginning of the book has a lot of vocabulary that must be explained. After about halfway through, it gets much easier to comprehend. Preteaching vocabulary will be a must.

I like the opposing viewpoints. As Americans, we vilify King George III, but this book shows us how every story has two sides.

I found the Acknowledgement, Bibliography, Quote Sources, and index pages in the back very difficult to read because of the color of the background.

I enjoyed the illustrations, and I think they aid in comprehension quite a bit.
Profile Image for Valerie McEnroe.
1,699 reviews59 followers
January 12, 2019
This book is a must for every upper elementary library. I love how it structures the story of the American revolution through the perspectives of both George Washington and King George. Here's a break down of the topics.
*Overview of both Georges
*Overview of both governments
*Problem with all the taxes
*Boston Tea Party
*Shot heard around the world (Lexington and Concord)
*British vs. rebel soldiers (uniforms)
*Declaration of Independence
*Brief overview of the battles
*Surrender at Yorktown
*Final years of both Georges

It's the right length for kids, while still covering the entire conflict. They will appreciate the color illustrations. The more I read about the American Revolution, the more amazed I am that the Americans won.

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