The Year of the Hangman

by Gary L. Blackwood

Book Overview

It's 1777-the rebellious American colonies have been soundly defeated by the powerful British redcoats, and the imprisoned General Washington is to hang from the end of a gibbet. That's the situation... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439636264
• ISBN13: 9780439636261
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.

Customer Reviews

The Year of the Hangman--A MUST Read for Middle Schoolers

"By the winter of 1776, the American Revolution seemed doomed. The Continental Army had suffered major defeats...As we all know, Washington managed to beat the odds against him...and went on to defeat the British. But it didn't have to happen that way...This is a story of what might have happened." Gary Blackwood wrote this on page one and two of his book The Year of the Hangman. This quote sums up the entire point of the book. The Year of the Hangman is based during the revolutionary war and explores the idea of what might have happened if Washington and the Patriots lost the war. It is a story about a boy named Creighton Brown who lives in England. His mother is concerned about Creighton's bad behavior and orders her brother to kidnapp Creighton and take him to America. During the novel Creighton meets Ben Franklin, Benedict Arnold, Peter (Arnold's body guard), Colonel Gower (Creighton's Uncle), Lieutenant Hale (Gower's body guard) and Sophie (Franklin's maid). Creighton also learns of his father's real fate and his contribution to the war. After living with the Americans, Creighton struggles with his conscience to decide where his loyalties really lie--to the Americans or to the British. Read The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood to find out more about this exciting alternate history novel!

History isn't that boring

I think this is a really good book because mostly when you look at history it's boring and you don't want to know about it. I gave five stars handds down. The reason is because it shows that we shouldn't take freedom for granted. In this book a young boy named Creighton is a little piece of crap that nobody would want for a son. That's why his mom sent him to be with his uncle in the American colonies. creighton's uncle sends him to spy on Benjamin Franklin, the legendary printer, to learn about the rebels. I thought this book was put together well and I enjoyed it. An element that is represented most in this story is suspense. I kept thinking is Creighton going to get caught? I would recommend this book to people who always think What if?

The Year of the Hangman - Historical Fantasy At Its Best:

1777 - The Year of the Hangman, was a time of turmoil and political intrigue. A war had been waged between the mighty British Empire, and the passionate underdogs, the American Colonies... Now, anyone with a whit of sense knows how this conflict really ended, and may be familiar with what really went on in this year. However, let us consider another possibility... What If...? The Patriots were defeated; their ranks and leaders broken and scattered? On this premise, Gary L. Blackwood skillfully constructs a slender novel of great imagination. Creighton Brown, a soft, spoiled British aristocrat is taken in the night and transported to the Americas. Eventually, he finds himself a central pawn in a plot to destroy what remains of the Continental Army. Populating this rich world are characters of all walks of life, including several with familiar names, if not familiar roles. In order to find his place in this New World, Creighton must discover where his loyalties truly lie, and not only if he is a man of conscience, but, indeed, whether he is a man at all... Can this confused young man rise above his own selfish concerns in order to play a major role in the final act of the American Revolution...?

The Year of the Hangman

Bursting with action and suspense, The Year of the Hangman, by Gary Blackwood, is a teen must-read. In post-revolution America, the year is 1777, and the uprising has been stomped out. The victorious British send legion of troops to smoke out the subversive revolutionaries and keep a tight rein on the newly subdued colonies. Enter Creighton Brown, the main character, an uncontrollable ruffian of a British boy who, since his father's death in the Army has run amock and driven his mother close to distraction. That is, until he is kidnapped and taken to the colonies. From that point, he becomes, among other things, a servant, a spy, a printer's apprentice, and a hero. Throughout his misadventures, Creighton's character changes for the better, while principles that were once plainly black and white dissolve slowly into a shadowy gray.This book is not only for the history minded, but for anyone who sometimes contemplates what could have happened. With colorful characters and an artfully woven plot, The Year of the Hangman will be a delightful read.

His Majesty's United States?

What better way to consider how things turned out than to think about how they MIGHT have turned out? The very idea of alternate history makes my brain sputter, but the author does a great job of creating a believable country of "Might Have Been." The action seldom slows as spoiled kid Creighton Brown unwillingly ships out to the colonies and stumbles into a rebellion on the skids, an experience that contrasts sharply with his previous aimless existence and forces him to grow up. The more one knows about the American Revolution, the more surprises will be in store: George Washington in prison?! Ben Franklin in hiding?! (well, why not?) Blackwood makes Benedict Arnold an especially compelling and complex character, which (speaking as a student of REAL history) he seems to have been. But nobody needs a score card to enjoy the story. The history, though imagined, is crisply brought to life in sights and smells of the past. My only quibble is that the ending could have been stronger, but it's fun getting there. I can't think of a better way to open up discussion of what really happened than considering how things might have turned out instead!