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Dog Tags #4

Divided We Fall

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Man's best friend goes to war.

LOYALTY ABOVE ALL ELSE.

Andrew believes in the importance of loyalty. He is loyal to his family. He is loyal to his hound dog, Dash. And he is loyal to his country, the Confederate States of America.

Although he's too young to join the Confederate Army, Andrew is welcomed into the Home Guard, a group of men who track down deserters and runaways. He and Dash make a great team. But hunting people is very different from hunting raccoons. And soon Andrew's loyalty will be tested like never before.

Dog Tags is a series of stand-alone books, each exploring the bond between soldier and dog in times of war.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2014

32 people are currently reading
265 people want to read

About the author

C. Alexander London

36 books211 followers

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5 stars
129 (51%)
4 stars
61 (24%)
3 stars
42 (16%)
2 stars
8 (3%)
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9 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
19 reviews
December 17, 2018
Animal spirit

This weekend i read “ animal spirit fall of the beasts’’ by Victoria Schwab. The book was about two kids called Abeke and Ronald. They are searching for zurick the bad guy in the village.

As Abeke and Ronald are searching for the village they found Abekes friend that is going to take them to the village, but in the way they face a storm and they stop for a while.

When the storm had stopped they started the journey to the village. It was still gray in the sky, when they got to the village Abeke saw many colors in the sky Ronald said that they were fireworks. The fireworks were somewhere near to them and they went to see it when they got there Abeke was getting dizzy and sick just for seeing all the people in the village.

After a while abeke and ronald saw a figure and they chased him. When they got the figure he said to go somewhere save because zuzrick was in the village and abeke and ronald did not had time to talk to him because they needed to rescue the animals before zurick had take them.


I love this book animal spirit and i hope you would too!.
Profile Image for Kristi.
227 reviews4 followers
June 7, 2024
I am pleasantly surprised at how well the Dog Tags series is written. My boys enjoy these. While they do not glorify war, they also are not overtly political in any way. The plots are simple with enough action to satisfy. Nothing very graphic is mentioned.
18 reviews
January 4, 2018
Personal Response:
Overall, I enjoyed this book because it is very relatable. In the book he found a dog that he trains, and when I was younger I always got to play with my uncle's coon hounds. The author did a good job at keeping the reader interested throughout the whole book. My favorite part was when the dog, along with Andrew, tracked and captured a deserter. Overall, I think this is a well written book.

Plot Summary:
It is 1862 and the Yankees and the rebels are fighting for their way of life. Andrew is a 15 year old boy who lives in Mississippi with his parents and an 18 year old brother: Julius. Andrew's brother goes off to war, and he is left with all the chores around the farm, and he has to protect the homestead with his trusty dog: Dash. One day, a man comes by and wants to know if they could use his dog to track deserters, but Andrew wants to stay with Dash so the man hires them both. On their first night out, they catch a deserter, which Wilson shoots dead. One day, Andrew comes home from the night shift, and his parents are both crying. They had received a letter from the army saying that Julius has gone missing. The next morning, the Yankee army rides into town and burns down their farm; this makes Andrew angry, and he decides he is going to go off and find his brother. Early the next morning, he sets out on a long tough journey. He makes many stops along the way, and he finally meets a preacher that can take him all the way to the camp where his brother left from. Andrew, upon arrival, finds out that his brother is a deserter; this infuriates him, and he knows that there is only one place he would have went. Angry, frustrated, and tired Andrew sets out to find Miss Mary Wards house: Julius's so called girlfriend. He makes it to his house and her parents welcome him in; they eat and chat for a bit. Sometime during there meal Julius steps out from another room and startles Andrew. He will not talk to him because he ran away. They get into a big argument, and Andrew leaves with Dash to go off to fight for his family's honor since Julius wimped out. He's is very close to the battle when Julius jumps out of the bushes and captures him; he says he wont let Andrew leave without him, so they both go off to fight. They are in the battle and Julius grabs Andrew and Dash and they head for home. They make it home and they start to rebuild their farm house In the end they are both rewarded for bravery.

Characterization:
Andrew is a 15 year old boy who sets off in search of his missing brother. Andrew seems very tough, because he made it so far with not a lot of problems. He also seems very smart, because he avoided the Yankees and didn't get killed.
Dash is a Andrews dog. Dash is a very smart hound, and has the "best nose in Mississippi". He keeps Andrew out of danger and protects him throughout the book.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to ages 12-17 of both genders. If you enjoy war or dog books then you would enjoy Dog Tags. I give this book four out of five stars, because it kept my interest throughout the book but I thought the author could have ended the story better by having the dog save a life.
Profile Image for Mrs. Strudthoff.
156 reviews7 followers
August 3, 2015
Andrew lives in the South during the Civil War. His best friend is his bloodhound Dash. Andrew's brother Julius has gone off to fight for the Confederacy and it has been a long time since Andrew and his parents have heard from him. Andrew wants to fight in the war, too, but his parents won't let him go. So he settles for working with the Home Guard, a group of boys and men who hunt for deserters. Dash's tracking abilities make Andrew very valuable to the Home Guard. After they "trap" their first deserter, Andrew sees a different side to the war and sees an ugly side of the Home Guard.

There's news that the Union army is moving into Mississippi and Andrew is sure that the Confederate troops will be able to hold them back. But instead they retreat! Andrew finally convinces his parents to let him join the Rebs so he can find Julius. Along the way, Andrew and Dash are confronted with the truth about war and also the truth about Julius' beliefs and where he has been for the last year of the war.

Page-turning historical fiction! If you liked the Vietnam War series and the World War II series written by Chris Lynch, you'll love Divided We Fall.
26 reviews1 follower
December 13, 2013
This book was okay. It got off to a slow start and it took awhile for me to like the character. It took place during the Civil War in Mississippi. There is a boy named Andrew who is loyal to the South with Dash his Coon Hound dog. Together they go searching for his brother. Who went missing in action. So they both go through a ton of obstacles to get to him. This book was okay like I said it took a slow start.
2,783 reviews44 followers
October 19, 2022
While the American Civil War was brutal and hundreds of thousands of men died or were left permanently damaged, there were also countless permanent emotional scars. There are some very good aspects of this book, specifically the recounting of how there were abolitionists and pro-union people in the Confederate States. However, the different emotional states of the main character, a boy named Andrew, are overplayed.
Andrew’s mother and father are learned people living in Mississippi during the Civil War that insist on book learning for their two boys and they do not own slaves. Yet, they are loyal to the Confederate cause, believing that the fight is against northern tyranny. Andrew is twelve and his older brother Julius is sixteen. When Julius joins the Confederate Army, Andrew wishes that he could also join.
As a consolation, Andrew joins what is called the Home Guard, which is designed to protect the local people from Confederate deserters and runaway slaves. As always seems to be the truth in such cases, the other members of the Home Guard are the male dregs of society. Andrew’s dog Dash is a superb hunting dog, capable of tracking the faintest of scent trails.
When Andrew and Dash track down a Confederate deserter and one of the Home Guard shoots and kills him without reason, Andrew begins to question his loyalty to the cause. He quits the Home Guard and engages in some actions that he considers disloyal. Other events follow, including a search for his brother that has gone missing.
There are many different instances where Andrew questions his actions and his motives, even to the point where he is furious at Julius. That aspect of the story is overstated, diminishing what could have been a great story of the conflicting loyalties and beliefs that were present among the people on both sides of the bloodiest American fight.
1 review
May 25, 2022
Andrew the main character is denied to join the Confederate Army because he is too young. This does not stop him so he gets invited to join the Home Gaurd. Which is a group of men designed to track down the deserters and the runaways. He realizes that hunting down people is hard and very time-consuming.

The book was one of the best army/military/war books I have ever read. I liked that the book had a lot of acting and fighting going on in the book. It also has a lot of descriptive and long conversations that take up a lot of time from the book. The author made the book kind of long and he also does a really good job at describing everything that was in this book very well. The author has a really good story plot set out for the book and it jumps from one place to another place in a couple of seconds which I like.

There are a couple of things that I didn't like about the book first the book was too long but not too long. The second thing that I didn't like about the book is there are way too many conversations between people. The third thing that I didn't like about the book is that there were way too many scenes where the people wouldn't do anything productive. The fourth thing that I didn't like about the book is that in some parts it was so boring that I wouldn't want to continue reading it.
252 reviews2 followers
September 4, 2017
In this book it is about a boy whose brother has gone off to fight in the Civil War and left him to care for their parents and his beloved hound dog. The boy is starts to help out in tracking down deserters and runaways because he wants to help to do his part in the war as well.

Along the way he is able to see the how the war is effecting everyone in both the North side and the South side. I really liked how the author put this storyline together and I liked it a lot.
11 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2018
In this book the main character Andrew sets off with his brothers dog to go and find his brother who suddenly went missing. For anyone that loves dogs at all I strongly recommend this book to you I know you will love it.
6 reviews
June 10, 2019
Very Inspirational

This novel set about two brothers, their parents, and their Bloodhound Dash from Mississippi set in the Civil War is fast paced and thought provoking. Told from the point of view of the younger brother Andrew.
Profile Image for SFrick.
361 reviews
July 15, 2017
I found the author's (C. Alexander London) research in writing the book of value, which made reading all the more enjoyable. So the content is fictional but also in the could be true category.
17 reviews
Read
October 30, 2017
personal response- This book is for anyone with an interest in the military or war movies. I felt like I was watching a movie because I could imagine everything happening. It was easy for me to understand and keep me reading.

Plot summary- Andrew and Dash find deserters until he gets word that his brother Julius has left the army and went missing. The Union burns their house and takes all their things when Andrew is set on getting his brother to go back to the fight. He meets many new friends along the way that help him go to where he needs to go. Andrew cant find Julius at any of the army camps until he realizes that he would only be at one place, Juliuses love of his life was Mary. Mary moved to Jackson before the war started to stay away from it. Now Andrew need his brother to go back to the confederacy to fight and not be a coward but gets himself into something way bigger than expected when he almost loses Julius.

Recommendation- I recommend this book to anyone. The book is very interesting and easy to understand. Great for people who like to read about war.
Profile Image for zapkode.
1,046 reviews79 followers
September 30, 2015
{My Thoughts} – “War makes boys into men before their time,” Pa had said. I hadn’t even seen the war yet, not really, and I already felt about a hundred years old. Divided we fall by C. Alexander London

Andrew is a twelve year-old boy during the Civil War. His older brother Julius is a soldier in the Confederate Army. His older brother was forced to enlist because their father was too bad off to be of any service to the Confederate Army. While Julius is gone he writes his family and he tells them about what is going on, what he is going through, and how awful it is to have seen “the elephant.”

Andrew is jealous that Julius is able to fight in the War so he ends up helping the Home Guard hunt down and catch War Deserters with his dog Dash. The two of them make a good pair when it comes to hunting down those that have committed crimes against the cause. Eventually however, they get a letter saying that his brother has gone missing and that they don’t know where is is just where he had last been. This upsets Andrew and his parents and eventually Andrew and Dash go out in search of Julius.

Do they find Julius? Is he alive or dead? Did he desert his post? What was going on that made him not want to be in the Army anymore? Can Andrew and Dash make things right? As you are reading you will have many questions similar to these and I can promise in due time you will get the answers you seek.

I have really enjoyed this series. This particular book is well written and very attention grabbing. I had a difficult time putting it down, which wasn’t easy since I Was mostly reading it on my breaks at work. I really enjoyed seeing both Andrew and Julius grow up within the pages of this book. I also enjoyed reading about the Civil War. Although I know the events in which the book is surrounded are real, I also know the actual story is fiction, which made for an excellent read. There are so many children out that that enjoy reading about war and learning about it, and this helps them to get a sort of history lesson while they read and I think that it’s an absolutely brilliant way for the writer to help children to become more aware of past events and the ways in which things had taken place and or been done. I can honestly say when I was in school taking history there was no mention of the use of dogs or any animals to aide in the battles that were taken place it was just dry facts. These books help to make it not so boring and more enjoyable to read and I think that many teachers could benefit from adding them to their required reading lists throughout the year.
10 reviews
February 3, 2016
Divided We Fall by C. Alexander London tells a story about a boy during the Civil War time and how it affects him. The story talks about how the boy and his best friend, a dog named Dash, live their life on a farm and end up going into his older brothers footsteps. This is one of the top books that I have read because it is full of suspenseful events that keep you on edge. London did a fantastic job at foreshadowing, but not giving anything away. I would recommend this book to anybody that enjoys historical war or just war in general because it tells a tale of how a boy is hit hard by his family in the war then he stands up to it himself.
Parts in this story were very serious and descriptive, but there were also times when it was just laugh out loud funny. A thing that I like in this story is that it had a mix of real civil war events, but tied in the plot with the characters and it all meshed well. The drama in Divided We Fall is great because its not like all other books or book series. It has a different kind of exposition, climax, and resolution. Anybody that is a classic military fan would like this book. I wasn't even a big military fan before this book, but it brought me into it.
5 reviews5 followers
June 8, 2015
Dogs Tags Divided we fall, is about a young teenager named andrew. Andrew lives in the time of slavery this story take place in Jackson, Mississippi. He undergoes lots of hardships and all kinds what would seem like family separable troubles. Andrew has a brother named Julius and a mom and dad, Andrew calls ma and pa. I believe that the characters in this book seem very believable because the time and setting and the people in this book seem to do and say seem believable of someone of that time. In my head I picture and skinny blonde headed kid, with blue eyes and little muscle definition. A memeable quote said by andrew is “if you won’t stick up for the great state of Mississippi and our family I will.” Andrew fights in the civil war it shows me that Andrew is brave and loyal to his home and his beliefs. I liked the book because I like books that have war and adventure in books. So there therefore I liked the book. I felt that the book was great book filled with action and adventure.
Profile Image for Randy Daugherty.
1,156 reviews43 followers
July 5, 2015
War, where hero's are made, but young Andrew is to young to join the Confederate Army and help fight tyranny. His family did not own slaves, his pa didn't think it right,they just did not want someone else deciding their way of life for them, so while Andrew stayed home his brother Julius was off fighting.
Dash was Julius's dog and no finer hound dog was to be found, he could track racoons, varmints, as well as deserters or runaways. Then Shermans army captured Meridian,and in the wake Andrew decides him and Dash need to find his brother lost after a big battle. In the end he found that war no matter the winner or victor cost everyone and in ways not told in the story books, and that everyone does their part to help even the ole coon hound Dash.
5 reviews2 followers
January 29, 2019
I really enjoyed the DOG TAGS series But this book gave me a completely new view on the fact of animals in the military. Before this book I never really thought about what it was like to on the confederate side of the war and how it felt to always be losing ground so the north could take its victory and I never really thought about deserters and runaway slaves on the southern side. Also the little records that they kept throughout the war. This book really makes you think if all you have ever done if thought about the civil war from a northern side.
Profile Image for Matt.
20 reviews6 followers
September 23, 2015
Dog tags number 4, which is Divided We Fall is based on the Civil War and the events that happened. Basically , there a teen named Andrew who is a simple farm kid lives with his Ma and Pa. One day the Civil War started and Andrew decided to join the war.He signed up to be apart of the Confederate Military but he wasn't accepted. Fortunately, he was accepted into the Home Guard which is a defender soldier. Andrew was used to hunting but, this was a different type of hunt.
29 reviews10 followers
October 9, 2016
This series of books I was always fond of because of the fact I can understand the book, meaning I have a 110% comprehension. I liked this book in the series the most because I remember being taught about the events that occur within this book, as well as the fact that I understand the universal theme that comes from this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction, or war adventure books.
6 reviews
January 10, 2017
I highly recommend this book series it keep's you interested and you want to keep reading it gives a good look on history and action. This book itself is one of my favorite from the series while it gives you a look of how war was back on the 1800's and how life was it gives you a look into how a twelve year old boy feels with only his brother Julius and his dog dash in war.
15 reviews
May 28, 2015
This book was a great war book. It told of a young boy who's brother goes in the military. He bonds with his dog when he looks for his brother. This is a good book if you love drama. The boy cries and gets angry at some points in this story. If you want to find out more read it!
14 reviews2 followers
September 8, 2016
This book is very good because it is a war book and it talks about a guy and his dog as partners. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who is into the blood and explosions and stories of the solders.
7 reviews
Read
December 9, 2016
It was a very good book. It really shows what goes on in war and how people can change. There is a lot of action and shows a really good theme. I would reccomend anyone to read it. It showa what people sacrificed for family members or freinds.
5 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2015
This book describes what the southern people went through during the Civil War very well.
Profile Image for Izak Baron.
22 reviews
October 6, 2015
I think that this book was really great and amazing at parts but a little boring at other parts i do recommend this book
3 reviews1 follower
March 29, 2017
The book was a good read, but it was not unheard of. It is the story of loyalty, courage, redemption, and the horrors of war, which as many of you probably know is nothing new. I do like the fact that its is about the battle fields of the civil war, something that is very scarce in reading today. Also it says this is a book for children in the third grade and above, but there can be very graphic chapters at times.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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