Customer Reviews
My Favourite Book Of All Time - By: Mike Ryko, 22 Jul 2008 
A book so wonderful that, 30 years on, I can still recall the entire plot, the names of many of the fascinating characters, as well as several of the key scenes (in particular at the canal) seared into my brain forever. Just superb.
Classic - By: Tony Monaghan, 08 Jul 2008 The Machine Gunners has to be the best children's book ever written. The moment you turn the first page you step into Chas McGill's magical world. It's the first year of the Second World War & the people of Garmouth expect an invasion by the Germans to happen any minute. Yet the children of Garmouth fight over who has the best war souvenirs collection. Chas McGill discovers the best find ever...a Browning machine gun still attached to a German Bomber. McGill & his friends now have a fortress & a gun capable of smashing though a brick wall over a mile away. How will it all end?
The Machine Gunners captures everything there is about childhood adventures. The ones we remember & the ones we wished we'd had. Everybody will be able to take something away from this book. And once you have read one Robert Westall book you will go on to read them all. The guy was a genius who understood children like he was still one himself. Hats off to a fantastic writer!
Enthralling - By: Mrs. K. A. Wheatley, 23 Apr 2008 This was one of my favourite books as a child. I read & re-read my copy until the covers fell off, & even after reading it so many times I never failed to be thrilled by the story, excited & tense, even knowing the ending.
Chas McGill is a young boy growing up during the bombing raids of WW2. Like all young boys his age he is fascinated by the planes & plays imaginary war games with his gang. One day Chas discovers an extraordinary thing that turns his games into a reality & not only allows him to 'do his bit', but also makes him question what war is actually all about.
Westall wrote another book about Chas, Fathom Five, & although it is good, this for me will always be Westall's standout book. He also made Chas the subject of short stories, 'The Haunting of Chas McGill', which if you enjoy this, & I can't imagine that you won't, you will surely want to read to know what happens to Chas.
Westall also compiled a fascinating bookin collaboration with the Imperial War Museum called 'Children of the Blitz'. He wrote The Machine Gunners mostly using his imagination, but when it became popular found that he was receiving letters from people who had grown upin the war who had had real life experiences like Chas'. Intrigued, he did some more research, & this book is a collection of first hand accounts of such episodes, which is fascinating & highly readable.
Gripping childhood war story - By: Jimmy Ne Cricket, 29 Nov 2006 A great book which will keep you enthralled from beginning to end, telling a child's story about life during the war. You will want to read this time & time again as it is far superior to the televised series.
The Best Book In England - By: Beth Crabb, 26 Jun 2003 This Book Contains incredable characters.As Chas McGill Finds a German Plane that had crashed into the old towm hall. Containing a German Gunner & a shining black Machine Gun. And Chas thinks he can become partof the World War 2. As Nickys house gets bombed & his mother dies, Chas decides by help Nicky build a Fortress so Nicky can stay there & look arter the Machine Gun.
