Soldier's Heart vs Within the enemy's lines: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: United States Civil War, War stories, United States, War, History, Children's fiction
Soldier's Heart
“He heard it all, Charley did; heard the drums and songs and slogans and knew what everybody and his rooster was crowing.”
Eager to enlist, fifteen-year-old Charley has a change of heart after experiencing both the physical horrors and mental anguish of Civil War combat.
vs
Within the enemy's lines
“William Taylor Adams, American author, better known and loved by boys and girls through his pseudonym "Oliver Optic," was born July 30, 1822, in the town of Medway, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, about twenty-five miles from Boston.”
After successfully defending his father's steam-yacht from a group of Confederates led by his cousin from Alabama, eighteen-year-old Christy Passford, a newly-commissioned Union naval officer, is assigned to that same…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Soldier's Heart is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 6 for Within the enemy's lines.
- Soldier's Heart has the widest readership — 5536 ratings behind its score.
- Soldier's Heart runs the darker storyline; Within the enemy's lines stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
Soldier's Heart
≈ 1h vs 6h for Within the enemy's lines
New to the genre?
Soldier's Heart
Light vs Moderate for Within the enemy's lines
In the mood for something dark?
Soldier's Heart
a darker storyline than Within the enemy's lines
Want something lighter?
Within the enemy's lines
an easier tone than Soldier's Heart
Scores by source
| Soldier's Heart | Within the enemy's lines | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.7 (5536) | 3.9 (8) |
| Hardcover | 4.0 (3) | — |
| Google Books | 5.0 (2) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.0 (179) | — |
Reception
| Soldier's Heart | Within the enemy's lines | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 5536 | 8 |
| Editions | 11 | 11 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 1547 | 10 |
| Reading it now | 221 | 4 |
| Written reviews | 787 | 1 |
| Wikipedia attention | 214 | — |
| Pages | 106 | 349 |