SENECA FALLS, N.Y., July 31, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Fighting for your country is a task that demands so much from your heart and soul. Countless battles have been waged throughout history yet there were many soldiers who never got the honor that they deserved. People who enjoy the freedom that they have today must pay tribute to those who struggled to win. This is the lesson that readers are about to learn as Xlibris proudly releases The Chicken Thief Soldier, the compelling new book celebrating the human spirit authored by Michael Fields.
A story about courage and war, the book unravels the mystery of the Chicken Thief Memorial, a small, flat stone located in Valley Forge National Park. Visitors to the park have little understanding about the soldier buried there. This fictional account of Valley Forge in 1777 gives the chicken thief soldier an identity, and it brings meaning to the flat stone that marks his place in history.
Two hundred years later, as America approaches the bicentennial celebration in Valley Forge, the independent will and spirit of the Chicken Thief Soldier is alive and strong in another young boy, Drew Benson. Overcoming family tragedy and a hostile school environment, he faces his biggest battle in the deadly land of Vietnam. His is a story that brings honor and overdue recognition to the flat stone that is the Chicken Thief Memorial.
Insightful and richly-layered, The Chicken Thief Soldier emphasizes the value of friendship and patriotism, but mostly it is about growing up: coming to terms with personal tragedy, romantic conflicts, athletic deficiencies, and - so important to the setting of Valley Forge - serving your country. Experience the drama by ordering a copy of this engaging read online at Xlibris.com or visiting your local bookstore today.
About the Author
Michael Fields, now retired, taught and coached in both public and private high schools in Ohio, Pennsylvania, California, New York, and Southeast Asia for thirty years. He has drawn on this experience to portray a "realistic and sometimes explosive" school environment. In 1967 the author met John Steinbeck in Northeast Thailand. John Steinbeck told him, "If you're going to do this, write about things you know, write about things you really care about. And don't quit your regular job." Following Steinbeck's advice, Fields did both.
The Chicken Thief Soldier * by Michael Fields
A Death at Valley Forge
Publication Date: July 10, 2008
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 360 pages; 978-1-4257-6278-0
Cloth Hardback; $29.99; 360 pages; 978-1-4257-6281-0
To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7479. Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x.7876.
Xlibris books can be purchased at Xlibris bookstore. For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at www.Xlibris.com.