The War of the Buttons - Louis Pergoud

The War of the Buttons was published in Paris in 1912 by the publishing house Mercure de France. Since then, it has been reprinted more than 30 times, translated into many languages, adapted into cinema 5 times, and is included in the French literature curriculum of French high schools.

Every year, after the start of the school year, the children of two neighboring villages in eastern France, at the beginning of the 20th century, are thrown into a merciless war in the forests and abandoned quarries of the region. A war in which the victors remove the buttons and belts from the clothes of the defeated, forcing them to return home half-naked and humiliated and to suffer the wrath of their parents.

A classic young adult novel that begins with humor and innocence, but becomes increasingly realistic as the line between play and harsh reality blurs. Through the comic-tragic incidents that highlight how great it is to be young, free and excited about the smallest things, an allegory of war is built that denounces human hypocrisy, naivety and cruelty that lead to unjustified and meaningless military conflicts with real victims.

Author: Louis Pergaud
Illustration: Vasilis Grivas
Translation: Tatiana Michala
Pages: 416
Book dimensions: 143x 20 cm.
ISBN: 9786180329599
Ages: 12+