The Trumpeter of Krakow (1928)

Set in the chaotic world of medieval Poland, Eric P. Kelly's The Trumpeter of Krakow is an exciting tale of adventure and intrigue for young readers, following the fortunes of the Charnetski family, as they struggle to fulfill a vow made generations before, by one of their ancestors. Fleeing from the raiding Tatars who attacked their estate in the Ukraine, Pan Andrew Charnetski, his wife, and his fifteen-year-old son, Joseph, seek refuge in the city of Krakow. Here, finding their relations absent, and an audience with the king impossible, the family settle, assisted by the kind monk and scholar, Jan Kanty, and living under an assumed name. But their enemies have not given up, and soon they find themselves threatened once again...

Originally published in 1928, and awarded the Newbery Medal, Kelly's debut novel is an engaging blend of historical fiction and fantastic adventure, incorporating both historical figures - King Jagiello, good Jan Kanty - and legendary ones, like the city's dragon-fighting founder, King Krakus. The widespread belief in magic and alchemy in fifteenth-century Poland (as seen in such magical folktales as The Magician of Cracow), proves crucial to the story, which revolves around the fate of the Great Tarnov Crystal - a priceless jewel with strange properties.

I enjoyed The Trumpeter of Krakow, from the prologue explaining the origin of the broken heynal, to the concluding passages, in which Kelly wraps up his story, and tells the reader what happened afterward. Well-written and entertaining, it flowed nicely and kept my attention - I enjoyed learning a little more about Polish history and folklore. Definitely one of the better Newbery Medal titles from the 1920s, I would recommend it to young readers with a taste for historical fiction. ( )

Although I'm not sure it was a better book, overall, than Wanda Gag's [b:Millions of Cats|621739|Millions of Cats|Wanda Gág|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255613590s/621739.jpg|3012947], which was a runner-up for the 1929 Newbery Medal, this is certainly a fine book and gives a good view of Polish culture before World War II. It also has a great Christmas chapter. I'll report further when I reread the whole book. ( )

This book was the 1929 Newbery Medal winner. Set in 1461 the story begins as a father tells his son the story of the trumpeter of Krakow. The latter died at the hands of the Tartars while playing his piece from a church tower. This proves to be the inspiration for the young boy as he and his father are pursued by a ruthless mercenary.
Some of the descriptive writing was very enjoyable at first and the telling of the original legend promised much. However my interest then waned and despite some interesting descriptions of a number of cultural aspects along with the story surrounding the Crystal that the boy and his father were guarding this was not a Newbery winner I would wholeheartedly recommend. ( )

Good juvenile novel about a boy who helped save Krakow, Poland in the Middle Ages. ( )

This was a well realized historical story of medieval Krakow. I enjoyed the legend/history of the trumpeter role of watchman and herald and found the story of the Tarnov Crystal interesting as well. Other points of interest included descriptions of the what the city was like during those time, cultural issues such as threat of fire, medieval witchcraft and the state of science. ( )