Over the Line

Can Jack and his teammates survive the horrors of war to get the chance to play football again? A stunning new edition of Tom Palmer's bestselling novel based on the true story of WWI war hero and footballing legend Jack Cock..

It's the proudest moment of Jack's life – his debut as a professional footballer. Now he has a chance to achieve his dream of playing for his country. But it's 1914 and the world is at war. Talk of sportsmen's cowardice leads to the formation of a Footballers' Battalion and Jack has little choice but to join up. The promise of a Cup in Flanders offers a glimmer of hope, but Jack and his teammates will have to survive a waking nightmare if they are ever to play again. A stunning new edition of Tom Palmer's bestselling novel based on the true story of WWI war hero and footballing legend Jack Cock.

Reviews

"Another text that marks [Tom Palmer] out as a writer determined to find the soul within the soldier … its fast pace will keep readers hurtling through" – Just Imagine

"It's a stroke of brilliance to pair football with wartime history, and this combination is sure to enthral readers … a lesson in empathy as much as history" – BookTrust

About the author

Tom Palmer was a reluctant reader as a child and credits articles about football with getting him into reading. He is now the multi-award-winning author of many books for young readers, including the Young Quills Award winner After the War and FCBG Children’s Book Award winners Armistice Runner and D-Day Dog. In 2019 Tom was awarded the National Literacy Trust’s Ruth Rendell Award in recognition of his significant contribution to literacy work in the UK.