[My Brother Sam Is Dead] appears to have been inspired by the anti-war movement of the 70s, although the book is about the American Revolution. Young Timothy cannot decide whether to be a "Patriot" like his beloved brother or a Tory like his beloved father. In the climactic incident, Timothy's brother, Sam, a dedicated member of the Continental army, is suddenly executed by his own commanding general because of an alleged theft. Authors Christopher and James Lincoln Collier seem to be trying to stun the reader with a triple-layered irony: Sam's arrest for a crime he didn't commit, his indictment for literally stealing from himself and his death at the hands of his compatriots. The unrealistic plot complications reduce credibility, and the book comes close to what Albert Guérard has defined as propaganda: A book that "tries to snatch an intellectual decision by means of a sentimental...