Ed Butts has written more than a dozen books for readers of all ages. He lives in Guelph, Ontario.
Scott Plumbe is an illustrator and fine artist who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
[A] fascinating book for young people. (Jon Fear Waterloo Region Record 2013-04-20)
Occasionally you come across a book that makes you realize the fascination of everyday facts. Bodyguards! is such a book. (Ann Norris 4th Grade Reading 2013-02-18)
This informative, well-illustrated, selective history of bodyguards will fascinate middle school students. (Joan Marshall Resource Links)
This is the sort of fascinating book you read, then share the best bits with friends. (Francisca Goldsmith Booklist 2012-11-15)
This entertaining, fact-filled introduction to bodyguards goes far beyond the stereotype of men wearing dark suits and sunglasses. In a short space the author describes a wide variety of different types of personal guards, ranging from the guards of ancient rulers to British suffragettes who trained in jujitsu to the strong men employed by 1930s criminals. Although most of the topics are from the United States and Europe, the author has made an effort to include male and female guards from a wide variety of cultures and time periods. The book uses an engaging and colourful layout, which includes illustrations on every other page and occasional comic strip depictions of events. Each entry is between one and three pages, making it approachable for those who do not like to read for long periods at a time. (Katherine van der Linden ABQLA -L'Association des bibliothecaires du Quebec 2013-10-01)
Fact-filled, engaging... Sure to light young researchers afire with the desire for further exploration. (Francisca Goldsmith Booklist 2013-01-01)
The real value of the book is that it contains information you don't need at all. (Kirkus Reviews 2012-10-15)
Lively, solidly written, and packed with intrigue and betrayal, these entertaining and informative brief anecdotes are organized into themed chapters, such as Bad Guys and Gunmen, When Bodyguards Fail or Betray, and On Assignment. Butts includes a wide variety of bodyguards and both genders. Every continent, with the exception of Australia, is represented... The section on training and responsibility warns readers that a career as a bodyguard is never glamorous and is often downright boring. Plumbe's colorful, comic-book-style illustrations capture moments of tension and high drama... All in all, an engaging book. (Allison Bruce School Library Journal 2012-12-01)