Before the Steven Spielberg film, before the National Theatre production, there was the classic children's novel - War Horse. From the nation's favourite storyteller, Michael Morpurgo. In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times. One horse has seen the best and the worst of humanity ...
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Before the Steven Spielberg film, before the National Theatre production, there was the classic children's novel - War Horse. From the nation's favourite storyteller, Michael Morpurgo. In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times. One horse has seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story. War Horse was adapted by Steven Spielberg as a major motion picture with Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The National Theatre production opened in 2007 and has enjoyed successful runs in the West End and on Broadway. A great way of introducing young readers to the realities of WWI. Look out for Morpurgo's other war fiction including Friend or Foe, Waiting for Anya, King of the Cloud Forests and An Eagle in the Snow. War Horse is a story of universal suffering for a universal audience by a writer who 'has the happy knack of speaking to both child and adult readers' (The Guardian). Michael Morpurgo has written more than one hundred books for children and won the Whitbread Award, the Smarties Award, the Circle of Gold Award, the Children's Book Award and has been short-listed for the Carnegie Medal four times.
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Add this copy of War Horse the First in the War Horse Series to cart. $0.99, very good condition, Sold by Booksalvation rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Manchester, LANCASHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2011 by Egmont UK.
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Seller's Description:
Very good in very good dust jacket. Outline: -Sold to a drunken farmer Joey a beautiful red-bay foal with a distinctive cross on his nose finds a friend in the farmer`s son Albert. His father brutally demands Joey work or be sold so Albert gently trains him to pull the plough. But it`s not enough. When war breaks out Albert`s father needy for money for his struggling farm sells Joey to the army where he like the soldiers around him must try to cope with the horrors of the First World War. Joey and another thoroughbred horse Topthorn lead in a terrible cavalry charge towards the machine guns of the enemy`s lines. Joey is captured by the Germans and for while he is lovingly cared for by Emilie a young French girl and her grandfather. But he and Topthorn must pull a heavy gun battling through the mud until Topthorn dies of exhaustion. Joey wanders in no man`s land back towards the British trench but despite a joyful reunion with Albert Joey is not out of danger. First tetanus threatens his life and even then Emilie`s grandfather has to bid to save him from the butcher. The old man promised his granddaughter when she died he would find the horse she loved and buy him but recognising Albert`s love for Joey he sells Joey back to Albert on condition he will love for him all his life-for the princely sum of one English penny. -> the publisher of this PAPERBACK book is Egmont UK The date of this copy is 2011 booksalvation have grade it as Very Good and it will be shipped from our UK warehouse This book is from the The War Horse Series. Shipping is Free for UK buyers and at a reasonable charge for buyer outside the UK.
Add this copy of War Horse the First in the War Horse to cart. $0.99, good condition, Sold by Booksalvation rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Manchester, LANCASHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2007 by Egmont UK.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good in good dust jacket. Outline: -Sold to a drunken farmer Joey a beautiful red-bay foal with a distinctive cross on his nose finds a friend in the farmer`s son Albert. His father brutally demands Joey work or be sold so Albert gently trains him to pull the plough. But it`s not enough. When war breaks out Albert`s father needy for money for his struggling farm sells Joey to the army where he like the soldiers around him must try to cope with the horrors of the First World War. Joey and another thoroughbred horse Topthorn lead in a terrible cavalry charge towards the machine guns of the enemy`s lines. Joey is captured by the Germans and for while he is lovingly cared for by Emilie a young French girl and her grandfather. But he and Topthorn must pull a heavy gun battling through the mud until Topthorn dies of exhaustion. Joey wanders in no man`s land back towards the British trench but despite a joyful reunion with Albert Joey is not out of danger. First tetanus threatens his life and even then Emilie`s grandfather has to bid to save him from the butcher. The old man promised his granddaughter when she died he would find the horse she loved and buy him but recognising Albert`s love for Joey he sells Joey back to Albert on condition he will love for him all his life-for the princely sum of one English penny. -> the publisher of this PAPERBACK book is Egmont UK The date of this copy is 2007 booksalvation have grade it as Good and it will be shipped from our UK warehouse This book is from the War Horse Series. Shipping is Free for UK buyers and at a reasonable charge for buyer outside the UK.
Add this copy of War Horse to cart. $1.62, very good condition, Sold by Aardvark Books Ltd rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bucknell, HEREFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2002 by Egmont Books Ltd.
Add this copy of War Horse: Special Gift Edition to cart. $2.94, like new condition, Sold by Jenhams rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dundee, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2006 by Egmont.
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Seller's Description:
Fine unused condition, name written neatly inside. This book is in stock now, in our UK premises. Photos of our books are available on request (the pictures you see on Alibris are NOT our own).
Add this copy of War Horse to cart. $3.80, good condition, Sold by HR1Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hereford, HEREFORDSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2002 by Egmont Books Ltd.
Add this copy of War Horse to cart. $6.30, like new condition, Sold by In Other Words Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Plymouth, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2014 by Egmont Books Ltd.
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Seller's Description:
As New. 12mo-over 6¾-7¾" tall. pp. 180. New copy of Michael Morpurgo's much-loved children's classic story of the experiences of a Devon horse used-as were so many horses-by fighting men in the First World War, and his relationship with one of those men. Includes new introduction by the author for this 'centenary' edition.
Add this copy of War Horse to cart. $2.29, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2012 by Egmont.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Grubby book may have mild dirt or some staining, mostly on the edges of pages.
Add this copy of War Horse to cart. $2.67, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2002 by Egmont Books Ltd.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
Add this copy of War Horse to cart. $3.50, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2012 by Egmont.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine. Inscription on the first page, typically just a name but may include a dedication or a brief personal message.
Add this copy of War Horse to cart. $3.68, fair condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 1990 by Mammoth.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. The book is perfectly readable and fit for use, although it shows signs of previous ownership. The spine is likely creased and the cover scuffed or slightly torn. Textbooks will typically have an amount of underlining and/or highlighting, as well as notes. If this book is over 5 years old, then please expect the pages to be yellowing or to have age spots. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner.
"That's what war is all about, my friend. It's about which of us is the madder."
I remember when I saw this movie when it first came out in theatre. At the time, I didn't realize it was an adaptation from a book. Naturally, when I learned of its origins, I had to read the book as well! War Horse is told in a similar fashion to Black Beauty, as it is told from the horse's (Joey's) perspective. While this point-of-view may be slightly limiting as it leaves out a lot of human emotion, I appreciated how it simplified the narration and actually made everything come across more bluntly. Just like humans, Joey and the other horses felt and experienced raw emotions throughout the war. Fear, anxiety, comradery, sacrifice--however, they came across without jadedness. Unlike humans, animals feel emotions without complications. This narration bled into the human characters throughout that were pivotal in Joey's story, as their complicated situations were unraveled to reveal the jewels underneath.
The main point about this book that I love is the theme of human value. Despite the fact of there being a war going on, there weren't any ruthless characters that only wanted to kill, kill, kill. Everyone had a sense of general right and wrong and understood the fact that war is ugly, traumatic, complicated, and tiresome.
"The horse is yours. Take good care of him, my friend," and he picked up the rope again and handed it to the Welshman. As he did so he held out his other hand in a gesture of friendship and reconciliation, a smile lighting his worn face. "In an hour, maybe, or two," he said, "We will be trying to our best again each other to kill. God only knows why we do it, and I think he has maybe forgotten why. Goodby Welshman. We have shown them, haven't we? We have shown them that any problem can be solved between people if only they can trust each other. That is all it needs, no?"
This element of humanity is undeniably prevalent in a pure form to show how humans can only take so much. For a majority of this war, the people didn't even know what they were fighting for. They didn't hate each other--they knew they were all equals, and they respected each other in that.
Comparably, the theme of friendship is very strong. Deep friendships between men, horses, and men to horses, exist in several examples. Albert and Joey--Joey and Captain Nicholls--Joey and Topthorn--Joey, Topthorn, and Emilie, and several other connections overflow this book with friendship. I believe this is the aspect which makes this book so emotional because the deepness of affection between characters in untainted ways is tangible. It's so tangible, in fact, that several characters willingly faced their fears in order to sacrifice for one another.
This book is devastatingly heart-wrenching at times but makes you feel so good at others. It's a short read, but is packed full of virtue, respectful characters, and honorable missions--both by horse and man. It was a refreshing read and completely cleansed my palate. This book is aimed at children to young adults, but can easily be read and appreciated by someone of any age. I would highly recommend this read to anyone.
Vulgarity: The "H" word is only used once.
Sexual content: None at all.
Violence: Seeing how this book is about WWI, the evidence of violence is there. However, the author does a wonderful job in its portrayal and steers clear of gore, unnecessarily graphic scenes, and the like.
My Rating: ?????
Tarissa
Feb 12, 2013
Lovely
War Horse just recently became a favorite book of mine. It is a story that connects generations of readers together. The simple writing style about the war is beautifully done.
The story is told from the point of view of Joey, a horse who grows up on the farm with his favorite boy, Albert, living each day peacefully as it breezes by. Later, Joey is forced to perform the grueling and crippling work of a war horse. In some ways, this book could be compared to Black Beauty, also told through the eyes of a horse. But this story focuses on terrible war, and the predicaments that no human or animal should ever have to endure. Yes, there is much bloodshed and conflict in the book, but it is still fit to be a good children's story, especially for young adventurous readers.
Ah! I do believe I've read the first page at least half a dozen times. My favorite sentences from the first page are quoted below:
"My earliest memories are a confusion of hilly fields and dark, damp stables, and rats that scampered along the beams above my head." .... "I was not yet six months old, a gangling, leggy colt who had never been farther than a few feet from his mother."
Horses were an important deciding factor of who would win the battles during World War I. Without horses, the soldiers couldn't move machinery, gather the dead, or charge the enemy. Horses were a must-have, no matter which side of the battle you were on. That is why Joey was such an important horse.
"No horse, no guns. No horse, no ammunition. No horse, no cavalry. No horse, no ambulances. No horse, no water for the troops at the front."
This is a very enjoyable book! I think I may have to read it again someday.
Bonnie M
Jul 5, 2012
very good
this was a very good story and I enjoyed every minute of it. hard to put down
Meryl F
Mar 15, 2012
good book
I enjoyed this book (had not seen the movie) and was a little afraid it was going to be very sad. However since it is written for young persons - though I still found it a good read- it is not overly sentimental and gives a good account of the life of the horse and some of the tribulations of war.
Mary Russell D
Mar 8, 2012
Factual Story
A very powerful book, heart wrenching but full of a great love of the War Horse
