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War Horse
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War Horse
Unavailable
War Horse
Audiobook4 hours

War Horse

Written by Michael Morpurgo

Narrated by John Keating

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal with a distinctive cross on his nose, is sold to the army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France. But even in the desolation of the trenches, Joey's courage touches the soldiers around him and he is able to find warmth and hope. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer's son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 1, 2010
ISBN9780545285308
Author

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo OBE is one of Britain's best loved writers for children, with sales of over 35 million copies. He has written over 150 books, has served as Children’s Laureate, and has won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Writers Guild Award, the Whitbread Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Eleanor Farjeon Lifetime Achievement Award. With his wife, Clare, he is the co-founder of Farms for City Children. Michael was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.

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Reviews for War Horse

Rating: 4.084785968304279 out of 5 stars
4/5

631 ratings79 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Review from Badelynge.I was drawn to this book after seeing the life-sized horse puppets in the theatrical version of War Horse. Former UK Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo usually has an entire shelf dedicated to him in most British book shops and this one, written nearly 30 years ago is one I can recommend to both children and adults alike. It tells the story of Joey, a half-thoroughbred red bay bought by a drunken farmer to spite another and beloved of the farmer's son. The events of 1913 shatters the pair's brief happiness as Joey is sold into a war of wire, mud and carnage. His first new owner is Captain Nicholls who takes Joey as his cavalry mount. He also meets his loyalest equine friend, a shining black stallion called Topthorn. It's all told from Joey's point of view as he tries to survive the unfathomable conflict and regain the company of his farmboy. Along the way he'll find kindness where he can find it, endure crippling work and health sapping conditions. Although Joey is often in the thick of the chaos the book never dwells closely on the bloody results beyond detailing the casualties and the effects of their loss. It's a quick read, engaging ,moving and a great excuse to get some history into young reader's minds.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a Reading Good Books review.This is an absolutely beautiful story. BEAUTIFUL. And I absolutely loved it. Children’s literature holds a special place in my heart and this tugged at just the right strings.The book is about a horse named Joey who started out on a farm. Albert became his master and best friend. During the start of World War I, Joey was sold by Albert’s father to the military to become a war horse. Albert, still too young to sign up for service, promised his beloved horse that one day, they will be together again and he will bring Joey home. Joey experiences – and loses – a lot during this time. Joey journey’s through Europe makes him a captain’s steed, then being a part of the veterinary corps, to being a little girl’s horse, and finally, back to the front lines.The story is told in Joey’s point of view which I loved. Horses are gorgeous creatures and Morpurgo’s interpretation of what’s going on in their (at least, Joey’s) heads is just breathtaking. It was so innocent and pure, I appreciated it so much that we are seeing the war and what it did to other people through a horse’s eyes. Throughout Joey’s journey, there were laughter and tears, all of it very moving and inspiring. My heart reached out to Joey, through his losses and hardships. He is just the purest soul and I felt for him.At less than 200 pages, it is a very easy read. And seriously, it is so good, you will not be able to put it down. It will go by so fast and you just want to know what happens next. I will not compare the book to either the stage play or the movie. This is one great book that definitely shines on its own.Rating: 5/5.Recommendation: Aimed at the 3rd to 6th grade group but I urge everyone to read it. It’s a small book that leaves a big impression.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Michael Morpurgo's affinity with animals is evident in every book he writes, and "War Horse" is no exception. Usually, I loathe books narrated by animals, but this is a beautifully written, touching story about a horse and his young owner set against the backdrop of World War I. I am really looking forward to the movie release in a couple of weeks, and only hope that the producers do justice to this lovely book - it certainly deserves it!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This story was told by "Joey" a horse and the main character in the story. Joey, a very young horse, is purchased by a farmer at an auction who really can not afford him. His son, Albert, loves him, trains him, is raised with him and thinks of him as his own. When war breaks out, Albert's dad is in danger of losing the farm, so he sells Joey to the calvary. Joey becomes a warhorse. The rest of the story is his trials and tribulations while at war and his "owner's" stories as well. Albert, who was too young to join the military when Joey was sold, never gives up hope that he will find Joey and bring him home. A story of war told from a totally different perspective which may bring tears to your eyes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Written in 1982 and a runner-up for the Whitbread, War Horse is the story of a young British boy and his horse, separated when the horse is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France early on in WWI. It is a universal story of war and suffering told through the eyes of a horse as he experiences it on the front. It is a unique, elegantly told, anti-war story. A YA book that adults will enjoy, too.The first person narration reminded me of old favorites of mine, Black Beauty and Beautiful Joe.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent book
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this story, so much. Joey, the horse, is the narrater of this story and told through his eyes. Mostly, he is shown kindness throughout, but he goes straight from pulling ploughs, to going to war with the British army and being captured by the Germans for pulling heaving cannons. The story has so much emotional depth.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was my first book from a horse's point of view and I greatly enjoyed it! This is first and foremost about relationships, necessity, and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). I recommend to any middle or high school student, plus there's a flim and play!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I LOVE THIS BOOK!!This book is about a horse called Joey, and how he is raised on a fram by this boy called Albert and how he gets sent of to fight in the war against the Germans. It's a bok full of love, passion, friendship and sorrow.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Originally published in 1982, Michael Morpurgo's poignant tale of a horse, and his experiences on the battlefields of World War I, has recently been reprinted, amidst renewed attention arising (I assume) from the stage productions and film that have been made from it. I'm glad that this is so, and that the Children's Fiction Book Club to which I belong chose it as their October selection, as it is incredibly powerful reading experience, one made all the more affecting by its simplicity of narrative, and quiet style, and I might never have picked it up, otherwise.Told, like the classic Black Beauty, from the horse's perspective, War Horse is the autobiography of Joey, a beautiful red horse who, having been sold as a very young colt to a bad tempered farmer, grows to adulthood with the farmer's son - his true friend, caretaker, and guardian, Albert. When Albert's father sells Joey to the army, at the outset of WWI, the young man vows to follow his equine friend to the continent, while Joey himself enters a strange new world, full of terrors previously unknown to him. Trained as a cavalry horse, then captured by the Germans and used as a cart horse, to pull the wounded, and then eventually in a team drawing German guns, Joey experiences kindness from men on both sides, and is made to endure hardship by men on both sides. Will he survive this strange human war? And will he ever see Albert, and the farm, again...?A story that highlights the stupidity and suffering of war, not just for combatants, but for civilians, and for animals - for all of creation, really - War Horse is a book that reduced me to tears, on more than one occasion. The reader feels with Joey (as she is meant to do), and so the sudden twists and turns in the narrative - the moment when Joey's kind rider is shot off of him; the terrible day that Topthorn, his constant horse companion, dies; the surreal experience of running loose, trying to escape the sound of guns, and finding oneself injured in No Man's Land - have a visceral kind of power. One feels what it must be, to be an animal in a human world, forced to participate in a madness that is not of one's own creation. The differences of nationality, the question of right and wrong (a question that has never really been clear, when it comes to WWI), are reduced to nothing, because we experience events from a horse's perspective. Who cares about Germans or British? Does a man have gentle hands? Does he speak kindly to a horse, and try to lessen his load? Does he care for him, when he is ill? Those are the important questions...The conclusion of the tale may feel a little less than realistic, in its happiness - the reunion with Albert, the auction and its results - but it does not feel easy. Most importantly, it feels right. I suspect that I will be thinking of this book, and certain moments in it - the conversation between the Welshman and the German who both cross into No Man's Land to help Joey, especially - for a very long time to come.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Let me start out by saying I love children's literature. Really. Let me continue by saying that I actually saw the movie before reading this book. The movie blows the book out of the water and as a result, my rating might be higher because I couldn't help but combine the two formats. I am normally a "books are soooooo much better" type of person, but not in this case.

    Pros for the book - I love that it is told from the horse's perspective. Very cool, and that part is NOT in the movie as you're not actually reading it. My son and I decided, though, that the horse should get a Best Actor nod - he was awesome. I also liked that the author portrayed some of the realities of WWI but kept it at a children's level of understanding and didn't get too gruesome.

    Cons - It might be that because of the movie, I could only bring up those images in my head and now I felt like the book was missing key elements as the movie was much more in depth. I just couldn't move past that.

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I think people who like this book would also love JaneSmiley's Horse Heaven.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It's been a while since I read Black Beauty, but this seemed to have pretty much the same story arc, with World War I taking the place of London as the scene of horrors.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Warhorse was a very different read for me, it took me a while to get into this, and to get my head around taking the position of a horse as the main character.In reading this book though, the themes that relate to us in the human world, loyalty, friendship, being pushed to the end, kindness and many others come through so clearly.I enjoyed the way that this book did not take sides but more looked at human qualities of both people and animals around him.It was also a pleasant read in the sense that I felt it could have been quite barbaric, but was tastefully done as a wartime story.Michael Morpurgo does a great job with this book, I would recommend it to anyone who can relate to the above, I don't think it is solely a boys book. You need to be a confident reader to be able to make the most of the connections between the two worlds. Can't wait to see the movie!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I chose this novel for my Literature Circle book and absolutely loved every page!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Having first come to this story through the film and play (my neighbour's son was a puppeteer in the original and superb National Theatre production) I was surprised to find that the book is already thirty years old. Like the best of classic children's novels it is of course ageless even though it deals with a very specific and sad time in world history, The First World War. Though this subject has been much covered in the past, to witness it from the viewpoint of one of the horses involved in the conflict is both innovative and challenging, and of course very appealing to children. Morpurgo is not the first to use a horse as a narrative voice (Anna Sewell, most famously, in 'Black Beauty' which I remember reading while ill in bed with some childhood infection)but he does it very well and it allows him the advantage of being able to describe the horrors of war at one remove so that he can remain close to the action without unnecessarily upsetting younger readers. It takes a little leap of faith on behalf of the adult reader to accept an astonishingly articulate horse who can apparently understand English, German and French without any difficulty, but it would be no problem for the target audience to suspend disbelief and we should too, thus allowing us to enjoy a troubled, often exciting and thoroughly warm-hearted adventure.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Such a wonderful, beautiful book. I highly recommend it, though if you aren't a reader, the movie was pretty faithful.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A first person narrative by a horse who uses big words and speaks intelligently. Well-done story portrays the horrors and sadness of war for people and animals.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Albert, a British farmboy, loves the horse his father bought at auction. But his father, needing cash, sells the horse to a British officer, starting a series of adventures and misadventures in wartorn Europe, told from the horse's point of view.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I watched the movie first and decided to read the book. It was written from the horses view. I really enjoyed it and was surprised that the movie was quite different, although very good.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Michael Morpurgo manages to bring WW1 to life in this beautifully told tale of a horse who finds himself part of the war effort. I watched the movie first, but the filmmakers, as is so typical, changed quite a few things.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. Before I read the book I watched the film. How they built up Joey in the wires in the film was horrid and made me shed one tear but the book was even more built up. The ending was amazing but I don't want to say to much and spoil this great read.For the film: 4For the book a: 5
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved it. Love animals, loved that it was told by the horse, and how come nobody told me this was a book for young people? Fun, easy read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A tale told by Joey, a horse whose mother was sold in a sale when he was less than 6 months old. His tale is full of trials and tribulations, but also love and caring. A very powerful story set in the dreadful years of war held in France.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed reading this story from the point of view of the horse, Joey. I liked all of the descriptions of the air, soil and weather. I really got the feeling that I could picture wherever Joey was at the time. I liked the descriptions of the people Joey encountered, as well. A description of someone from a horse's point of view is much different than from a person's POV and I liked the honesty and simpleness of people's personalities.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. I don't usually care for books that take an animals point of view but this worked for me. I had a little trouble getting into the style at the beginning but soon got used to it. I had seen the stage play and also the movie before reading the book and loved all three of them. Another reviewer mentions "This is a great way to tell about WWI from the point of view of a character who does not choose sides." and I agree with this. In fact Joey works hard for both the Germans and The British. This non-partisan approach I think is what makes this an excellent read for children but is equally appropriate for adults. Highly recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A story of WWI as experienced by a British horse taken into combat. Joey changes hands several times throughout the narrative, always seeking to return home to his beloved Albert.This is a great way to tell about WWI from the point of view of a character who does not choose sides. The story does a great job of de-glamorizing war. This is important in the hyper militarized society we live in today. In the classroom, this book would be a great small group read/discussion.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When Joey was auctioned off to a farmer, he formed a tremendous bond with the farmer's son, Albert. But with the declaration of World War I, Joey is sold to the army and becomes a war horse. Albert is too young to enlist in 1914 but promises Joey that if the war is still on when he's old enough, he'll find the young horse. As Joey witnesses the four years of horror that were the Great War, he encounters many different people and horses. But in such a brutal conflict, will Joey ever see Albert again?I was wary about reading a novel narrated by a horse but this novel surprised me. Joey's voice is clear and straight forward and other than the conceit that Joey understands what every human being says, never becomes unbelievable. Joey is in many ways an observer in the novel. Of course, as a war horse, he does a multitude of tasks, but he serves as an intriguing mediator between the reader and the other characters he encounters. The harshness of World War I is depicted masterfully, never flinching from the realities of war but never becoming too gruesome for its target audience of children. A moving narrative of the animals that played such an important role in the war and insanity that is war, the novel is a wonderful story for all ages.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is an amazing story told from the perspective of Joey, a horse who is raised by an English boy named Albert and then sold by Albert's father to fight in World War I. Morpurgo captures the events of war as Joey sees and experiences them, and in doing so, he provides a new and harrowing perspective on war. Morpurgo also does a great job describing the varied relationships that Joey forms with the humans he encounters. From his initial days with Albert to his time with soldiers on both sides of the war, Joey is cared for deeply by many people, and as a reader, I came to care deeply for him too. I read this book before I went to see the Broadway play, and I was glad that I did. The play takes some liberties with the storyline, but there are many similarities between the two. Most importantly, both the book and the play convey Joey's essence beautifully.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was a beautiful, simply written story. While there were not a lot of plot twists, I enjoyed the storyline.