Morpurgo recalled in another article: "As I listened to this boy telling the horse everything he'd done on the farm that day, I suddenly had the idea that of course the horse didn't understand every word, but that she knew it was important for her to stand there and be there for this child."

An exhibition entitled War Horse: Fact & Fiction opened in October 2011 at the National Army Museum exploring the novel alongside real-life stories of horses involved in war and the men who depended on them, and also drawing on the play and film adaptations of the novel. [22] Sequel [ edit ] Watch this interview with the author, Michael Morpurgo. What questions would you ask him if you had the opportunity? Morpurgo has approached this bitter conflict from an unusual and moving perspective, focusing on the valuable role that animals played throughout the war, and the dignity that both creatures and men showed in the face of suffering. Spielberg to Direct WWI Movie 'War Horse' ". archive.is. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013.

On its first publication in 1982 the book was only translated into a 'handful' of languages. As a side effect of the interest in the film adaptation by Steven Spielberg, the publishers of the book have recently been "inundated" with requests for translation rights for the book to coincide with the film's release in late 2011. [20] A radio adaptation of the book was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 8 November 2008. [16] It featured Timothy Spall starring as the voice of Albert, Brenda Blethyn as Mother and Bob Hoskins as Sergeant Thunder. The radio play was rebroadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra on 11 November 2011 as part of a special Remembrance sequence. After a summer working on the farm for Emilie's grandfather, the horses have to leave to follow the German army and pull artillery guns. Emilie is distraught at the loss of her horses. Topthorn is now ridden by Crazy Friedrich, a thoughtful man who has become very attached to him. As the horses are drinking from a stream, Topthorn stumbles and collapses. Joey realizes that he has lost his best friend. As Joey and Friedrich mourn Topthorn, the sound of shells exploding begins around them. Friedrich does not manage to get away and is killed a few paces from Topthorn. Joey stays with them for as long as possible, not wanting to be alone in the world, but the gunfire and shelling terrify him; he begins to run with no particular direction in mind. He runs all night, stumbling over craters and ditches until he feels barbed wire snag his leg. He rips himself free, but his leg begins to stiffen; as the sun rises, he hears excited voices on both sides of him. Joey has found himself trapped in No Man's Land between the British and German trenches. A man in a German uniform waves a white handkerchief and comes out off the trench on one side, and a British soldier follows suit. They agree to work together to free Joey; once they have done so, they flip a coin to decide who will take ownership of Joey. The British soldier wins, and Joey rejoins the British army. The two soldiers observe that if the war were left to them, they would be able to solve everything by communicating and trusting each other. Morpurgo, Michael (13 October 2007). "War Horse: When Horses were heroes". The Daily Telegraph. London.

Cast Revealed For Spielberg's War Horse, Lead Role Goes Elsewhere". The Film Stage. 17 June 2010 . Retrieved 17 June 2010. Zoey is a sweet older farm horse who takes Joey under her wing and helps him to learn the skills necessary for success as a farm horse. She is placid, obedient, and very much trusted. She and Joey have a close, almost mother/son type of bond. Captain Nicholls Ceffyl Rhyfel, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, Casia Wiliam, 2016, 2nd impression 2016, ISBN 978-1-84527-295-1 Look at pictures of horses (see Resources below) and think of as many words as you can to describe them.They are allowed stay for awhile, and become ploughing horses again, with Joey helping Topthorn get used to the life of a farm horse. However, they are taken away soon after, never to see Emilie again. Albert says that the best thing that his dad ever did was buy Joey. What is the best thing that you’ve ever done? Can you paint the picture of Joey that is described in the ‘Author’s Note’ at the start of the book? Joey is first introduced to us as a foal who lives in the South West of England, in the county of Dorset. Dorset is the neighboring county to Devon, where War Horse author Michael Morpurgo lives. Much of the area's wartime history and its countryside character are well known to him as a local. Morpurgo is an equine advocate and founded a charity enabling inner-city children to experience living and working on a farm in the heart of the countryside. This passion for the traditions of farming inspired many of the settings in the novel. In terms of his writing career, Morpurgo is a former Children's Laureate, the highest honor a children's author can receive in Great Britain.