The book is a children’s novel by Michael Morpurgo. It was first published in Britain by Kaye & Ward in 1982. The story tells the experiences of Joey, a horse purchased by the army for service in World War I France and the efforts of young Albert, his previous owner, to bring him safely home. It formed the basis of both an award-winning play (2007) and an acclaimed film (2011).
In 1914, Joey, a beautiful bay-red foal* with a distinctive* cross on his nose, is sold to the army and sent into the midst of war on the Western Front. With his officer, he charges toward the enemy, witnessing the horror of the battles in France.
Like Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful (2004), this World War I novel reveals* the unspeakable slaughter* of soldiers on all sides fighting against people who are just like them. The story is told by Joey, and, as in Cynthia Kadahota’s “Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam” (2007), the first-person narrative blends* the animal’s physical experience with what men say. On the farm, Joey has close ties to Albert, who is too young to join up when his dad first sells Joey to the army. Charging into battle under machine-gun fire, Joey is captured by the Germans, who train him to haul* ambulances and guns. His reunion with Albert in battle is sentimental and contrived*, but the viewpoint brings close the fury of the thundering guns, the confusion, and the kindness of enemies who come together in No Man’s Land to save the wounded horse. Joey’s ability to understand the language wherever he is — England, France, Germany — reinforces the novel’s antiwar message.
Both English and Chinese editions are available online.
(SD-Agencies)
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