Private Peaceful - Softcover

‘Time and memory shape this work...the style is simple and eloquent, the pace as gentle as it is persistent and ominous...Nearly a century later, Morpurgo invites his reader to enter a defining moment in history through the doorway of individual experience. It is a humanizing and humane work, rooted in the land of England and the wastelands of Europe. It brings alive the holocaust of young men at the beginning of the twentieth century for those who might not even be aware that the killing fields existed.’ Guardian

‘[Michael Morpurgo] writes here about events that should never be forgotten nor forgiven, and does so most effectively.’ Independent

‘Full of warmth as well as grief, conveying vividly how precious it is to be alive.’ Sunday Times

‘Written from the heart.’ Observer

‘A deeply moving portrayal of camaraderie and courage, innocence and brutality. Deserves to last as an insight into the First World War in the same way as Goodnight Mr Tom.’ Telegraph

‘A poignant, elegiac novel.’ Daily Mail

A stunning story from a master storyteller, published for the first time in an adult edition.

Both a love story and a deeply moving account of the horrors of the First World War, this book will reach everyone from 9 to 90.

Told in the voice of Private Tommo Peaceful, the story follows twenty-four hours at the front, and captures his memories of his family and his village life – by no means as tranquil as it appeared. Full of vivid detail and engrossing atmosphere, and leading to a dramatic and moving conclusion, Private Peaceful is both a compelling love story and a deeply moving account of the First World War.