Private Peaceful

Private Peaceful
Michael Morpurgo

A stunning edition of this modern classic of World War One, featuring an introduction by the author and insightful testimonies from soldiers.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, 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.Extra material:- Introduction by Michael Morpurgo- Inspiration letter by Michael Morpurgo- Background on the execution of British soldiers in WW1 for cowardice, including personal testimony from soldiers

With my thanks to Piet Chielens of In Flanders Field Museum in Ypres

Copyright (#ulink_51dcedcf-a7d5-5c2f-82f9-f8da45325028)

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2003

This edition published by HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2016

HarperCollins Children’s Books is a division of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd,

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

The HarperCollins website address is: www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)

Text copyright © Michael Morpurgo 2003

Photographs in end material © Shutterstock

Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2016

Cover images © Pirmin Föllmi/EyeEm/Getty Images (poppy field); Shutterstock.com (http://Shutterstock.com) (all other images)

Michael Morpurgo asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of the work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

Although the title was inspired by the name on a gravestone in Ypres, this novel is a work of fiction. Any reference to real people (living or dead), actual locales and historical events are used solely to lend the fiction an appropriate cultural and historical setting. All other names, characters, places and incidents portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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HarperCollinsPublishers has made every reasonable effort to ensure that any picture content and written content in this ebook has been included or removed in accordance with the contractual and technological constraints in operation at the time of publication

Source ISBN: 9780007486441

Ebook Edition © 2016 ISBN: 9780007477838

Version: 2018-07-31

Dedication (#ulink_8d724ebf-f41e-5728-80b6-313ee542b23d)

Contents

Cover (#u20ca5471-d24a-5346-a03e-6191e42dcf73)

Title Page (#u21c91a8f-b2a9-5c2f-83bc-7bc609049fd5)

Copyright (#u66563b9f-9967-55a8-9295-0edded8c795d)

Dedication (#uffed8151-178e-5299-8eb3-f11537285487)

Foreword (#u3f70448a-1098-5398-8267-020b87c2c18e)

Five Past Ten (#u732db7d7-93a3-5636-820e-a20098811ba5)

Twenty to Eleven (#u85c9f079-db8b-5b54-a9ce-72a059c91ce9)

Nearly Quarter Past Eleven (#u7b64ca8d-159c-5374-a72c-565a7bc752a8)

Ten to Midnight (#u189dcaef-7c9f-5cf5-953c-b9f357786510)

Twenty-four minutes past twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Nearly five to one (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-eight minutes past one (#litres_trial_promo)

Fourteen minutes past two (#litres_trial_promo)

A minute past three (#litres_trial_promo)

Twenty-five past three (#litres_trial_promo)

Nearly Four o’clock (#litres_trial_promo)

Five to five (#litres_trial_promo)

One minute to six (#litres_trial_promo)

Discover more (#litres_trial_promo)

Author’s note (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Discover more unforgettable books from the nation’s favourite storyteller (#litres_trial_promo)

Other titles by Michael Morpurgo include (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

FOREWORD (#ulink_6689751b-5d71-5389-afe1-323ab20e0877)

Of course both Private Peaceful and War Horse take place in the First World War.