Michael Morpurgo was born in 1943. He went to school in London, Sussex and Kent and later to the University of London where he studied English and French. He became a primary school teacher and it was during his time as a teacher that he realised he wanted to be a writer. Michael has described how his class were bored with a story he was sharing with them and how he decided to create something more exciting for them instead. Soon the soldiers are sent up to the front line, but find it to be very quiet at first. Their morale is kept high by Captain Wilkes, who often encourages the men to sing to stay jolly. Charlie and Tommo get everyone singing “ Oranges and Lemons,” because it is a song that Big Joe always used to sing at home. The trenches are cold and full of rats and lice, but there is little fighting at first. The soldiers particularly enjoy visits to a local pub, where Tommo takes a liking to one of the waitresses. a b Collin, Robbie (12 October 2012). "Private Peaceful, Review". The Telegraph . Retrieved 20 November 2022.

The tale is of a young man named Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful, who tells the story in account format from the past to the present day events of his experiences. His eldest brother, "Big Joe", has learning difficulties due to brain damage at birth, and is always looked out for by his younger brothers. The earlier part of the story tells of his life as a boy, before the Great War; the tale of his love for Molly – a beautiful girl he had a lot of feelings for and grew to love besottedly; and Charlie Peaceful, Tommo's brother who is older than him, but younger than Joe.

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Everything is relatively happy in Tommo’s life for a while. The only problem is that he feels left out of his friendship with Molly and Charlie, because they are older than him. They both leave school and start work up at the village estate, which is owned by a terrible man named the Colonel, but Tommo is left behind in class. One day he sees Molly and Charlie holding hands, and feels a deep pang of “loss” and sadness. He realizes that they are leaving him behind and falling in love with each other. Schofield, Derek (21 November 2021). "Barry Coope Obituary". The Guardian . Retrieved 20 November 2022. A radio dramatisation of Private Peaceful, adapted by Simon Reade and directed and produced by Susan Roberts, was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2012. It was recorded in Iddesleigh in Devon, where the story is set. It starred Paul Chequer as Tommo, Nicholas Lyndhurst as Sergeant Hanley, and Michael Morpurgo as the vicar. [25] [26] It features music by Coope Boyes and Simpson. [27] An abridged version of the radio adaptation was created for use in schools. [28] Concert [ edit ] Private Peaceful: The Concert featured readings from the book and music from folk trio Coope Boyes and Simpson. One of the most tragic events of the 20th century was the senseless slaughter and sacrifice of many young men on the battlefields of the Somme,Verdun and Passchendaele. The iconic 1914 recruitment poster of Lord Kitchener, wearing a cap of a British Field Marshall, stares and points at the viewer pleading to their sense of allegiance and responsibility by declaring..."Your country needs you" The specially constituted "pals battalions" resulted in friends, neighbours and colleagues enlisting together at local recruiting drives with the promise that they could serve alongside each other. However many of these battalions sustained heavy causalities and this had a significant impact on their communities at home. Furness, Hannah (28 June 2016). "Stop Thrusting Morals Down Children's Throats as it Stops Them Thinking for Themselves, Warns Author Michael Morpurgo". The Telegraph . Retrieved 19 November 2022.

The author felt the need to confirm how straight Thomas actually is. By no means am I saying that children cannot realise their sexuality at a young age. Neither do I claim that kids don't get crushes. However, there was only one female character (besides his mother) and of course, Thomas 'loves' her. His attitude towards her really bothered me. When he thinks he is going to die, he wants Molly to be his last thought. This girl is married to his brother and pregnant with his child! Do I even need to explain how disturbing this is? Thomas never gets over his childhood crush and it is creepy. Furthermore, he never once explains why he 'loves' Molly. We know nothing about her personality. One might think the only reason he likes her, is because she is a girl. Soon afterwards, the Colonel makes up his mind that Charlie must enlist to fight in the war, and tells the Peacefuls that he will evict them from their cottage (which the Colonel owns) if Charlie refuses. Charlie bravely accepts his fate, and Tommo resolves to join him, as Tommo is technically too young to be fighting anyway (he is only fifteen).The novel revolves around the life of Thomas (Tommo) Peaceful as he recounts his memories. Tommo has two older brothers. His oldest brother, Big Joe, has damage to his brain and so suffers from some developmental delays but is a kind person who loves animals. His second-oldest brother, Charlie, is an intelligent man and a person of integrity who makes a number of decisions that preserve the weak and anger the strong.

Im 13, and we read this book in my english class. Before I read this I never understood WW1 and WW2 but it opened my eyes to the suffering and sadness of it all. I think the author was brilliant to not go straight to the trenches, but go through Tommo's whole life first. I became to love Tommo alot as he grew up, and Charlie too. When they go to war it is just so miserable and sad and I now think all soldiers in the war, and ww2 were complete heroes and dont get enough credit for what they did for us! If you know a soldier, knew one, or were one, thankyou so much! Private Peaceful opened my eyes. Infact I couldnt stop crying over war and those brave soldiers :( I find it sad how Private Peaceful was a real person! He had a life, he wasnt just a guy who died. Right before he died in world war 1 he probably remembered his first day of school, all the loves and losses he experienced. And before this book was written he would never have been remembered, like the thousands of other soldiers that are now just a grave. I will always remember them. Bradshaw, Peter (11 October 2012). "Private Peaceful – review". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 May 2017. If I don't like a character, I won't enjoy the story. So, when Charlie died, I did not feel bad for him. I don't want to blame the victim, but he really could have avoided things getting too far. But no, he chose to be arrogant and insult his sergeant instead. I do think the postcript's message was beautiful. Unfortunately, this book focussed much more on Thomas' childhood instead.

a b c Samuels, Diane (18 October 2003). "The Lost Generation". The Guardian . Retrieved 19 November 2022. Collin, Robbie (12 October 2012). "Private Peaceful, review". Telegraph.co.uk . Retrieved 2 May 2017. Soon, World War I arises and Charlie and Thomas are enlisted to fight in the war. Tommo tells the stories of his wartime experiences, including his training and the savage trench battles he endures in France. Eventually, the brothers come under the command of the cruel Sergeant Hanley, who harbors a strong dislike for Charlie. Throughout this time, Charlie protects Thomas from the worst of the cruelty of the war. Thomas:A mature young boy that feels guilty for the death of his dad and is in love with Molly and becomes jealous of his older Brother and enlists in the Army underaged. Gritten, David (12 October 2012). "Michael Morpurgo's Private Peaceful: set report". Telegraph.co.uk . Retrieved 2 May 2017.

Morpurgo develops both the main character, Thomas, also known as Tommo, and sub characters like real people. The characters are engaging with their human strengths and weaknesses. The characters are developed directly; mostly through Tommo and Charlie's conversations and interactions. Charlie, Tommo's older brother, helps reveal an implied theme; one's courage doesn't necessarily help in a time of war. With the choice of enlisting for the war in the minds of the brothers, courage is racing through their blood. The brothers choose combat, and on the battle field Charlie more than ever is courageous and bold towards his Sergeant. However, will his courage help or hurt in the long run in the bitter time of war? Norton-Taylor, Richard (16 August 2006). "Executed WW1 soldiers to be Given Pardons". The Guardian . Retrieved 18 November 2022. Private Peaceful won the 2004 Red House Children's Book Award and the Blue Peter Book Award. It has been adapted by Simon Reade into a stage play, a radio play and a film. The folk trio Coope Boyes and Simpson performed in a concert which featured folk songs and readings from the novel; a live recording called Private Peaceful: The Concert was released in 2006. In 2006, 306 British and Commonwealth soldiers who (like Charlie) were executed for offences including cowardice, desertion, insubordination, and sleeping at their posts were posthumously pardoned. Jury, Louise (14 June 2004). "First World War Tale Beats Best-Selling Rivals To Book Award Thanks To Votes By 25,000 Children". The Independent . Retrieved 20 November 2022.Michael has gone on to become one of the country’s best-loved authors of children’s literature. He was Children’s Laureate from 2003-2005 and became an OBE in 2006. He has written over 100 books and has won numerous awards, including ‘The Blue Peter Award’ for Private Peaceful . Private Peaceful was seriously an amazing story. I feel like it really made me appreciate everything that I have in life, especially the things I would usually take for granted, such as good health, family, and a home. I hope this book helps others appreciate the simple things in life, just like it did for me. a b Bradshaw, Peter (11 October 2021). "Private Peaceful – Review". The Guardian . Retrieved 20 November 2022. Join us straight after the show to hear from members of the cast. Your pupils will have the chance to ask their own questions in this session which will last approximately 30 minutes. Postage