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War Game

Book Synopsis

It’s 1914 when everything changes for a group of bys growing up and playing football in the Suffolk countryside. Far away, in a place called Sarajevo, an Archduke has been killed and a web of global events results in a call for all British men to do their duty ‘for King and Country’ and join the army to fight the germans overseas. The boys sign up for what sounds like an adventure and a chance to see the world.

After basic training the boys sail to France where they find themselves fighting on the front line. Living in the trenches in constant fear for their lives is nothing like they expected and only a bombed-out wasteland, no-man’s-land, separates their trences from those of their German enemies.

Then, on Christmas Day, something remarkable happens as the German and British armies stop fighting and meet in the middle of no-man’s-land. The enemies talk, play football and become friends. But the war isn’t over, the two sides resume fighting and the group of Suffolk lads are ordered to charge across no-man’s-land…

Our Review Panel says...

This picture book tells the remarkable story of a group of soldiers in the trenches who play a football match with others from the opposing trenches, during a rare pause in the fighting at Christmas time. Illustrated with water colour pictures, this is a highly recommended picture book that is popular in KS2 classrooms. You may also like War Boy by the same author.

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