War Horse by Michael Morpurgo is a modern classic, highlighting the horror and futility of war and is a staple of classrooms across the country. But the book had inauspicious beginnings, selling only a few hundred copies when it was published in 1982.
A stage adaptation by the National Theatre and a blockbuster film adaptation by Steven Spielberg changed that and as the timeless tale turns 40, Morpurgo, 79, talks about celebrating its anniversary in a world where conflict in Europe has returned.
THE BIG ISSUE: Does
