The Best Christmas Present in the World

Written by Michael Morpurgo

Narrated by Sam Hodges

It’s Christmas in 1914 in the trenches of the Western Front. And something wonderful has just happened…

A forgotten letter in a secret drawer brings one night in the Great War vividly back to life. Writing home from the front, a soldier has an incredible story to tell.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 27, 2010
• ISBN: 9780007376360

Michael Morpurgo

Michael Morpurgo OBE is one of Britain's best loved writers for children, with sales of over 35 million copies. He has written over 150 books, has served as Children’s Laureate, and has won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize, the Writers Guild Award, the Whitbread Award, the Blue Peter Book Award and the Eleanor Farjeon Lifetime Achievement Award. With his wife, Clare, he is the co-founder of Farms for City Children. Michael was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.

Reviews for The Best Christmas Present in the World

[boppisces · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 which happened at Ypres on the Western Front between the British and German troops. Morpurgo's retelling of the story happens when a letter from the Front is discovered in a newly purchased antique desk by a man who narrates the story; which is essentially about the common bond between people.I have heard of this touching story in the past and my expectations of the book were probably too high because of this. Possibly because the story has been told for children, I felt that it lacked depth with such simple sentence construction. I would have also liked to have seen more information, perhaps with a historical piece added at the end of the book. Beautifully illustrated, but slightly disappointing.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

audiobook, war, Christmas, not-only-for-children An antique desk, a stuck drawer, a letter from the front dated Christmas 1914, a care home, a 101 year old widow. A very moving story. Sam Hodges gives a marvelous performance as narrator.

[debbiemccauley-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914 which happened at Ypres on the Western Front between the British and German troops. Morpurgo's retelling of the story happens when a letter from the Front is discovered in a newly purchased antique desk by a man who narrates the story; which is essentially about the common bond between people.I have heard of this touching story in the past and my expectations of the book were probably too high because of this. Possibly because the story has been told for children, I felt that it lacked depth with such simple sentence construction. I would have also liked to have seen more information, perhaps with a historical piece added at the end of the book. Beautifully illustrated, but slightly disappointing.