An Eagle in the Snow by Michael MorpurgoSynopsis: “A powerful novel from the master storyteller – inspired by the true story of one man who might have stopped World War II.

1940. The train is under attacks from German fighters. In the darkness, sheltering in a railway tunnel, the stranger in the carriage with Barney and his mother tells them a story to pass the time.

And what a story. The story of a young man, a young soldier in the trenches of World War I who, on the spur of the moment, had done what he thought was the right thing.

It turned out to have been the worst mistake he ever could have made – a mistake he must put right before it is too late…”

My Review

This was a lovely audiobook that I listened to via Spotify.

As the above synopsis reads, the story is set during World War Two, but the main part of the book is set in World War One, and what a story it is.

It’s a really clever story told by a stranger to a young boy, Barney and his Mum as they are travelling from bombed out Coventry down south by train.

As the train travels towards London it has to stop in a tunnel to stop it from being attacked by a German fighter plane. They have to they wait for quite some time in the darkness, so the stranger helps Barney to over his fear of the dark by telling him all about an old friend of his, Billy Byron. He was very brave in the trenches of the First World War, winning numerous accolades and medals for bravery, but he was always ashamed of something he wished he hadn’t done, something he is certain started World War Two!

I loved the way Michael Morpurgo told this story within a story, something he does very well. I was hooked as soon as Barney and his Mum met the man on the train and wanted to find out all about his best friend Billy Byron.

Michael Chequer, a new-to-me narrator, was okay for this story. He didn’t characterise anyone but kept me interested in the story.

I’ve mentioned before that I really like the way Michael Morpurgo writes, so I’m trying to listen to his back catalogue.

Highly recommend this if you enjoy middle grade stories set during the First and Second World Wars.