War Game (book and film)

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War Game is a children's book about World War I. Written by Michael Foreman in 1993, the story describes a group of four young men (Will, Freddie, Billy, and Lacey) who are eager to go for "the grand adventure". The story goes from training in England, to the arrival in France, to the famed Christmas Truce, to the Battle of the Somme. The four characters in the book are based on Foreman's uncles who were killed in the war. In key points of the story, the author also points out information on what happened during the war.

[edit] The animated short film

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled War Game (film). (Discuss)

In 2001, the British animation company Illuminated Films made an animated short film based on the story. The film included many of the same scenes listed in the book, though four new characters were created (Mum, Annie, Dad, and the singing King George). In the short, the boys (Will, Freddie, Billy, and Lacey), are out playing a game of soccer when they hear about England declaring war on Germany. As in All Quiet on the Western Front, the boys waste no time in enlisting in the army (at this point the singing king tells Will that he should 'play the game').

Later that night, Will and Lacey tell their parents and Annie of the great news. While Dad wishes them well, and Annie is sobbing for Lacey, Mum (voiced by Kate Winslet) tells her boys that war is not a game, and that they will be killed. After this argument, the boys leave for France, where they encounter hardships of the trenches, shootting competitions with the Germans, and bully beef.

Then on Christmas Day, a German soldier walks into no mans land and invites the English soldiers to a soccer match. However, the match is broken up by the commanding officers, and the soldiers return to their trenches. That evening the soldiers go over the top and are cut down by artillery and machine gun fire. Lacey, Freddy, and Billy are killed instantaniously. Will is severely wounded, and lies in a shell crater with a German soldier. They exchange photos from home, and the singing king comes back to Will telling him to play the game. Will then dies of his wounds.