The Warhorse Blacksmith

About this book

Have you ever wondered who looked after all those warhorses of World War One? Who changed their shoes, took nails out of their hooves, whispered in their ears? This is a story about one man who did just that. And another man who tried to stop him.When the First World War breaks out, Tom Smith is sixteen and has just finished a blacksmith’s apprenticeship in his father’s forge. Though he’s underage, he enlists as a sapper in the Royal Engineers without telling his family.The novel follows Tom through his initial training, where he meets up with Harold, already a friend, and the slightly older Vernon. These two become his constant companions throughout his years of warfare. At the start of his training Tom also encounters the bullying Sergeant Eccles.When Tom is posted to the Western Front, he finds himself involved in some of the most well-known campaigns of World War One. At the infamous battle of the Somme, he’s sent to support the Tunnelling Company who are laying mines under German positions. The narrative follows Tom as he goes underground to help with this dangerous work. Later, at Passchendaele, he finds himself faced with an impossible choice. Does he attempt a desperate rescue from the swamps of the battlefield or face a charge of insubordination for disobeying an order? Finally, at the battle of Cambrai, he ends up serving as a mechanic, part of the crew of the new British 'wonder weapon', the tank. When his tank comes under fire from attacking German troops, Tom has to prove himself both as a mechanic and as a soldier.However, Tom has a secret, which he's successfully managed to hide during his training and war service so far. But just as the war seems to be nearing its end, his secret comes under threat. Will it be revealed? And what will be the consequences for Tom if it is?The Warhorse Blacksmith creates a dramatic storyline to engage young readers, along with believable characters they can empathise with. At the same time, it's carefully researched to increase children’s awareness of WW1. Letters to Tom from Lizzie, his childhood sweetheart, are interwoven with the central chapters dealing with Tom's time on the front line, to help give young readers a feel for women’s experience of the war on the Home Front.Although the story deals with the grim realities of WW1, it does so without using the kind of explicit details of the conflict that would be inappropriate for a younger readership. Seeing the war through the eyes of Tom and his fellow sappers, in their roles as support for the frontline troops, means the events can be described with a degree of detachment and also, where appropriate, some gentle humour.Suitable for readers of 9-13 years and upwards.