The Christmas Truce

by Carol Ann Duffy

A new tale celebrating the magic of Christmas from the Poet Laureate, illustrated by David Roberts

Down at the front, on a cold winter’s night in 1914, amidst the worst war the world had ever seen, an inexplicable silence spread from man to man. Belief was in the air. Then the soldiers ceased fire and the magic of Christmas took hold.

Carol Ann Duffy’s brilliant new poem celebrates the miraculous truce between the trenches, when enemy shook hands with enemy, shared songs, swapped gifts, even played football, and peace found a place in No Man’s Land.

Genres: Poetry, Christmas, War, History, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Holiday

37 pages, Hardcover

First published November 4, 2011

About the author

Dame Carol Ann Duffy, DBE, FRSL is a Scottish poet and playwright. She is Professor of Contemporary Poetry at Manchester Metropolitan University, and was appointed Britain's Poet Laureate in May 2009.

She is the first woman, the first Scot, and the first openly LGBT person to hold this position.

Her collections include Standing Female Nude (1985), winner of a Scottish Arts Council Award; Selling Manhattan (1987), which won a Somerset Maugham Award; Mean Time (1993), which won the Whitbread Poetry Award; and Rapture (2005), winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize.

Her poems address issues such as oppression, gender, and violence, in an accessible language that has made them popular in schools.

Reviews

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect; I shall continue to read this each Christmastime for years to come.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The "Freddie, Franz, Friedrich, Frank" highlights the similarities between the opposing forces (cf. "Harry, Hugo, Hermann, Henry, Heinz" later on). I liked the reference to the soldier-poet noticing a robin. Cariad is Welsh for "darling." Concludes with an oblique reference (maybe) to Shooting at the Stars (see here).

[Jojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Em 1914, durante a Primeira Guerra Mundial, os dois lados opostos da batalha saíram das trincheiras e trocaram as balas e as hostilidades pelo abraço fraterno do Natal. Carol Ann Duffy revisita este momento com um poema belíssimo que ilustra as semelhanças entre os dois lados e nos lembra de que a paz é o melhor caminho.

" All night, along the Western Front, they sang, the enemies -
Carols, hymns, folk songs, anthems,
In German, English, French
each batallion choired in its from trench."
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In 1914, during World War I, the two opposing sides of the battle emerged from their trenches and exchanged bullets and hostilities for the fraternal embrace of Christmas. Carol Ann Duffy revisits this moment with a beautiful poem that illustrates the similarities between the two sides and reminds us that peace is the best path.

[Nicke Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I buddy read this with my husband. It’s quite sad and doesn’t hide the morbidity of war. The artwork was great and it was quick and easy to read.

[Callum Morris-Horne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5.

A beautifully, whimsically illustrated poem about the 1914 Christmas cease-fire along the Western Front during WW1; poignantly and lyrically showing the similarities between the two sides in their joint, temporary embrace of festive joy.

[Callum McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange and captivating moment in history, encapsulated in a simple yet resonant poem; it speaks of the timeless notion of coming together at Christmastime.

[jolovesbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this very moving.

Beautiful words which tell of the hopelessness of war, people fighting other people who are just like them. But also the hope on this night when war was put to one side for a while.


"Christmas Eve in the trenches of France,
the guns were quiet.
The dead lay still in No Man's Land -
Freddie, Franz, Friedrich, Frank..."

"Silver frost on a barbed wire, strange tinsel,
sparkled and winked.
A boy from Stroud stared at a star
to meet his mother's eyesight there."

"and they started to sing, all down the German lines.
Men who would drown in mud, be gassed, or shot, or vaporised
by falling shells, or live to tell,
heard"

"All night, along the Western Front, they sang, the enemies -
carols, hymns, folk songs, anthems,
in German, English, French;
each battalion choired in its grim trench."

"Then it was up and over, every man,
to shake the hand
of a foe as a friend,
or slap his back like a brother would"

[BrookesEducationLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful :)

[Fiction Addition Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale told many times of a cold winters night in 1914, amidst the first world war - the worst war ever man had seen. The soldiers ceased fire and the magic of christmas took hold. Songs and gifts were shared they played football and found peace for a few hours sharing family photos and memories in no mans land. Something I shall revisit every year and remember.

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christmas poem about the remarkable day in the Great War trenches when the two sides stopped shooting and met up in no man's land to sing, exchange gifts and play football. Carol Ann Duffy has written several Christmas poems but this must be one of the most touching.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always pleased to see an illustrated book that's not necessarily intended for children, and this one is precious and touching.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

stunning. my favourite of the christmas poem collection by far.

[Angelique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better read outloud. And the illustrations are perfection.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both words and pictures are so emotive. I love the allusion to A. E. Housman.

[Jan Duthie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I look forward to these beautifully illustrated poems each year.. The subjects are wide and varied but each is a gem worthy of several reads.

[Chrissie Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect Christmas poem! Based on a real Christmas experience from the First World War trenches, Duffy blends the tragedy of war with the magic of Christmastime.

[Katie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an amazing book to read with children or as an adult! As a fan of Carol Ann Duffy myself, I was excited to see my teacher mentor get this book out during SBT 1. I had assumed that her work would be too advanced for primary school aged pupils.

This book, however, is suitable for all ages. It is a very short story/poem about the Christmas Truce that took place during the first world war. We read this book to a year 6 class who were very mature. However before we read it the class had written war poems and created poppies in order to commemorate the centenary of the armistice. Therefore they were prepared for the content matter of the book.

As well as reading the book we also watched an old Sainsbury's advert that was created, which also explored the events of the Christmas truce. After watching the clip and listening to the book, the children then created their own poem's based upon their emotional reaction to what they had seen/heard.

[Jacky Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know the Christmas Poems in Duffy's Collected Poems were actually illustrated pamphlets published separately over the years, so this review is really for all these poems. Duffy balances between celebrating and fully basking in the celebratoriness, poignance, and festivities of Christmas while standing back and troubling some of its traditions and associations. Such an approach can be found everywhere in Duffy's oeuvre, and is one of many reasons I like her so much: her engagement with tradition is thoughtful, provocative, reinvigorating. Her poetry keeps poetry alive. Among the Christmas poems 'The Christmas Truce' is certainly my favourite. The subject matter is old, and the imagining utopian, but it works because this is what Christmas stories are for. And Duffy gives us exactly that.

[Jack Deighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a not very long poem about the celebrated Christmas Truce of 1914 made up into a self-contained book with the use of illustrations. It tells the story in short lines with the occasional rhyme deployed for emphasis. The illustrations are flat and cartoon-like but convey the essence well. As an introduction to the subject for younger readers it serves very well.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork and writing, however not having flipped through it beforehand, I was not prepared for the battlefield illustrations and the references to the horrors of war as I read it to my boys. This is appropriate for older children and as a content warning, the illustrations do include dead bodies.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just a beautiful sad story! It makes it even more powerful knowing this actually took place, in place peace had zero meaning or existence, but still humans over powered there petty squabbles and came together with there fellow man and wished them a very merry Christmas 🎅

[Luna Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and lovely

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Timely reading as the anniversary of WWI has been on our minds this year. Masterly.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wonderful 🥰

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

See Herr ist mein Hirt….my shepherd, I shall not want.

Beautifully illustrated, poignant words.

[Catherine Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated poem which captures the horror of war alongside the spirit of Xmas Day.

[V · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas present. Poignant. Lovely illustrations

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this so many times I am not kidding I can recite it back to front I literally know every single word

[Stefan Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely retelling of that iconic Christmas moment, with simple but beautiful illustrations that complement the beautiful lines. Brought a tear to my eye.

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my older children and we really enjoyed - haunting and poignant, sensitive and appropriate way to teach children about the Christmas truce.