War Horse: Key Quotations by Character

“Albert was always with me and so I was never afraid of the guns any more”

“I think in his heart of hearts he feels he should be soldiering in France – but he’s too old for that”

“You’ll look after him sir?…There were tears filling his eyes. At that moment he became almost a likeable man”

“He was a different man, Joey, after you left. He knew he’d done wrong, and that seemed to take all the nastiness out of him”

“He seemed to live only to make up for what he’d done.”

“I had no fear at this moment. I was too interested in what was going on around me”

“fit for anything, cavalry or infantry”

“He’s a good one”

“My son is very fond of him”

Chapter 3

“Joey is my horse. He’s my horse and he always will be, no matter who buys him.”

“A fine, fine horse”

“All those long years ago when I was a wild and frightened colt”

“I know how much this horse means to you. But there’s precious little we can do for him, not in his condition”

“Only Albert’s constant presence kept alive in me the will to live. He devotion and unwavering faith…gave me heart to go on”

“A tall, shining black stallion”

“The only horse to stay with me was the shining black stallion”

“Topthorn and I looked warily at each other at first”

“A huge sleek horse that held his head with majestic dignitiy”

“Topthorn and I spent the winter sheltering each other”

“Topthorn surviving a severe cough that shook his whole massive frame as if it was trying to tear the life out of him from the inside”

These two horses are inseparable”

Trooper Warren was careful to walk me over to where Topthorn stood so we could be together”

“His massive frame”

Chapter 12

“I consoled myself with the thought that no horse I had ever seen had the power and stamina of Topthorn and that he must have a reservoir of great strength to fall back on in his sickness”

“He will have to do what the others do, Herr Doctor’ said the Major in a steely voice. ‘No more and no less. I cannot make exceptions”

“Obedient and Placid as she always was”

“I never saw Captain Nicholls again and that was a great and terrible sadness for me for he had been a kind and gentle man and had cared for me well as he had promised”

“Trooper Warren prayed aloud as he rode”

“Oh can they be mine, Grandpapa? Please can they be mine?”

“She was a tiny frail creature, but led us about the farm with complete confidence chatting all the while.”

“It was the hope that we would be back that evening in our stable and that little Emilie would be there to comfort and to love us.”

“Emilie was a special child for us”

“If my Emilie dies, then the only light left in my life will be put out.”

“She did not need to lead us. She had but to call and we followed”
“She used no reins on me, no saddle, no bits, no spurs, and sat astride me not as my mistress but rather as a friend.”

“But between Topthorn and me there was never any jealousy and he was quite content to plod around beside us and take her on board whenever she felt like it.”

“Emilie continued to watch over us lovingly – every scratch and bruise was tended to at once”

“Come back’ she said. ‘Please come back to me. I shall die if you don’t come back.”