"The Year Turns Around Again," a song from the popular play, "War Horse"

This poignant song seems appropriate for the year turning around again. "War Horse" is an emotional and popular play adapted from a novel by Michael Morpurgo.  It's a play about a a horse who gets conscripted into the British Army in World War I. The horse enriches the lives of those who meets him - until the original owner is re-united with the horse in "no man's land". Steven Speilberg has turned this into a film and it is being edited at present. Its release is sometime, late next summer.

With thanks to Paper Monocle who posted this on You Tube.

Here’s the official synopsis from Dreamworks:

From director Steven Spielberg comes “War Horse,” an epic adventure for audiences of all ages. Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, “War Horse” begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land. The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse—an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure. “War Horse” is one of the great stories of friendship and war—a successful book, it was turned into a hugely successful international theatrical hit that is arriving on Broadway next year. It now comes to screen in an epic adaptation by one of the great directors in film history.

"Othello" summarised by Spark Notes

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" summarised in a video by Spark Notes

Videos on the the novel and contexts of "The Great Gatsby"

The novel summarised by Spark Notes!


Gatsby's life story by Spark Notes.


This video is about the novel.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/entertainment/the-great-gatsby-videos-playlist.htm#video-29523

This novel's form and biographical information on F. Scott Fitzgerald.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/entertainment/the-great-gatsby-videos-playlist.htm#video-29525

A short video which is directly about F. Scott FitzGerald and is useful for understanding the literary context.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/entertainment/the-great-gatsby-videos-playlist.htm#video-29524

The Roaring Twenties

While prohibition and stock market speculation appears to be missing, this presentation, possibly by another student, is helpful for understanding the 1920s cultural context of "The Great Gatsby".

The Roaring Twenties on Prezi

The Great Gatsby - Quotations with Comments

This is the work of another US student. While not perfect, it is again, very useful for studying the text.

Quotation Book on Prezi

A Time-Line for "The Great Gatsby"

This looks to have been put together by a student in an American class. It is useful for gaining an overview of the characters and their passage over time in this text.

Copy of Great Gatsby Timeline on Prezi