Michael Morpurgo Looks Back at Sandhurst: “I Looked Good in Uniform”
Cherished British author Michael Morpurgo, best known for War Horse, has opened up about his youngish days and the curious path that led him from military bournes to erudite greatness.
In a candid reflection, the 82- time-old pen looked back on his brief but satisfying experience at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and how it eventually shaped the fibber he’d become.
At just 18, Morpurgo walked through the gates of Sandhurst, brimming with immature energy, ambition, and maybe a gusto of ingenuousness.
The author admitted that his reasons for joining were far from profound. “I looked good in uniform, liked rugby, and wanted to travel the world.”
That spark of adventure was soon tempered by reality. The structured life of military service didn’t fit the youthful Morpurgo’s restless imagination. He began to question whether the army truly suited him, or whether his heart belonged elsewhere.
The turning point came thanks to his woman
, Clare. Her pointed question, a challenge rather than comfort, made him reevaluate his choices.
Encouraged to chase a different kind of purpose, Morpurgo left the army and enrolled at King’s College London.
He latterly joked about his academic results, recalling with wry humor how he managed only a third-class degree in English, French, and Philosophy. But for Morpurgo, that wasn’t failure; it was freedom.
Tutoring came with his awakening. In front of a class full of children, he discovered a commodity far more fulfilling than drills or discipline. It was then that he exhumed his real identity, as a tutor, utopian, and ultimately, a pen.
He’s frequently said that tutoring tutored him further about people, empathy, and liars than any formal course could. It helped him fete that everyone deserves the chance to unleash their own eventuality through meaningful work.
Now in his eighties, Morpurgo’s reflections carry a quiet strength. The hardships of youth, he says, are what build endurance. “You learn strength when you’re younger,” he remarked.
For him, resilience isn’t about standing alone, but about knowing when to lean on others. Having a support network, family, friends, or even readers, is what helps one face life’s inevitable storms.
Though he insists he’s no sage, Morpurgo does offer one tender piece of advice for the modern world.
“Don’t be in such a hurry, stand and stare, and hold people’s hands.” It’s a reminder to slow down, to live with presence, not pace.
Fans can find more of his reflections in his latest book, Funny Thing, Getting Older, published by Hodder.
The collection dives deep into the beauty and bewilderment of aging, inviting readers to embrace time’s passing with humor and grace.
