Peter Capaldi reads a letter from WW1 Captain Reginald John Armes to his wife

At The Freemasons Hall in March 2016, Peter Capaldi reads an incredible letter from WW1 Captain Reginald John Armes to his wife.

On Christmas Eve of 1914, five months into World War I, something amazing happened: thousands of British and German troops on the Western Front decided to put down their weapons and greet each other peacefully. For the next few days, 100,000 men, British and German, chatted, exchanged gifts, sang carols, played football. They also, without fear, were able to buried their dead. On the evening of December 24th, the first day of the truce, Captain ‘Jack’ Armes wrote to his wife and described this incredible occurrence.

[jonas]

This letter once again shows that soldiers don't make wars, they just die in them

[DannyBeans]

"He thanked me for the permission to bury his dead."

There are no words to describe the poignancy of that sentence.

[Keyswiz]

Thankfully John Armes survived the First World War and lived to be 72 years of age.

[heisdeadjim]

Capaldi isn't just reading this. He is feeling it right to his core.

[gerokron]

Let´s not forget how valuable it is what we have today. Greetings from Germany.

[garethdaglishgd]

One of the most well read letters ever done. Peter has absolutely added the gravitas that this letter deserves

[Archarian]

In the midst of a hideous war the madmen running my country are waging on Ukraine, I'm sitting here, listening to Peter read this brilliant story of peace and humanity, and bawling my eyes out. Hits so much harder.

[Spudtron]

The emphasis he placed on having the letter kept and copied is striking. He really wanted this information to get out, the knowledge that peace was very much possible out there, even for a short while. It's probably the reason why this account still exists today.

[rayjennings]

"War is always the same. It is young men dying in the fullness of their promise. It is trying to kill a man that you do not know enough to hate. Therefore, to know war, is to know that there is still madness in the world."
President Lyndon B. Johnson - 1966

[anamorphosys]

I couldn't think of anyone better reading this letter than Peter Capaldi. I can't help but conjuring up his last adventure as the Doctor in "Twice Upon A Time" where this well known incident, The Christmas Truce, is an essential part of the story. As though he jumped out of his TARDIS one last time right after that to come to the present and bring this letter to life.

"Never be cruel ... hate is always foolish, and love is always wise ... be kind!"

[dashiellgillingham]

I am astonished by how completely Peter Capaldi inhabited this long-dead human being. He restores a kind of life to the words, and there’s an element of interpretation to it, of course, but he’s found the most core, human elements of that time and that moment and brought them out for all of us to hear.

[laurasiatheria_feliformia]

He's not just reading a Letter, he makes the story alive - what a wonderful actor. I've seen many episodes of letters live, but not even Benedict Cumberbatch comes close to this. Thank you Mr. Capaldi!

[apjtv]

"I wonder who'll start shooting." God that line just breaks my heart.

[Arianddu]

When he said "the War will start again", I burst into tears. When do we learn? When can we just simply stop?

[frankreads]

I don't think I could have gotten through that letter without crying. I'm crying now.

[queenslanddiva]

I had to sit quietly and wait when this finished. I felt unable to continue with my life for just a few minutes. Thank you Peter Capaldi. And thank you Captain Armes

[chegeny]

All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers. --- François Fénelon

[Toobenator]

I was sitting in my hotel, waiting for the shuttle to the airport, and now I’m wiping the tears from my face. What a beautiful, heartfelt performance, how true! And how foolish we human beings are, to have learned nothing from war, the most stupid of human endeavors!

[tb-cgvd]

Immensely impressive reading by Capaldi, very natural but engaging. Masterclass in conveying enormity without hamming it up.

[angusmacdonald]

My grandfather, a veteran of WWI, often talked about The Christmas Truce. I still run across people who don't believe it happened. It didn't happen along the whole line. It didn't change the course of the war. And yet, there, in the middle of the horror of that war, there was a small miracle, a small bit of grace, a small reason to truly have faith in humanity.