The Perfect Horse : : the Daring U.s. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis

Locations
Call Number: Adult Book / Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Animals / Mammals
On Shelf At: Pittsfield Branch, Traverwood Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Animals / Mammals	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Animals / Mammals	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Science & Nature / Animals / Mammals	4-week checkout	Due 05-13-2024

Part One: The Europeans. An unlikely Olympian ; The master of all horses ; The Polish prince ; Rau's dominion ; The Spanish Riding School of Vienna ; The hidden stud farm ; Podhajsky's choice ; Horses in peril ; The escape -- Part Two: The Americans. Machine versus horse ; A horseless commander ; America's fightin'est General ; Two hands and a Purple Heart -- Part Three: The mission. Armies closing in ; The photographs ; The plan ; Dressed up as a plenipotentiary ; Change of heart ; Lessing takes charge ; The tanks are coming ; The fallen ; The Americans ; The generals ; The craziest caravan in the world ; The Lipizzaner farewell -- Part Four: Homecoming. The super horses are ours ; Departure! ; The riderless horse ; The victory parade ; Finding a home ; The war orphans ; The auction ; The widow's rose ; The birthday party ; A mighty good American ; The veterans ; The Spanish Riding School today -- Epilogue: What became of them?
"Traces the lesser-known efforts of Hitler to build a master race of the finest purebred horses and the heroic achievements of American soldiers to rescue imperiled stolen equines from a hidden Czechoslovakian farm during a 1945 battle between Third Reich and Allied forces,"--NoveList.
In the chaotic last days of World War II, a small troop of American soldiers captures a German spy and learns that on a secret farm behind enemy lines, Hitler has stockpiled the world's finest purebred horses in order to breed the perfect military machine--an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food. With only hours to spare, one of the U.S. Army's last great cavalrymen, Colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision--with General George Patton's blessing--to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed's small but determined force of soldiers, aided by several turncoat Germans, steals across enemy lines in a last-ditch effort to save the horses. Pulling together this multistranded story, Elizabeth Letts introduces us to an unforgettable cast of characters: Alois Podhajsky, director of the famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna, a former Olympic medalist forced to flee the bomb-ravaged Austrian capital with his entire stable in tow; Gustav Rau, Hitler's imperious chief of horse breeding, a proponent of eugenics who dreams of genetically engineering the perfect warhorse for Germany; and Tom Stewart, a senator's son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm's surrender. Elizabeth Letts's exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life for the first time one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor.--Adapted from dust jacket.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Summary / Annotation
Fiction Profile
Excerpt
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Beautifully told, well-researched, and compelling submitted by Susan4Pax -prev. sueij- on August 19, 2017, 11:32am As I am not generally a WWII aficionado, this story drew me in because I really do love a good horse story, and I grew up in the era of Marguerite Henry's books, including _The White Stallion of Lippiza_. _The Perfect Horse_ tells the story of the Spanish Riding School in Austria, and how it was threatened during WWII. Austrians, Germans, and Americans play critical roles in the story, winding us through history as the US Calvary is dismantled and horsemen take regular army positions. One man ends up in a perfect position to save a breed. In the meantime, Hitler's desire for a perfect race plays out in an equine breeding program for a small but important set of Lippizaner. A Polish-owned Arabian makes an amazing impact on the breed in California after surviving a harrowing life.

The story is beautifully told, well-researched, and compelling. If you like WWII or horses, I think you'll like this book.

WW II History submitted by m steve on June 19, 2020, 7:27pm This is very much an untold story of the Second World War. It is well written and covers much ground that many history enthusiasts might not know. I recommend it.