NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the remarkable story of the heroic rescue of priceless horses in the closing days of World War IIWINNER OF THE PEN AWARD FOR RESEARCH NONFICTION In the chaotic last days of the war, a small troop of battle-weary American soldiers captures a German spy and makes an astonishing find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of … find—his briefcase is empty but for photos of beautiful white horses that have been stolen and kept on a secret farm behind enemy lines. Hitler has stockpiled the world’s finest purebreds 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 who is 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.
A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, The Perfect Horse tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts’s exhilarating tale of behind-enemy-lines adventure, courage, and sacrifice brings to life one of the most inspiring chapters in the annals of human valor.
Praise for The Perfect Horse
“Winningly readable . . . Letts captures both the personalities and the stakes of this daring mission with such a sharp ear for drama that the whole second half of the book reads like a WWII thriller dreamed up by Alan Furst or Len Deighton. . . . The right director could make a Hollywood classic out of this fairy tale.”—The Christian Science Monitor
“Letts, a lifelong equestrienne, eloquently brings together the many facets of this unlikely, poignant story underscoring the love and respect of man for horses.”—Kirkus Reviews
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A tragically compelling story about the Nazi fascination with perfection in the equine form.
This is a bittersweet account of what happened to these beautiful horses during WW II.
An excellent and well researched account of the Lipizzaner horses of Austria and the Arabian horses of Poland, and their incredible, sometimes apparently miraculous escape from extinction at the hands of German and Russian soldiers during World War II. I am admittedly a horse lover, but I think the book would be enjoyed by students of World War II as well. This tells a tale not found in the history books!
Puts the reader right in the middle of the final days of WW II. It is history that most of us are not aware. Gives one the feeling of the difficulty of living in a country that was losing the war. I am elderly and had to turn pages back and forth as it switched from the two final places where the horses were being held before rescue. So, one needs to keep in mind just which place the writer is discussing.
Also, the end shows the closed minds of the American horse people.
Extremely well researched and very interesting to read.
Kind of dry, and I knew the end before I picked it up — but there was some things about WW2 that I had no clue about The German Army entered World War II with 514,000 horses, and over the course of the war employed, in total, 2.75 million horses and mules; the average number of horses in the Army reached 1.1 million There were considerably more horse deaths in World War II than World War I, You would never guess the role of horses from the WW2 movies I’ve seen.
Bought it for a friend. She loves it.
There is a lot of facts in this book but it reads quickly. It was a page turner for me. Describes a part of WW II that would otherwise never see the light of day. It makes a person think what is most important in this situation.
I was horse-obsessed as a kid. I was able to see Lipizzaners on tour once when I was 11, and it was incredible. Of course, I had read a great deal about the horses and their airs above the ground. Years and years ago, I saw the old Disney movie “Miracle of the White Stallions” about how the Lipizzaners were saved from Austria during World War II. Well, this is the real story behind that, and it’s an engaging, fascinating read.
It begins long before the war. Even as militaries worldwide began to shift to mechanized forces, the horse carried an important role; Olympic equestrian teams came out of national military units. This is where many of the human players in this story grew up and spent their formative years. Patton is the most famous example. Germany still utilized horses in World War II, but even more, they wanted to create the perfect horse. Yes, Aryan-style eugenics with horses. Germany collected the best horses from their expanding territory and established breeding farms for Lipizzaners, Arabians, and other highly-esteemed breeds.
As the war continued, the horses were shuffled for safekeeping, but food and communication became increasing issues as Germany’s collapse grew imminent. Even more, the Russians approached from the east, and they esteemed horses as only food. Therefore, the desperate horse-lovers betrayed 3rd Reich ideals and looked for help from their invaders from the west: the Americans. Enemies were united through their love of horses.
The book goes into the aftermath of the war as well, and how some horses made it to the US for so-called safekeeping. It also follows the glorious rebirth of the Spanish Riding School.
I loved it. I knew only bits and pieces of the real story, and Letts’ storytelling really brings everything to life. I highly recommend this to history buffs and horse lovers.
Awesome story about a group of people who wanted to save something so beautiful during a time of such destruction and evil.
This book gives great detail on what people went through in WWII to save the horses. Rich in history – as a horse lover I found it just a good read.
Historical work well done about how these beautiful horses were saved in WWII.
One of the top three non fiction books I’ve ever read. An amazing true story about people from different backgrounds that did something beautiful after finding common ground based on their mutual love of horses
Really had never read about Hitler’s quest to create the perfect horse.
Not a fast read, but very interesting historic non-fiction.
I love horses and these are beyond awesome. So glad they were saved.
Very heroic individuals involved who risked their lives to rescue and save innocent horses caught up in the war. Recommend for any horse lover.
Every horse lover or animal lover, history buff should read this book. Absolutely fascinating! Written at very personal view.
Any one who has had a love for horses knows the story of the rescue of the Lippizanner horses in Austria during World War II. They know that Patton went in and saved them from certain death. But we weren’t told the details of all of the people responsible for this great success story. The Perfect Horse tells that story beautifally. The amount of research present is obvious. The personal stories of the people and the horses is complete and in-depth. It is a story that will satisfy any lover of horses, or if you enjoy a war story with a good ending.
What a fantastic true story about the famous Lippizaner Stallions and their trials and tribulations during and after WWII.