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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Interesting history of WW2 through the perspective of the horses and those who cared for them
Wonderful piece of unknown history, shedding light on characters one likes and dislikes. Reality sometimes difficult to grasp on this subject, when so much other horrific history is happening at the same time during WWII.
I loved this story. Amazing horses and the men who cared for them. Having been in Austria recently I could visualize many of the locations vividly. What a wonderful little known piece of history.
Well researched. At times tragic, at times heartbreaking, at times heartwarming. It has it all. I had no idea how close we came to losing them all.
A captivating story of the rescue of Lippizaner in spite of the evil machinations of the Nazi forces. What happened to the horses who were shipped to the USA was sad, but those who were saved in Austria and other European areas reaffirms that sometimes good prevails over evil.
Supberbly wriiten! Thoroughly researched and presented in a readable way. For someone that rarely errands non-fiction because the subject matter is usually not presented well, I this book is a treasure!
This book was very interesting. I have read many books about World War II.
This one is about the horses the Nazi’s stole at the beginning of the war. They didn’t limit themselves to art and priceless objects. Well worth the read.
Historical
“Magnificent” – Wonderfully told, and full of the kinds of details that made you feel that you were right beside these real people as they faced terror and death and summoned incredible bravery. I never knew about how close the Lipizzaner stallions came to extinction, and how each of these horse-lovers were able to reach out to their enemy for the salvation of these creatures is almost beyond belief. You don’t have to be a horse-lover to become absorbed in this story – it’s one of redemption, demonstrating that humankind can muster the highest of character even in the most dismal situations.
This book finally details the complex series of events that ultimately resulted in the rescue of the Royal Lippizaners as well as the Polish Arabian stallions and other pureblood pedigreed horses seized by the Nazis during WWII. The unsung heroes of this rescue are the men on both sides whose love for horses superceded the enmities of war. Wonderful book! A must read for horse lovers!
This is a marvelous book, especially if you’ve ever had the chance to see these special horses at a show. They are poetry in motion. I never knew what it took during WW!! for these horses to survive. I also learned a lot about dressage.
This presented another view of World War 2. It was interesting.
For horse and history lovers anywhere! Very interesting how a few compassionate solders made such a difference. Great story telling.
It was a good book, but the movie,(the Miracle of the White Horse) was actually better.
Very interesting. It is a part of WWII I never heard of before.even though it was very factual, it was still a good read!
A fascinating look at a little known sidebar of WW2, especially if one is a horse fancier.
Well written historical account with great photos!
This book is outstanding. It is packed with history and tells a great story of bravery and devotion. I felt enlightened after completing this book as it contained information that I had never learned about World War II. Readers do not have to be horse fanatics to appreciate it. Read it, you will feel many emotions; pride, sadness, happy, conflict, etc. A five star + read.
Good history of horses in World War II.
Great book, a heart warming story out of a terrible war