I grew a little impatient reading the first half of the book, but by page 145, with the rescue mission finally in view, I could not put the book down. Army claim them as captured spoils of war.
Those Germans wanting to save the Lipizzaners, knew their only hope was to have the U.S. By the end of the war, both Nazis and Russians troops were slaughtering horses for meat.
Letts includes personal background on the horses, mares and stallions. Once the Americans discover the compelling beauty of the Lipizzaner stallions and the amazing feats of both equestrian and horse, the plan to save them from falling back into Nazi or the approaching Russian hands is a no-brainer. The one thing that connects the European and American participants is a love of horses. Part One and Two are enhanced by the personal information surrounding each character. The Americans include not only GIs and officers but also a fascinating brief history of the U.S. Under Europeans, Letts includes the Germans and all those characters whose countries were occupied by Germany. The Perfect Horse is laid out in near military precision: Part One – The Europeans Part Two – The Americans Part Three – The Mission and Part Four – The Homecoming. Patton’s part in the rescue was to okay the mission undertaken by Colonel “Hank” Reed, commanding officer of the 2nd U.S. In contrast, thanks to Letts’ meticulous research, her book introduces the reader to a range of characters, German, Austrian, and American, who were the real heroes. The movie version gives General George Patton the heroic role. Some of you may remember the 1963 Disney movie, Miracle of the White Stallions. Letts does a great job of laying out the timing, the players, and the locations of this fascinating story, which peaks at almost the end of World War II. The Spanish Riding School is famous for its highly trained riders and white Lipizzaner stallions who take dressage to the highest level possible.
The Perfect Horse is about the rescue of horses stolen in WWII by the Nazis (for breeding purposes) from The Spanish Riding School of Vienna, Austria. Just the month before, the Pioneer had a standout article about Elena Flaharty and her dressage champion horse, Charly. The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts, author of The Eighty Dollar Champion, was the perfect book to review for the Concord Clayton Pioneer.
0 kommentar(er)
