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The perfect horse: the daring U.S. mission to rescue the priceless stallions kidnapped by the Nazis
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Published:
New York : Ballantine Books, [2016].
Format:
Unknown
Edition:
First edition.
Physical Desc:
xix, 344 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
Status:
Description
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 II
WINNER 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 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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More Details
Street Date:
1608
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780345544803, 0345544803

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 313-350) and index.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Letts, E. (2016). The perfect horse: the daring U.S. mission to rescue the priceless stallions kidnapped by the Nazis. First edition. New York, Ballantine Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Letts, Elizabeth. 2016. The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped By the Nazis. New York, Ballantine Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Letts, Elizabeth, The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped By the Nazis. New York, Ballantine Books, 2016.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Letts, Elizabeth. The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped By the Nazis. First edition. New York, Ballantine Books, 2016.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Grouped Work ID:
1f3fd9d2-72d9-8133-eb43-80bc92e80f99
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Record Information

Last File Modification TimeMar 27, 2024 04:16:57 AM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeMar 28, 2024 04:05:51 AM

MARC Record

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5050 |a 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?
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650 0|a World War, 1939-1945|x Commando operations|z Czech Republic|z Hostou.
650 0|a Lipizzaner horse|z Austria|x History|y 20th century.
650 0|a Arabian horse|z Poland|x History|y 20th century.
650 0|a World War, 1939-1945|x Confiscations and contributions|z Germany.
61020|a Spanische Reitschule (Vienna, Austria)|x History|y 20th century.
60010|a Podhajsky, Alois.
650 0|a World War, 1939-1945|z Austria.
60010|a Reed, Charles Hancock,|d 1900-1980.
61010|a United States.|b Army.|b Cavalry Regiment, Mechanized, 2nd|x History.
77608|i Online version:|a Letts, Elizabeth, author.|t Perfect horse.|b First edition.|d New York : Ballantine Books, [2016]|z 9780345544810|w (DLC) 2016030226
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