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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Starting when I was a young, horse crazy child and saw the Disney movie, Miracle of the White Stallions, I began my love affair with the gorgeous White Stallions of Vienna. Since that movie, I've been lucky enough to see the horses on both an American tour as well as inside the incredible architecture of their hometown. Once I knew there was a book written about their trials I knew I had to read it.
To say it took me a while to get through The Perfect Horse is an understatement. At first I blamed it on the timing; I had just lost my own horse and didn't want to punish myself more by reading about horses in war. Once I finally felt up to completing the book I was bogged down with so many unnecessary details of minor persons and repetitive descriptions. The first 2/3's is filled with tedious background information leading up to the actual rescue. I also thought it was pretty cheesy that the author chose to portray the horses with human emotion. I love horses, I love their personalities, but no, "the stallion seemed to understand that panicking would only make matters worse." (One of the last offending sentences I could find).
The final 1/3 I found the most interesting when the author discussed what actually happened to the additional horses the military ending up saving from the Russians. I had no idea that they brought many of the excess horses to the USA to auction off. I wish the rest of the book would have been that interesting instead of this barely 3* rating.
I think to really enjoy this book you have to have a strong interest in military history or love horses and aren't already familiar this particular story.
To say it took me a while to get through The Perfect Horse is an understatement. At first I blamed it on the timing; I had just lost my own horse and didn't want to punish myself more by reading about horses in war. Once I finally felt up to completing the book I was bogged down with so many unnecessary details of minor persons and repetitive descriptions. The first 2/3's is filled with tedious background information leading up to the actual rescue. I also thought it was pretty cheesy that the author chose to portray the horses with human emotion. I love horses, I love their personalities, but no, "the stallion seemed to understand that panicking would only make matters worse." (One of the last offending sentences I could find).
The final 1/3 I found the most interesting when the author discussed what actually happened to the additional horses the military ending up saving from the Russians. I had no idea that they brought many of the excess horses to the USA to auction off. I wish the rest of the book would have been that interesting instead of this barely 3* rating.
I think to really enjoy this book you have to have a strong interest in military history or love horses and aren't already familiar this particular story.
I'm not particularly a horse person, and the narrative thread did not overcome this lack for me.
At the start, I had a difficult time getting into the book. About half way through, it became very engrossing. Then the war ended and I was confused why there was still so much book. Overall, I enjoyed it. If you’re a horse enthusiast, I think you’d love this book.
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Before this book I knew nothing about the Nazis and horses. I listened to this book, it had a great hook and I couldnt stop listening. I learned a lot about how horses were used in the WWII era and how they were specially bread and trained for nazis purposes.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a good story, well-written. I did, however, feel that some of the anecdotes (the introduction and death of a 19 year old soldier in the course of 2 paragraphs) were unnecessary. I also grew tired of the repeated language used to describe the beauty of the horses (dished face, long cannon bones, uneven white star on Witez's forehead).
I, of course, knew the story of the Lipizzaners and their rescue from the Disney movie and [book:Album of Horses|464328] but this book tells their history during the war so much better (and it doesn't give Patton the credit!). While there were some parts of the book I could have done without, I understand why they were in the book. It was very well written and made for an enjoyable read. The only downside that I wish the author would have talked about is how the stud farm at Piber dealt with and fared during and after the war, as that stud farm is probably the most important to the breed.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This is a story I wanted to know more about ever since I was a kid and saw the Lipizzaners perform a few times. This book is really interesting, especially the first third of it. It was also fascinating to learn more about Polish Arabians and their own plight. (I'm still thinking a lot about the Bolsheviks and their horrifying impact on these horses.) If you enjoy military history or stories about horses, this is a good choice.
I would read a few chapters, then put it down for a few weeks, then pick it up and read a few pages, then set it back down. It wasn't until almost the end of the book that I figured out why. Letts' writing is very recursive, and she repeats the same things throughout the book. There are only so many ways to say "magnificent horses in squalor" and "white mares with black foals." It felt almost like watching a true crime show such as 48 Hours or Dateline. New information would be introduced, a commercial would run, and then the next five minutes of the new chapter is rehashing what happened before the break. The content was good, but this was a slog to get through.
The Perfect Horse by Elizabeth Letts is a fascinating account of the rescue of priceless horses and the coordination of men who should have been enemies-men willing to risk being accused of treason-working together to get them to safety.
Letts opens the book with background on the horses, adding plenty of detail about the horses and the men who are responsible for them. Some of the horses involved are the famous Lipizzaner stallions of Vienna’s Spanish Riding School. Others were Arabians from Janow Podlaski stud farm in Poland.
Letts chronicles the lives of these horses and their caretakers from the beginning of the war, up until the time the war begins to threaten the safety of the horses. Letts then turns her attention to the United States, giving readers background on the 2nd Cavalry division led by Colonel Hank Reed, as they prepare to enter World War II, land in France, and end up in just the right location to be able to help save the horses.
It was really exciting to read about how the rescue came about and the events immediately following. There was such chaos at the end of the war that the horses were still in jeopardy, so some decisions were made about what to do with the horses to keep them safe.
I appreciate how Letts followed up on some of the more famous horses and their caretakers and soldiers who were responsible for saving them. This was a great book and a must-read for horse lovers and history buffs alike. I loved it and highly recommend it to my fellow readers.
Many thanks to Net-Galley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Letts opens the book with background on the horses, adding plenty of detail about the horses and the men who are responsible for them. Some of the horses involved are the famous Lipizzaner stallions of Vienna’s Spanish Riding School. Others were Arabians from Janow Podlaski stud farm in Poland.
Letts chronicles the lives of these horses and their caretakers from the beginning of the war, up until the time the war begins to threaten the safety of the horses. Letts then turns her attention to the United States, giving readers background on the 2nd Cavalry division led by Colonel Hank Reed, as they prepare to enter World War II, land in France, and end up in just the right location to be able to help save the horses.
It was really exciting to read about how the rescue came about and the events immediately following. There was such chaos at the end of the war that the horses were still in jeopardy, so some decisions were made about what to do with the horses to keep them safe.
I appreciate how Letts followed up on some of the more famous horses and their caretakers and soldiers who were responsible for saving them. This was a great book and a must-read for horse lovers and history buffs alike. I loved it and highly recommend it to my fellow readers.
Many thanks to Net-Galley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.