The Perfect Horse: the Daring U.S. Mission... by Elizabeth Letts
“We were so tired of death and destruction. We wanted to do something beautiful.”
The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis, by Eliizabeth Letts
When I was in college, I was asked to write an essay about WW2, but I could write about any aspect of it. I wanted to write about horses. That essay never got written. The statistics on how many horses were gunned down were staggering. No one wants to read that. I don't actually know what subject I chose. It was largely forgettable. I have forgotten it.
Now here's a book about horses in WW2, that is unforgettable. Elizabeth Letts had better luck with her research than I did with mine.
During WW2, Germany was running low on horse power and the Nazis were developing a top secret eugenics program to breed the ultimate military horse. But without native stock, they began stealing the four legged national treasures from countries they were occupying. The grooms and riders were desperately loyal to the horses and tried to hide them, run with them, and were determined to protect them, no matter the cost.
At the same time, the US Cavalry was undergoing a major change: they were realizing that the perfect military horse might be one that runs on gasoline. Armored trucks and tanks were faster, safer, more durable, and when paired with modern weapons more effective. As the US got pulled into the war, our Cavalry would storm Normandy beach as the first fully mechanized cavalry.
As the final days of bloodshed approached, the US Cavalry lead by General Patton and Colonol Reed began their own top secret mission: to steal back the stolen horses and free them from the German Empire. An operation that could not have been successful if German dissidents working at the secret stud farm, had not been brave enough to ask for help at a time when they could have been executed for treason.
It was fascinating to read about the technological and cultural changes going on in this time period, and see that no matter how many decades go by, horse people will always be horse people. There is absolutely something about horses that make people batcrap crazy in the most beautiful ways. Training horses to saddle was once commonly referred to as "breaking," but I think maybe the best horses in the world were born to break us.
I recommend this novel for horse lovers and history buffs alike.
Review originally posted on GoodReads February 2, 2020
5 Stars
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