The Perfect Horse

The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis

By: Elizabeth Letts

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best seller

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 US 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' 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.

“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)

©2016 Elizabeth Letts (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[Elizabeth] Letts, a lifelong equestrienne, eloquently brings together the many facets of this unlikely, poignant story underscoring the love and respect of man for horses.... The author's elegant narrative conveys how the love for these amazing creatures transcends national animosities." (Kirkus Reviews)

“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)

“Hard to put down... One need not be an equestrian or horse lover in order to appreciate this story.” (New York Journal of Books)

Excellent historic information on the war.

My mother (age 85) was enthralled, listening for days, about these precious horses during the war. Recommend for history lovers!

Living history

If all history books were written this well it would have been my favorite subject.

Riveting

A reminder of the bond between horses and people, and the savage nature of people in war time. Three hankies.

History of the Horses in the 2nd war

Very good and informative. Sad at times how cruel we humans can be. Well written.

HORRIBLE NARRATOR WONDERFUL HORSE STORY

please try to overlook the narrator, whose diction will drive you crazy... I listened at 1.2 speed. The story is as beautiful as the horses. My only complaint is that when it came to driving of the herds to safety, it was actually a little short on description. That might be because by then the real story had already played out, but I would have liked a little more detail on that culminating adventure.

Not what I thought it was about

I'm not much into history lessons but somehow this book kept hooked. Slow going in parts but fascinating all the rest of the time

Great story but read the book instead!

I found the history to be fascinating and the story well-written, but I really struggled with the narration and kept wishing I had the book instead (but love santidad and didn't really have that option). The narrator's voice was very nice but he consistently and annoyingly emphasized the wrong words in a phrase or sentence and paused in the wrong places. It drove me crazy, but I pressed on to finish because I really enjoyed the content. Get the book!

Wonderful blend of history and horses

I thoroughly enjoyed this well researched history of events surrounding the protection of the Lippizaner horses. The history was thorough and the equestrian side of things was well explained in a manner even non- horse people will follow. I have already shared copies of this with other horse- minded friends. Ot truly is a terrific story.

Fabulous Read for Equestrians

The book was well written. I was engaged throughout the entire story. I even found myself getting emotional in some parts. Highly recommend for historians and equestrians alike.

Well rounded history

I enjoyed the world war history related to how everyday people of several countries were affected. It was surprising to me the network involving horse breeding in Europe and it the Us