The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis
by Elizabeth Letts


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<b><i>NEW YORK TIMES</i> BESTSELLER &bull; From the author of <i>The Eighty-Dollar Champion, </i>the remarkable story of the heroic rescue of priceless horses in the closing days of World War II</b><br><br> 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&mdash;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&rsquo;s finest purebreds in order to breed the perfect military machine&mdash;an equine master race. But with the starving Russian army closing in, the animals are in imminent danger of being slaughtered for food.<br><br> With only hours to spare, one of the U.S. Army&rsquo;s last great cavalrymen, Colonel Hank Reed, makes a bold decision&mdash;with General George Patton&rsquo;s blessing&mdash;to mount a covert rescue operation. Racing against time, Reed&rsquo;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.<br><br> 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&rsquo;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&rsquo;s son who makes a daring moonlight ride on a white stallion to secure the farm&rsquo;s surrender.<br><br> A compelling account for animal lovers and World War II buffs alike, <i>The Perfect Horse</i> tells for the first time the full story of these events. Elizabeth Letts&rsquo;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.<br><br><b>Praise for <i>The Perfect Horse</i></b> <br><br>&ldquo;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.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>The</i> <i>Christian Science Monitor</i></b><br><br> &ldquo;Letts, a lifelong equestrienne, eloquently brings together the many facets of this unlikely, poignant story underscoring the love and respect of man for horses.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Kirkus Reviews<br><br></i></b>&ldquo;<i>The Perfect Horse</i> raises the narrative bar. Applying her skills as a researcher, storyteller and horsewoman, Letts provides context that makes this account spellbinding.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;<i>Culturess</i></b><br><b><i><br></i></b>&ldquo;<i>The Perfect Horse</i>&#160;is an enthralling and moving story that I could not put down. This is a riveting and unique perspective on World War II.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;Molly Guptill Manning, author of&#160;<i>When Books Went to War</i></b><br><br>&ldquo;Passionately told and dazzling in scope,&#160;<i>The Perfect Horse</i>&#160;charges headlong into an unforgettable tale of World War II, when good men were given a final mission&mdash;to save beloved horses&mdash;at an hour when no one wanted to die. In Elizabeth Letts, the saga of World War II&rsquo;s white stallions has found its perfect guardian.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;Adam Makos, author of&#160;<i>A Higher Call</i></b><br><br>&ldquo;Elizabeth Letts&rsquo;s beautiful prose, woven together with meticulous research, takes you for a ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end.&rdquo;<b>&mdash;Robin Hutton, author of&#160;<i>Sgt. Reckless</i></b>