SKU: 49109646174

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

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

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

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 05/23/2017
ISBN: 9780345544827
Pages: 400
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 7.90h x 5.30w x 1.10d
Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 501338 / Perfect Horse: The Daring Rescue of Horses Kidnapped During World War II
Reading Level: 8.2 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 9
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SKU: 49109646174

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4.5 ★★★★★
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Skylar Hartnett
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 5
It works to divide a room, but it's not easy to use.
Color: Grey, Size: 6 Panel
This comes in multiple pieces and you have to build every single piece including the cloth that is between the two poles. There are plastic clips to hold the sections together, but they easily come off if you move the dividers the wrong way or try to reposition it. The only thing holding it up is rectangular shaped feet on the bottom and they are a pain when you hit it with your toes. It works if you need to divide a room, but its not pretty and there are far better options. It's cheaply made and has a habit of falling down if you are trying to use it in a straight or slightly angled line.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2022
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Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer swengelp
Omaha, US
★★★★★ 4
Nice divider
Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel
Nice divider. Set up is a bear. I am a bit concerned with stability. Overall I like it.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Nay from the Bay
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 5
Great privacy room divider
Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel, Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel
I got this room divider for our game room that shares the garage/laundry room, to separate the spaces. I was happy that it was relatively easy to put together in less than an hour with nothing more than a screwdriver (provided) although I used a small handheld drill. The instructions were pretty straightforward and easy to understand as everything was labeled. I have 2 small grandkids at home running around while I put this together so my timeline to completion might be longer than others. It recommends 2 people to assemble, but I was able to complete alone in about 40 minutes total and as I said I used a small handheld drill, (although it does come with a small Philips screwdriver) which is the only tool you need for assembly. The first two panels took me about 20 minutes but the other 4 were simple repeats after the initial 2. After all 6 panels were assembled the plastic clips to piece them together were literally a "SNAP" to put on. The poles are made of metal and the panels are made of a very sturdy almost canvas like fabric. When held up to the light not a lot shined through so very good for privacy. You can snap them together in sections and have 2 separate panels of 3 or what ever configuration you want. They are easy to move and bend around furniture or other obstacles, also fold flat together if you need to put them aside for storage. This worked out just as we had planned, very easy to move around when needed and I am very happy with this product. I loved how simple it was to put together, easy instructions, and the durability and functionality of it.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2024
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robert ferrell
Cuba, US
★★★★★ 5
Good
Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel
Love it , just what so needed , easy to put together (some what ) …
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Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2026
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Verified Purchase
Crimm
Bozeman, US
★★★★★ 3
Decent for the price. Instructions suck but most people should be able to figure it out. More below.
Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel, Color: Black, Size: 6 Panel
SUMMARY: 3 stars from me because it's firmly average. It's fine for the price. Assembly and materials are alright but I can see some caveats depending on your circumstances. Assembly instructions do a subpar job of pointing out some details. ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS: Maybe it's because I'm autistic and/or building model kits and assembling stuff is my jam, but I honestly thought people were exaggerating when they were complaining about the instructions and I'd be able to flex my ~superior assembly skills.~ I was wrong! These instructions genuinely suck, and whoever is responsible for making them should be ashamed. The instructions do a poor job of calling out some details regarding orientation of parts, and some of the images do not actually match the physical parts. For example, it does not really outline the assembly of the end panels clearly, and I can see someone accidentally using the wrong poles. I've drawn over a photo to show what you should do to try and make it clearer. Additionally, the manual shows a flathead screw for bolting the feet into position, but the actual screw is not a flathead. It also does not point out the counterbore, so if you aren't paying attention you may put the foot pads onto the wrong side of the foot. It's also missing the fact that you need to use another one of the plastic pieces when you finish assembling a panel. ACTUAL ASSEMBLY & MATERIALS: To their credit, all of my bags were clearly labeled. The assembly process wasn't difficult. It's mostly just tedious and requires a fair amount of space. I was able to assemble it by myself without any real difficulty. However, the way it's assembled means two things. One, the fabric parts aren't removable without disassembly. So if you want to use this in an environment where they would require cleaning, I would seriously recommend looking for another option. Or, you could buy this just to use the frame pieces and then somehow buy or make your own fabric pieces designed to be removable with velcro or something. Two, because of the materials I really don't have a lot of faith in this thing surviving disassembly and reassembly. Like a lot of sorta-cheap-but-convenient furniture, it uses those spring-button connections and plastic inserts with self-tapping screws. Those things are not really meant to be disassembled and rethreaded. It also relies a lot on the tension of the poles and the fabric to keep everything rigid and squared, which I think puts a lot of pressure on the aforementioned buttons, plastic inserts, and the hollow metal rods. So I feel like that will also cause issues with disassembly and reassembly. Basically once this thing is assembled, it's not really meant to be disassembled. The best you can do is spot-clean the fabric if you need to. Speaking of the fabric, I didn't see any labels on them or anything in the manual that says what they are, but they feel like some kind of polyester. They generate static electricity pretty easily, and pet hair and debris sticks easily. So that's another downside of them not being easily removable. For the most part it does seem pretty stable. The poles seem to be pretty uniform in length so they're all making contact with my floor. Obviously this isn't structural so it shouldn't be supporting anything, but the two main feet seem to be doing fine with keeping this thing upright. CLOSING THOUGHTS: Really, it's fine for what it is, but it could be better in a lot of little ways and the substandard quality of the instructions just seems unprofessional to me, which is why I'm being so harsh with my rating. Depending on your needs and environment you may want to consider a different option. Preferably one that is made to be disassembled with better materials, and/or one with fabric pieces made to be removed easily.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2023

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