I remember reading about the Lipizzaner stallions when I was a kid, so when I saw Deborah Hopkinson’s “World War II Close Up: They Saved the Stallions” I knew it was one I wanted to read. In short, the Lipizzaner stallions are trained to perform precise movements over the course of years. They are a rare breed and the entire breeding stock was in danger during World War II. The story is one of human heroics to save horses because they are an important part of the cultural heritage of Austria.

The story follows the equine hero Nero, a regular horse, and human hero Alois (and the other horsemen) as they first protect the horses in Vienna, but then move the stallions and the mares separately in a desperate attempt to keep them from being bombed or, worse, eaten by starving soldiers and civilians. At the end of the war, as the situation becomes truly desperate Alois and company reach out to the Americans hoping to find someone who will be sympathetic to their cause.

The book is illustrated with historical and contemporary photos of the stallions and their humans. There is also an extensive glossary throughout the book that explains the unique movements of the Lipizzaner stallions.

This book is great for teens and adults who like horses or stories of World War II. The story is full of drama and is a thoughtful tale of the bond between humans and their horses.

I received an advance review copy for free from Netgalley and Scholastic, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It's telling in a good way that I started this book that should have taken a day or two to read and review more than a week ago. I found myself getting so caught up in the story that I spent a great deal of time refreshing my brain about the story and searching out info on the Disney movie "Miracle of the White Stallions" that I was only reading in spurts. I am happy to tell you, however, that I not only enjoyed the book fully but found the movie streaming and flashed back to my childhood when I first saw it. Funny how memory is selective as about the only thing I recalled was how enchanted I was with the gorgeous horses and a scene on a train with bombs and mayhem. Equally funny that if memory serves, I was worried about the horses not the people involved. Ah, the innocence of youth.

In any case, I obviously recommend this book highly to both horse and history lovers. It definitely filled in the huge gaps in my knowledge of the real story and more. The photos of the horses and Spanish Riding School of the time were fascinating, as was learning more about the art of classical dressage. After opening with a quick look at the tense status of the horses and school's sheer survival as the war neared, the author takes time to provide us with background on Alois Podhajsky and the long history of the Lipizzner stallions and breed. i should also note that even before this the author has provided readers with not just a list of the personalities, but their positions/status (I was surprised to discover how many were actually in the German military) as well as listing the individual horses. There's also a glossary which includes terms used to describe the various airs above the ground the Lipizzners are so famous for. In other words, a great deal of thought has been put into organizing and assisting readers relatively new to the art. More sources at the end. Of course, the Virtual Field trips links included is what kept sending me off to find out more and more. I honestly didn't try all the links, of course, but will note that the ones I checked were up and working. A great add to a reader's experience.

Bottom line, while I won't detail the text, it was a 5 star for me. Others, less familiar with the story, may find themselves less interested in the history lesson and just want to find out what happened but it's easy to skip ahead without taking in all the background information. I'd suggest you read it in its entirety, however, to fully grasp what an amazing feat this was, one that involved not only US General George Patton but a host of others, not all of them on the same side of the conflict. They were all on the side of the horses, though, and worried what might happen if the stud farm wasn't relocated out of Czechoslovakia before the advancing Russian army took control. And, for those familiar with "Miracle of the White Stallions", yes, a demonstration was put on for Patton. Seeing a photo of the real Podhajsky, I must also note that Disney did an excellent job of casting and the real Podhajsky even appears briefly in the movie. So, rather than ramble on, let me simply thank #Scholastic for allowing me an early look at this book, one that I will surely be adding to my own "horse crazy girl" shelf as soon as it goes on sale.