World War II Close Up

September 15, 2024
Grades 4-7 Before WWII, the director of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria, was keenly aware that their carefully bred, beautifully trained, performing Lipizzaner stallions might not survive the impending German invasion. He sent the horses to distant locations for their protection. When the war was coming to an end, hostile retreating forces still posed a threat. United by their love and respect for the Lipizzaner stallions, individuals from different countries did what they could to save them. General Patton, a former Olympic equestrian, was supportive. An American Army captain, along with a German veterinarian, successfully negotiated with a German general to spare the horses, allowing their safe return to Vienna. Well-captioned period photos offer a fuller understanding of the people, places, and animals mentioned in the text. The pictures are particularly helpful in understanding the challenging feats that have made the Lipizzaner horses famous. The book closes with a lively report from Candace Fleming on a 2022 Lipizzaner performance in Vienna. An informative, very readable addition to the World War II Close Up series.

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September 6, 2024

Gr 3-7-The famous gray Lipizzaner stallions were bred for the Hapsburg monarchy in the 16th century and have long been associated with the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Lesser known is the army mission to save them from near-certain destruction in the final days of the World War II. The narrative hinges on the career of Alois Podhajsky, an army officer who had grown up with a cavalry officer father in the last days of the Austro-Hungarian empire and had been wounded in WWI. After the war, serving in the new Austrian army, Podhajsky was asked by a superior to learn dressage, the elaborate training and performance for which Lipizzaners are famous. After a successful showing in the 1936 Olympic dressage competition, Podhajsky became chief of the glamorous Vienna stable. The latter part of the story is focused on Operation Cowboy, a secret mission carried out in the chaos at the end of the war, with tacit support from General George Patton, to secure horses from the advancing Soviet army. Numerous contemporary and historical photos illustrate the beautiful horses and their context. With an abundance of front matter, the narrative doesn't begin until more than 30 pages into the book, a deterrent for some readers. Back matter is superb, with extensive source notations. Virtual field trips available at suggested websites show, for example, a modern dressage competition. VERDICT This comprehensive book will hold greater appeal for horse-lovers, more than fans of WWII nonfiction. An additional purchase.-Bob Hassett

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Starred review from October 1, 2024
A multilayered account of the effort to save the Lipizzaner horses of Vienna during World War II. The famed Spanish Riding School of Vienna was named after the Spanish ancestors of the Lipizzaner breed. The beautiful white horses perform the intricate, difficult, balletic movements of dressage, an intensive riding discipline in which rider and horse must be in perfect communication and that takes years to master. But when the Second World War broke out, the horses--and, indeed, the existence of the then nearly 400-year-old school itself--were in danger. After the Germans annexed Austria, and the Allies subsequently began bombing Vienna, the riding school's director, Alois Podhajsky, knew that their days were numbered and that he had to get the beloved horses to safety. While the gripping story of the race to save the horses through Operation Cowboy is the main storyline, this narrative goes much further, providing background on the fascinating Podhajsky, the horrific oppression and murder of Jews and other marginalized people, and the roles of Black GIs and members of the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in the war zone. "Virtual field trips" throughout the book expand readers' experiences; Hopkinson wisely advises: "If a link doesn't work, please use it as an opportunity to practice your research skills. Need help with a search? Ask a librarian--that's what I do." Exquisite black-and-white photos enrich the text. This riveting account will hold readers spellbound. (author's note, cast list, glossary, timeline, bibliography, source notes, picture credits, index)(Nonfiction. 8-13)

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