WORLD WAR II CLOSE UP

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.