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Operation Cowboy: The Secret American Mission to Save the World's Most Beautiful Horses in the Last Days of World War II
A thrilling account of one of the strangest and most daring military operations in history.
In the final days of World War II, with the ravenous Red Army marching across Czechoslovakia, a wily band of American soldiers did the unexpected: they teamed up with the Nazis and went behind enemy lines to save the world’s rarest horses from imminent extinction at the hands of the Russians — including the exquisite white Lipizzaner, whose bloodlines date back to Genghis Khan. Based on personal interviews and new archival research, New York Times bestselling author Stephan Talty recreates in vivid detail the exhilarating rescue mission, led by unlikely heroes who just “wanted to do something beautiful.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephan Talty is the author of the best-selling Kindle Single “The Secret Agent,” as well as five acclaimed non-fiction books. The movie "Captain Phillips," with Tom Hanks, was based on his book with Richard Phillips. And Talty's next crime novel, “Hangman” (May 13), brings back the Harvard-educated detective Abbie Kearney.
Cover design by Adil Dara Kim.
In the final days of World War II, with the ravenous Red Army marching across Czechoslovakia, a wily band of American soldiers did the unexpected: they teamed up with the Nazis and went behind enemy lines to save the world’s rarest horses from imminent extinction at the hands of the Russians — including the exquisite white Lipizzaner, whose bloodlines date back to Genghis Khan. Based on personal interviews and new archival research, New York Times bestselling author Stephan Talty recreates in vivid detail the exhilarating rescue mission, led by unlikely heroes who just “wanted to do something beautiful.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephan Talty is the author of the best-selling Kindle Single “The Secret Agent,” as well as five acclaimed non-fiction books. The movie "Captain Phillips," with Tom Hanks, was based on his book with Richard Phillips. And Talty's next crime novel, “Hangman” (May 13), brings back the Harvard-educated detective Abbie Kearney.
Cover design by Adil Dara Kim.
70 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 3, 2014
232 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
About the author
Stephan Talty
35 books304 followersStephan Talty is the New York Times bestselling author of six acclaimed books of narrative nonfiction, as well as the Abbie Kearney crime novels. Originally from Buffalo, he now lives outside New York City.
Talty began as a widely-published journalist who has contributed to the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Men’s Journal, Time Out New York, Details, and many other publications. He is the author of the forthcoming thriller Hangman (the sequel to Black Irish), as well as Agent Garbo: The Brilliant, Eccentric Double Agent who Tricked Hitler and Saved D-Day (2012) and Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe that Ended the Outlaws Bloody Reign (2008).
His short e-book, The Secret Agent: In Search of America's Greatest World War II Spy was the best-selling Amazon Single of 2013.
Talty began as a widely-published journalist who has contributed to the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Men’s Journal, Time Out New York, Details, and many other publications. He is the author of the forthcoming thriller Hangman (the sequel to Black Irish), as well as Agent Garbo: The Brilliant, Eccentric Double Agent who Tricked Hitler and Saved D-Day (2012) and Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe that Ended the Outlaws Bloody Reign (2008).
His short e-book, The Secret Agent: In Search of America's Greatest World War II Spy was the best-selling Amazon Single of 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
January 10, 2019
Operation Cowboy is a story of the secret mission about the rescue of the Lipizzaners during the end of World War II. Hitler collected the last 250 Lipizzaner horses on Earth for his crazy experiments. Americans and Germans formed an alliance in a daring plan to rescue the horses and save them from extinction and get them out of the country. A horse loving Colonel was responsible for saving them. He and his men risked their lives in this endeavor. This is a true story of heroes and the horses and a very interesting read.
November 16, 2014
This nice Kindle Single relates the rescue of the Lipizzaners during the end of the Second World War. It is told in greater detail than the Lipizzaner books that I have read. Enjoyable. Also includes about the horrible inaccurate movie about the event done by Disney. Talty goes into detail about the background of the men involved, using it to shed insight on why they were willing to risk so much for horses.
April 26, 2014
As a history buff, I always like to read about those quirky "secret missions" during war time that no one ever hears about. This one, about the time Hitler collected 250 of the last Lipizzaner horses on Earth for his crazy experiments, and the American and Nazi troops who teamed up to rescue them and save them from extinction in the last days of World War II, was one of those stories. Absolutely a great read.
Read
August 20, 2014The subtitle pretty much says it all. It's a short piece, written in a journalistic style, peppered with interviews of some of the participants, as Americans and the Germans in charge of the Lippizaner horses work together in uneasy alliance in the last, weird days of WW II, to keep the horses from being slaughtered and eaten by the advancing Russian army.
March 13, 2018
A lesser known piece of history
It's these smaller stories, fraught with importance but largely forgotten in the face of larger events, that truly depict the human spirit. When WWII was coming to a close, pieces of history were endangered. One of which were the truly unique Lipizzaner horses. A horse loving Colonel was taksed with saving the lot of them, along with other prized bloodlines that included Arabians and Thoroughbreds. Risking their lives, Col Reed's men attempt the daring rescue. This is the true story of the heroes and the horses, as well as a mention of the versions of this story that made headlines in the past. It is breathtaking.
A great subject for Kindle Singles, the meat of the story is here and doesn't have time to get bogged down. It's a quick but thrilling read that stays focused on its subjects.
It's these smaller stories, fraught with importance but largely forgotten in the face of larger events, that truly depict the human spirit. When WWII was coming to a close, pieces of history were endangered. One of which were the truly unique Lipizzaner horses. A horse loving Colonel was taksed with saving the lot of them, along with other prized bloodlines that included Arabians and Thoroughbreds. Risking their lives, Col Reed's men attempt the daring rescue. This is the true story of the heroes and the horses, as well as a mention of the versions of this story that made headlines in the past. It is breathtaking.
A great subject for Kindle Singles, the meat of the story is here and doesn't have time to get bogged down. It's a quick but thrilling read that stays focused on its subjects.
January 17, 2018
Review
Enjoyed the book. Intriguing story of an operation I never knew about in our history. Worth the read in my opinion.
Enjoyed the book. Intriguing story of an operation I never knew about in our history. Worth the read in my opinion.
May 19, 2014
I had never heard the true story of the liberation of the Lipizzaners from Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. I had seen the horrific Disney version, The Miracle of the White Stallions and turned it off before it ended. I'm so happy to know that the movie wasn't just boring and stupid: it was so so so wrong. Walt Disney chose a more, well, "Disney" cast of characters--Austrian royalty vice gritty American GI's who risked everything for some horses. Call me crazy, but the latter story sounds more compelling and moving to me, especially since two men lost their lives in the mission. This was sort of a "Monuments Men" for equines.
The story is very short--barely a novella, or so it felt. It's a bit dry in places and the constant footnotes made it challenging to find a place to hit on the Kindle that would advance the story rather than bring up yet another note that seemed to add nothing. And yeah, I know you can swipe, but I'm not a swiper, so I'll just put that little issue (not the author's fault) out there for other tap-to-advance folks.
But on balance, this is a lost piece of WWII history and it held my interest the whole way through. Worth a read if you like WWII and/or horses (although to be honest, the horses don't really feature much other than being the object of the operation and that's why I'm not giving it five stars--I picked this up more for the horse part than the war part and was an eensy bit disappointed that there wasn't more time spent on them, but perhaps the oral histories (aka memories) weren't from people who really were horse folk, and I'm sure the documents spent more time on military matters than about the horsies ).
The story is very short--barely a novella, or so it felt. It's a bit dry in places and the constant footnotes made it challenging to find a place to hit on the Kindle that would advance the story rather than bring up yet another note that seemed to add nothing. And yeah, I know you can swipe, but I'm not a swiper, so I'll just put that little issue (not the author's fault) out there for other tap-to-advance folks.
But on balance, this is a lost piece of WWII history and it held my interest the whole way through. Worth a read if you like WWII and/or horses (although to be honest, the horses don't really feature much other than being the object of the operation and that's why I'm not giving it five stars--I picked this up more for the horse part than the war part and was an eensy bit disappointed that there wasn't more time spent on them, but perhaps the oral histories (aka memories) weren't from people who really were horse folk, and I'm sure the documents spent more time on military matters than about the horsies ).
April 19, 2014
4.5 stars. I've known for a long time about the rescue of the Lipizzaners by U.S. forces at the end of WWII, but here, finally, is a detailed and concise account of just how it happened, drawing on the personal accounts of those involved in the operation. I'd also known that the Disney film Miracle of the White Stallions (1963) presented a fictionalized version of the rescue (the film is briefly discussed near the end of Operation Cowboy), but you'll find that the true story is actually more complicated and suspenseful.
The only thing that made me wince a little was Talty's defining the capriole as "the airs above the ground," when anyone who knows Lipizzaners knows that it is merely one of a series of movements coming under that heading.
The only thing that made me wince a little was Talty's defining the capriole as "the airs above the ground," when anyone who knows Lipizzaners knows that it is merely one of a series of movements coming under that heading.
June 4, 2014
This was a quick read, but so fascinating. With all of the hopelessness of WWII, the joining together of enemy forces to save these beautiful horses seems unbelievable. I loved that the men involved explained it as needing to do something beautiful after all of the carnage.
March 9, 2020
Best book I read on vacation!
Well written account of the secret American mission to save the Lippizanner horses from the Soviets (who were planning on eating them!). Though there was a Disney movie about this mission, the movie did not tell the story fully or accurately. This book does tell the story fully and accurately, and the mission is even more remarkable than the Disney fantasy.
Who would have thought a group of American GIs along with a couple of dedicated vets could design and pull off such a mission? And thanks to their efforts, the magnificent horses are now enjoyed around the world.
Read this book. Learn this story and be proud of the American GIs and all they did to save one of the world's most precious treasures.
Well written account of the secret American mission to save the Lippizanner horses from the Soviets (who were planning on eating them!). Though there was a Disney movie about this mission, the movie did not tell the story fully or accurately. This book does tell the story fully and accurately, and the mission is even more remarkable than the Disney fantasy.
Who would have thought a group of American GIs along with a couple of dedicated vets could design and pull off such a mission? And thanks to their efforts, the magnificent horses are now enjoyed around the world.
Read this book. Learn this story and be proud of the American GIs and all they did to save one of the world's most precious treasures.
July 19, 2019
A well written short true story: of the secret mission to rescue the Lipizzaner horses from Czechoslovakia at the end of WWII. Hitler had collected the last 250 horses know on Earth for experiments. To keep the advancing Russian army from slaughtering and eating the beautiful horses, the Americans and Germans formed an alliance and drew up a daring plan to rescue them and get them out of the country. A horse loving Colonel was responsible for saving them as he risked the lives of his men and himself in the endeavor.
Again I will state this is a true story and written in a journalist style, with many interviews.
Well worth reading.
Again I will state this is a true story and written in a journalist style, with many interviews.
Well worth reading.
April 9, 2019
Wow! Thank you Stephan Talty for sharing this story from World War II. I saw the Lipizzaners perform when I was 12 or so. They were incredible, but I'd never have seen them if not for Operation Cowboy that saved the Lipizzaners. I did not know the price paid to keep the breed alive. Two American servicemen died in the operation to save the horses and this magical breed. I will be forever grateful for their sacrifice as are horse-lovers everywhere. The Disney movie - wrong. This book tells the real story. Thank you, again for preserving this important piece of history.
November 29, 2017
I never knew about the Nazis rounding up the Lippizaners to breed them as "the master race" of horses, nor that the allies launched an operation to rescue them days before the war ended. It was a very quick and good read - perfect for a short plane flight. 3 stars because it was good and interesting, but not longer, although I'm not sure how much longer such a quick mission could be told in. I got it for free as a Kindle promotion - actual cost is $2.99 which is appropriate.
September 22, 2019
Saving Lipanzzers
This is a true life story about saving the famous dancing white horses that were caught in the crossfire between the Russian, American, and German armies. It reads a little like a history book, but it is embellished with vivid descriptions of soldiers and horses.
This is a true life story about saving the famous dancing white horses that were caught in the crossfire between the Russian, American, and German armies. It reads a little like a history book, but it is embellished with vivid descriptions of soldiers and horses.
January 19, 2017
Love that two sides could come together to save these magnificent animals. I had seen the Disney movie, but there were some big factual errors in it.
May 31, 2017
2.5
Short, interesting, but not very memorable.
Short, interesting, but not very memorable.
January 5, 2018
War stories
A piece of history that isn’t well told/talked about. A quick and easy read with a happy ending. Horse people would like.
A piece of history that isn’t well told/talked about. A quick and easy read with a happy ending. Horse people would like.
January 2, 2019
Found as a FreeBooksy offer, it was an interesting read. It was a bit too clinical to really be exciting, but it WAS factual. I enjoyed it quite a lot.
January 3, 2019
Must read
Forgotten history of the humanity. Of US military during WWII. The story of how the famous white horses were saved from extinction
Forgotten history of the humanity. Of US military during WWII. The story of how the famous white horses were saved from extinction
January 25, 2019
Escape
Who knew about these horses and their great escape? What a great true story! l highly recommend this story of bravery and heroism in a time of war!
Who knew about these horses and their great escape? What a great true story! l highly recommend this story of bravery and heroism in a time of war!
March 7, 2020
Not nearly as good as his other works, short or long. There were a lot of other facts that were interesting, but that required copious reading before getting to the exciting exodus of the horses.
May 5, 2021
Never heard of this before
The mission was a surprise to me. The telling of the story is fascinating and scary. So much could have gone wrong.
The mission was a surprise to me. The telling of the story is fascinating and scary. So much could have gone wrong.
September 6, 2021
What a beautiful story. I had never heard of this event in history before and so glad that I read Operation Cowboy. This is a really great short read.
February 25, 2017
true story of the American's rescue of the Lippizaner horses at end of WWII
May 4, 2014
"Authentic Account of the Rescue of the Miracle Horses"
I was really pleased to read this well written, and well researched, short story of the rescue of hundreds of Lipizzaner horses near the end of World War II. I've previously read the account, also saw the movie Disney made in 1963, "Miracle of the White Stallions" with Robert Taylor. This author really is very thorough in taking us back to 1945 in Hostau, Czechoslovakia, 10 miles from Germany's eastern border where the horses were maintained on a huge horse farm. Back in 1938 parts of western Czechoslovakian lands were handed over to Germany, thus the town of Hostau was spared acts of war and enjoyed a peaceful life compared to the rest of Europe as the war raged. The horses most valued, the most beautiful and graceful on the farm, were the white Lipizzaners their ancestry going back to times of Genghis Khan. They were the emblems of royalty and monarchs and more valuable than some lesser known monarchs. The horses were never used in times of war, only perhaps used to pull regal carriages and to become the most classic dressage mounts. The horses themselves were trained for 10 or more years before they were allowed to appear at the Spanish Riding School in Austria. It was Hitler's goal to acquire every "dancing white horse" he could find. As Russian troops started to invade this area, the salvation of these horses became a joint effort between German and American military leaders. The Russian troops were known for their cruelty toward citizens, and the horses' only value would be to slaughter them and feed the troops. They couldn't care less for the beauty and value of these horses, and they would butcher them all. After word spread to American officials, a plan was devised to save the horses, the plan was called Operation Cowboy. The author has provided stunning historical facts and his story is well worth the read. I certainly learned a lot more than what I remember from my previous readings. Highly recommend.
I was really pleased to read this well written, and well researched, short story of the rescue of hundreds of Lipizzaner horses near the end of World War II. I've previously read the account, also saw the movie Disney made in 1963, "Miracle of the White Stallions" with Robert Taylor. This author really is very thorough in taking us back to 1945 in Hostau, Czechoslovakia, 10 miles from Germany's eastern border where the horses were maintained on a huge horse farm. Back in 1938 parts of western Czechoslovakian lands were handed over to Germany, thus the town of Hostau was spared acts of war and enjoyed a peaceful life compared to the rest of Europe as the war raged. The horses most valued, the most beautiful and graceful on the farm, were the white Lipizzaners their ancestry going back to times of Genghis Khan. They were the emblems of royalty and monarchs and more valuable than some lesser known monarchs. The horses were never used in times of war, only perhaps used to pull regal carriages and to become the most classic dressage mounts. The horses themselves were trained for 10 or more years before they were allowed to appear at the Spanish Riding School in Austria. It was Hitler's goal to acquire every "dancing white horse" he could find. As Russian troops started to invade this area, the salvation of these horses became a joint effort between German and American military leaders. The Russian troops were known for their cruelty toward citizens, and the horses' only value would be to slaughter them and feed the troops. They couldn't care less for the beauty and value of these horses, and they would butcher them all. After word spread to American officials, a plan was devised to save the horses, the plan was called Operation Cowboy. The author has provided stunning historical facts and his story is well worth the read. I certainly learned a lot more than what I remember from my previous readings. Highly recommend.
February 4, 2019
Great book. Enjoy the knowledge of knowing how all the Lipizzans stallions were imported into the United States.
During World War I, the Lipizzans were almost annihilated. At the end of the war in 1919, the survivors were divided between Italy and Austria. There were only 208 Lipizzans known to be left in existence. Italy received 109 horses for its stud farm and Austria received 98 horses for its stud farm in Piber.
Once again during World War II, the Lipizzans' existence was threatened and the breeding herd was taken to Hostau, Czechoslovakia. However, in the closing days of the war, Hostau laid directly in the path of the rapidly approaching Russian army. In order to protect the horses from certain destruction, U.S. General George Patton, an avid horseman, "ordered" the Second Cavalry division behind enemy lines and provided protection for the Lipizzan horses. Patton’s unprecedented action is credited with saving the breed. It was not until 1955 that the performance stallions returned to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Because of the US soldiers valiant efforts, they were allowed to bring several stallions to the United States.
I want to make a trip up to Temple Farms in Wadsworth Illinois. It is a Lipizzans breeding farm that also hosts stallion performances weekly. I loved going there as a kid.
During World War I, the Lipizzans were almost annihilated. At the end of the war in 1919, the survivors were divided between Italy and Austria. There were only 208 Lipizzans known to be left in existence. Italy received 109 horses for its stud farm and Austria received 98 horses for its stud farm in Piber.
Once again during World War II, the Lipizzans' existence was threatened and the breeding herd was taken to Hostau, Czechoslovakia. However, in the closing days of the war, Hostau laid directly in the path of the rapidly approaching Russian army. In order to protect the horses from certain destruction, U.S. General George Patton, an avid horseman, "ordered" the Second Cavalry division behind enemy lines and provided protection for the Lipizzan horses. Patton’s unprecedented action is credited with saving the breed. It was not until 1955 that the performance stallions returned to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Because of the US soldiers valiant efforts, they were allowed to bring several stallions to the United States.
I want to make a trip up to Temple Farms in Wadsworth Illinois. It is a Lipizzans breeding farm that also hosts stallion performances weekly. I loved going there as a kid.
February 13, 2017
Great story and great horses
It was a noble deed during a difficult and dangerous time. A true story of humanity at its best amid one of humanities darkest times.
It was a noble deed during a difficult and dangerous time. A true story of humanity at its best amid one of humanities darkest times.
January 15, 2017
Somehow, in all of my reading about World War II, I had never heard of Operation Cowboy, and it's just the sort of obscure thing I would have expected to come across. At any rate, the title says it all: Operation Cowboy was a mission to save the Lippizaner horses the Nazis had gathered at a farm in Czechoslovakia. The worry was that if they couldn't get the horses out before Russian troops arrived from the east, the Russians would eat the horses. The story details the negotiations to remove the horses, the worry about getting past German SS troops in the area, and more. My only complaint is that the book felt very short. I mean, I don't want a lot of unnecessary detail, but it would have been great to have a bit more detail. Still, I'm glad to have read the account.
December 11, 2014
3.5/5 Stars
*Talty is one of my favorite new authors. His "standard" quality of writing was present in this book.
On that note:
* Excellent story, but somewhat discombobulated in its writing. I find this frequently with authors who traditionally write full length novels and then switch to a "novella/short story" based format.
* Aspects of the story were almost overwritten with extensive dialog while some aspects were "glossed" over.
* I really wish he would have written a full length novel versus the 70 pages that it was. The storyline could have carried it and this author could have brought it the justice and beauty it deserved.
*Talty is one of my favorite new authors. His "standard" quality of writing was present in this book.
On that note:
* Excellent story, but somewhat discombobulated in its writing. I find this frequently with authors who traditionally write full length novels and then switch to a "novella/short story" based format.
* Aspects of the story were almost overwritten with extensive dialog while some aspects were "glossed" over.
* I really wish he would have written a full length novel versus the 70 pages that it was. The storyline could have carried it and this author could have brought it the justice and beauty it deserved.
April 28, 2014
Most definitely a thrilling and interesting read, however it was too short and I feel that the author could have gone into greater detail in different areas of the story such as the importance of the Lippizzaner stallions/mares, their origins, their training, and their performances. Also, he could have gone into greater detail in the lives of the heoric men on both sides of the war who struggled to save these priceless equine treasures. Futhermore, i paid too much in the kindle store, 2.99 for a very short book only for it be offered a dollar less the next week.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews