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Brave Bess and the ANZAC Horses: A True Story of Courage and Loyalty
The true story of the courageous and loyal horses of World War One.
The jet-black mare galloped wildly across the scorching white sands, the guns and shells exploding around her with a deafening roar. Her master spurred her on, his legs tightly gripping her heaving sides. With foam-flecked lips and ears laid flat, she thundered on through the flying bullets and choking dust . . .
Every ANZAC Day we celebrate the brave soldiers who fought and died in World War One, but the story of the loyal horses who carried our troops in the desert war has remained untold until now. This is their story - and the story of Bess, one of only four horses to return to New Zealand.
Bess and her companions overcame their fear, standing by their masters in the battlefield, in harsh desert conditions. Brave Bess and the ANZAC Horses tells the tale of these valiant horses and the essential part they played in the war.
Susan Brocker lives with her husband and many pets, including horses, on a small farm near Tauranga. This is her third novel for New Zealand children, following Restless Spirit and the bestselling Saving Sam.
The jet-black mare galloped wildly across the scorching white sands, the guns and shells exploding around her with a deafening roar. Her master spurred her on, his legs tightly gripping her heaving sides. With foam-flecked lips and ears laid flat, she thundered on through the flying bullets and choking dust . . .
Every ANZAC Day we celebrate the brave soldiers who fought and died in World War One, but the story of the loyal horses who carried our troops in the desert war has remained untold until now. This is their story - and the story of Bess, one of only four horses to return to New Zealand.
Bess and her companions overcame their fear, standing by their masters in the battlefield, in harsh desert conditions. Brave Bess and the ANZAC Horses tells the tale of these valiant horses and the essential part they played in the war.
Susan Brocker lives with her husband and many pets, including horses, on a small farm near Tauranga. This is her third novel for New Zealand children, following Restless Spirit and the bestselling Saving Sam.
- GenresHorses
160 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2010
3 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
About the author
Susan Brocker
58 books14 followersSusan Brocker is the award-winning author of books for older children and teens. She lives in New Zealand on a small farm with her horses and many pets. Her close affinity and love of animals shines through in much of her writing. She also has a history degree and a great love of social history that is often reflected in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 8, 2018
This book affected me more than I had anticipated. It documents the journey of a horse called Bess during World War I, along with many other ANZAC horses and their riders (New Zealand sent over 10,000 horses over the course of the war. Four returned home, including Bess) through many battles, a lot of traveling in unforgiving and unfamiliar terrain, some light moments such as the shock the horses received when they first saw the camels, and of course, sadly, many casualties. When the war was done the Australian and New Zealand soldiers learned that they wouldn't be able to bring their horses back home due to quarantine rules and the shipping costs and shortages. Many horses were lucky and got passed on to British Armies. Other soldiers shot their horses so they wouldn't have to live in terrible conditions. This was especially sad given how closely they had bonded with their horses over the years, many feeling they owed their lived to their horses.
'They suffered wounds, thirst, hunger and weariness almost beyond endurance but never failed. They did not come home. We will never forget them.'
- From a bronze plaque on the gates of the Botanic Gardens in Sydney, honoring the horses that served.
Some extra notes in no particular order:
- Australia sent 130,000 horses. It is believed one, named Sandy, returned from the Middle East.
- In 1930, English woman Dorothy Brooke saw hundreds of starving horses being beaten and otherwise mistreated (as the men had feared). She learned most of these horses were ex-cavalry horses of the British, Australian and New Zealand forces. She brought this to public attention and through her Old War Horse Fund helped put a stop to much of this. She bought over 5000 of the horses.
This book is (I think) aimed at children, though it doesn't gloss over war or death. I think it would be ideal to read in primary school (or any age!). It would also be ideal as a book to help explain why we celebrate ANZAC day that might be more accessible to a child. I think I would have gotten a lot from this as a kid. It's easy to follow, explains a lot and is well written.
'They suffered wounds, thirst, hunger and weariness almost beyond endurance but never failed. They did not come home. We will never forget them.'
- From a bronze plaque on the gates of the Botanic Gardens in Sydney, honoring the horses that served.
Some extra notes in no particular order:
- Australia sent 130,000 horses. It is believed one, named Sandy, returned from the Middle East.
- In 1930, English woman Dorothy Brooke saw hundreds of starving horses being beaten and otherwise mistreated (as the men had feared). She learned most of these horses were ex-cavalry horses of the British, Australian and New Zealand forces. She brought this to public attention and through her Old War Horse Fund helped put a stop to much of this. She bought over 5000 of the horses.
This book is (I think) aimed at children, though it doesn't gloss over war or death. I think it would be ideal to read in primary school (or any age!). It would also be ideal as a book to help explain why we celebrate ANZAC day that might be more accessible to a child. I think I would have gotten a lot from this as a kid. It's easy to follow, explains a lot and is well written.
July 16, 2011
sad but lovely story
May 20, 2020
An easy read, great insights into life of kiwi horses that travelled to the middle east with the Anzacs during WW1
August 21, 2020
Book book on the horse that came back from war to New Zealand.
Read
May 23, 2022A fascinating, well-researched book about Bess, a New Zealand horse that served in WWI.
May 13, 2024
A lovely (but sad) read of the brave and trusting ANZAC horses in WW1.
April 12, 2017
As a kid, I was big into historical fiction, and this is just one of the many books that sat on my shelf. The author's note tells us that this is WWI written from a horse's point of view, and I just know kid me would love that. The problem is, this isn't really fiction. As a factual thing, it tells us a lot, it's just like she was trying to get the horse's pov thing and failing. I learned a lot, for sure, but it gets kind of distracting when every so often there's a few lines of a horse's thoughts. It really had to be one or the other, not both!
TBC
TBC
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews