I will admit, this one took a while for me to get into, and it never became un-put-downable for me. I usually read multiple books at a time, and this one was never the first one I'd pick up when I sat down.
However, I definitely wouldn't say it was boring. The book has a lot of interesting history about the Lipizzaner and Arabian breeds and horse breeding in general. If you're not already familiar with the Lipizzaners, there are a lot of good YouTube videos of them in action that you may want to check out to help give you an appreciation of these horses.
As an animal lover, and someone who spent time around horses growing up, it was certainly heart wrenching to read about what the horses went through during WWII, and it was also a part of the war I've never really heard discussed, so it was interesting from that angle alone. And, if you're interested in horses, the history of the breeds is also pretty fascinating. There was also a healthy dose of military history in here, particularly with regard to the move away from use of horses in the cavalry, that I found interesting and I think would probably intrigue military buffs out there.
What was also interesting, at least to me, were the lengths that some of the men discussed in the book were willing to go to protect these horses, including in some cases risking their lives. It also reminds the reader that no matter how strongly we disagree, sometimes it's necessary and worthwhile to set aside differences for a greater cause.
Overall, while this may not be my favorite book I've read so far this year, it was well worth reading and I can recommend it to anyone interested in horses, military history, or WWII.
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