Rarest Kind of Best

GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1975

Horses in Battle

by Victor Ambrus

Oxford, 1975

39 pp.

Age: 10+

Interests: nonfiction, history, horses, war, knights

Also by this author: The Three Poor Tailors, Mishka, Drawing Animals, Drawing on Archaeology

A comprehensive history of the horse as used in warfare, from the Romans and the Huns to Agincourt, the Napoleonic Wars, the Plains Indians, Crimean War and final ignoble end in the Franco-Prussian War and WWI. This is a beautiful and vivid work, pulling no punches about the gruesome practices of soldiers through the centuries. The illustrations are powerful, full of action and pathos. The text, historical details and descriptions are fascinating and grim.

Obviously for older readers*, this book should delight anyone interested in the history of warfare, and famous battles. A great book for anyone interested in the subject after reading The War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (or seeing the movie or play).

Inexplicably this book is currently out of print, so you’ll have to hunt for it in your local library.

* Age 10 and up is only a guess on my part. The text is at pretty much an adult level, though it is also straightforward, simple, and dramatic enough to interest pre-teens.

(Used copies available via amazon.com)