White Stallion of Lipizza (Marguerite Henry's Classics) [Library Binding]

Marguerite Henry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1986 | Series: Marguerite Henry's Classics

Here is the story of young Hans Haupt and his rigorous apprenticeship and training at Vienna's Spanish Court Riding School, home of the famous Lipizzan stallions. Ms. Henry has artfully woven authentic details within this warm and sensitive tale. 104 illustrations.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

The magnificent Lipizzan stallions of Vienna come to life as never before in this exciting story by award-winning author, Marguerite Henry.

A young boy named Hans dreams of one day working with the famed stallions of Lipizza. But coming from a family of bakers, Hans is discouraged from ever becoming a rider. That is, until the day he is invited to watch the extraordinary Ballet of Lipizzaners -- from the Imperial Box! -- and his life is changed forever.

Marguerite Henry artfully weaves authentic details about the skillful training of both horse and rider, as she unfolds the story of Hans and his beloved Lipizzan stallion, Borina.

The brilliance of Hans's dazzling public performances and his devotion to the art of classical riding make this story uniquely rich in history and horsemanship -- a story to be treasured by horse lovers of all ages. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Library Binding
• Publisher: Childrens Pr (February 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0516097687
• ISBN-13: 978-0516097688
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,829,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Marguerite Henry is the beloved author of such classic horse stories as King of the Wind, Misty of Chincoteague, and Stormy: Misty's Foal, all of which are available in Aladdin paperback editions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Our Horses, Our Teachers, August 19, 2001

By 

Zeneve (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Stallion of Lipizza (Hardcover)

Ah, what can I say about such an important book in my life?

Hans is a poor boy who dreams of riding dressage with the Spanish Riding School of his native Vienna. He attains his goal through hard work and perseverance, by his own merit and against the odds. The book is beautifully written with a flowing narrative style, engaging for both adults and children. The illustrations are the best I have seen from Dennis, at times humorous, at times scholarly, and always precise.

I did my senior thesis on the birth of dressage in the Renaissance, but without this book I would never have even heard of Xenophon, or the passage, or known that the Ancient Greeks rode without stirrups. I illustrated it with my own copies of Wesley Dennis's drawings from this book.

Also highly recommended as horsey history, "Gaudenzia, Pride of the Palio" by the same writer/illustrator team.

If you would like to find out more about Classical dressage please check out Laura Camins's "Glorious Horsemen" and Walter Leitdke's "Royal Horse and Rider," both of which deal with the birth of dressage in the Renaissance according to modern scholarship, and by extension the noble equestrian ballets of which the Spanish Riding school is the last still extant. Did you know that the Louvre's great central courtyard was designed to accommodate horse ballets exactly like those in this book?

When I first read this book, when I was about seven years old, I owned a Lipizzan mare of my own. She was for me what Borina was to Hans, my schoolmaster. She was small and gray, with a wide girth, branded, and very long lived. She would do caprioles as we galloped through the field, I kid you not. Were it not for this book I would not have the words to describe her, to remember her like this, and so I am indebted Marguerite Henry.

To bring one spark of beauty into the world is worth a life's dedication, is it not? Certainly mine.

Read the book and you will understand.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it. Now., September 9, 2000

By 

lsk4psu "lsk4psu" (Palmerton, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Stallion of Lipizza (Hardcover)

If you have any doubts about purchasing this book, forget them and buy it now. I was given this book when I was a child (20 years ago) and it thrills to me to this day. Ms. Henry writes with such imagery that you find yourself caught up as Hans, the young boy who is captivated by the stallions. Not only is the writing terrific, but so is the artwork. This story is one of my all-time favorites.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent horse novel for 8-14 year old kids. Horsemanship., September 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: White Stallion of Lipizza (Paperback)

Wonderful story of a poor boy that is a son of a baker in Austria. He longs to see the Lippian horses perform their beautiful dressage ballet movements. He teaches his old cart mare to carry herself with pride and gets notice by the Spanish Riding School that trains the Lippizanners. He gets a job there doing exactly what he loves-riding for a living. This book teaches that hard work and passion for your work pays off. It also teaches that dreams can come true. It teaches horsemanship down to the smallest detail. I highly recommend this book. I can not believe that it is out of print-I wanted to carry on the tradition and buy it for my daughter now that we have a horse. Good Reading!