Sgt. Reckless

Get in the xigxag app
This book is not purchasable in your country. Please select another book.
Pre-order Buy Now £{{ price }}
How does xigxag pricing work?

Listen to a sample

What to expect

This is the complete and captivating account of how a would-be Korean racehorse became one of the greatest Marine Corps wartime heroes.

Amid an inferno of explosives on a deadly minefield in the Korean War, a four-legged marine proved to be a heroic force of nature. She moved headstrong up and down steep, smoky terrain that no man could travail confidently. In a single day, this small Mongolian mare made fifty-one round-trips carrying nearly five tons of explosives to various gun sites. Sergeant Reckless was her name, and she was the horse renowned for carrying wounded soldiers off the battlefield and making solo trips across combat zones to deliver supplies.

A widely celebrated national hero, Reckless was first featured in 1954 in the Saturday Evening Post and in 1997 when Life magazine published an edition lauding history's one hundred all-time heroes. Equine enthusiast Robin Hutton learned about Sergeant Reckless and spearheaded the effort to commission a monument at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia, near the Marine Corps Base Quantico. In July of 2013, the statue was unveiled. A second monument is planned for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California, where Reckless lived out her days and is buried.

Hutton has now written a fascinating full biography of Sergeant Reckless, who earned two Purple Hearts for her heroic efforts, among other military decorations. Hutton has spoken with the marines who fought alongside Reckless and tells the complete and captivating tale of how a would-be Korean racehorse became one of the greatest Marine Corps wartime heroes. Sgt. Reckless brings the legend back to life more than half a century later.

Critics Review

  • “Robin Hutton has written the preeminent book on Reckless and her heroics.”

    General Walter E. Boomer, USMC (ret.), Marine commanding general in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

  • “Animals have been used in war for
    thousands of years, but few US military animals attained the notoriety of
    Reckless, a sorrel mare small for her size that joined the Marines during the
    Korean War and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant…Once home, news of her
    promotion to Staff Sergeant quickly spread, though that notoriety has since
    faded. Author Hutton aims to correct that, having spent over eight years
    researching the remarkable story of Reckless…Stories of fellow soldiers litter the book, backing up claims of
    her bravery and playful personality (not to mention her love of food and beer).
    Hutton’s passion and admiration for her subject (she also heads an effort to
    create a monument to Reckless) shines through in this sparkling and engaging
    portrait of a most remarkable and courageous animal.”

    Publishers Weekly (starred review)

More from the same

Author

Narrator

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up to get tailored content recommendations, product updates and info on new releases. Your data is your own: we commit to protect your data and respect your privacy.