They Called Her Reckless: A True Story of War, Love And One Extraordinary Horse

by Janet Barrett

A small Korean pony, Reckless was acquired by some U.S. Marines during the Korean War to haul ammunition to the front lines -- and, in short order, became the real-life warhorse of the Marine Fifth Regiment. It is an incredible story of a Jeju pony and her buddies, forging a bond that enabled her to give so much more than anyone ever expected, and her Marines to return a love that continues to this day. The memories of many of those who knew her in wartime and thereafter, and 14 pages of photos, will underscore why Sergeant Reckless is honored still.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Horses, Animals, Biography, War

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Ryan Jo Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear historical account of a remarkable horse and the Marines who loved her. Her willingness to serve, as told by the men who lived with her, will make you appreciate what Reckless and her Marines accomplished. This is a great story of a little mare--a real warmare-- who literally was responsible for saving the lives of countless men while in Korea. Her story needed to be told and Janet Barrett did a fine job!

[Becky Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some call the Korean War the Forgotten War but this story brings honor to those who fought, both human and horse. I learned so much about the war through this story about the little horse and her marine buddies. This story is a great read if you like history, horses, adventure, a happy ending or a hundred other reasons. I was motivated to read this book by two of my students who researched Reckless for their National History Day project. I'm so glad I did.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed in story as I thought the book was going to tell the story of Reckless.It was more about the war.

[Jeffrey Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering that Andrew Geer's book about Sergeant Reckless was the lone authority on the famed war horse for many years, Barrett does a great job in making this a more personable tale of Marines and their horse. She points out the areas of Geer's book that she believes to be false (mainly the entire narrative of the horse's backstory), and fills in some gaps that Geer left out. From that perspective, I thought Barrett's work to be exceptional.

However, at 178 double-spaced pages, it runs a little thin. Looking at the bibliography, she has interviews with 61 people who personally knew the famed horse. That tells me that she either left a lot of great information on the cutting room floor, or didn't ask the right questions to get the better stories. With as many rich sources as she had, the length should have been much greater with more fabulous stories about America's favorite warhorse.

Four stars - five stars for the quality of the writing with one star deducted for being too brief. Still an important read for Korean War and Marine Corps history readers.

[Diane Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read a lot of stories about war...but I do enjoy reading about love and horses! Found this at a library book sale & learned it was by an author from my state AND had been designed by a local couple. At the end, I learned that it had also been printed in state by a company using wind power! Bonus points for that. Anyway, most of what I knew about the Korean War prior to reading this came from watching M*A*S*H on TV...so not very much. This book provides an education about the war, about indigenous horses in Korea, and about the Marines. And presents it in a conversational style that makes it an easy read. Now I want to go to the Marine Museum in VA and see the statue of Reckless!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable story about a remarkable Korean horse (pony?) who served in the Korean War and helped the Marines carry large ammunition saving the men from doing that. Very brave animal who became friends with the unit, poking her head into their tents, eating their food, loved beer and sweets. Her bravery helped the men too.
She went back to Camp Pendleton to live out her life.
There is a statute of her at Quantico, the Marine museum.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the first book I have read about Staff Sergeant Reckless. I will say that this one seemed much more personal in tone. It was not written as just a factual account but gave many more personal anecdotes about her, which I found much more enjoyable to read.

[Joe Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reckless, the wonder horse

No, the book is about a horse in her Marines. It keeps you interested and wanting to know more about this amazing horse. I met reckless on Camp Pendleton in 1965 only knew a little bit about her, but this book brings her alive.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Informational and written well.

[Andy Plonka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different type of horse in the Korean War. Restless is a combination of horse , mascot, and friend.

[Nell Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love horses and my uncle was in Korea so this story was interesting on two fronts.

[Elyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heart-warming story. I like that the author didn't apply human emotions to Reckless the horse. She described what made Reckless special using horse psychology i.e. her attachment to her Marines as a substitute for her herd.

I knew part of the story before I read this book but I didn't realize Reckless delivered ammunition up and down the mountains by herself with no human lead. That truly was amazing. The author did a splendid job weaving in the history of the Marines and the Korean War with the main story of Reckless' military career. Ms. Barrett filled a lot of gaps I had in my knowledge of Korean War history.

[Ryan Jo Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical accounting of a remarkable horse and the Marines who loved her. Her willingness to serve, as told by the men who knew her best and lived with her, is nothing short of amazing. This is a moving story of a little mare--a true war mare--who literally was responsible for saving countless lives during the Korean War. Janet Barrett's novel will have you rethinking what you thought you knew about history's story. Pages of photos are an added plus to add a personal and very real touch to the lives contained within.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is very well written and researched going into great detail about this little warhorse. my only objection is that in the middle of a narrative the author would break off to give a full back story on a person or place. while it was all great information it made it difficult for me to stay involved with the book. for anyone who likes war history or stories about famous horses I would recommend this read.

[Bob Caroti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book ... story I had never heard of a horse in South Korea during that conflict and the affection and love between the Marines and her during battle and lulls made for an entertaining read. Also got some Korean War history, Marine history and other horse history and the author obviously did her homework before writing this. Nice Job and worth a read!