Have you heard of Casimir Pulaski?  I hadn’t.  He’s one of those little-known heroes of history; we learned about him by reading his story in a children’s book called Hero on Horseback.

Casimir Pulaski was a Polish man who grew to be a great cavalryman and trained others as cavalrymen.  He did this first in his native Poland.  Later in life, after having been falsely accused of a crime, he fled his own country, ultimately coming to America to train our troops to defend against the British on horseback during the American Revolution.

There are some interesting bits of detail included about his early life that help the reader see him as a person, rather than simply an historical figure.

Obviously, the book is an interesting adjunct to a study of the American Revolution.  It would be useful, too, in a family history study if you have Polish ancestry.  It’s also a perfect example of someone’s unique skills/abilities being used to accomplish great things and overcome an apparent flaw.  Use the story to teach your children to use what God has given them!

Disclosure: The publisher provided a copy of the book to facilitate this review.  As always, all opinions expressed here are my own (and those of my family).