Casimir Pulaski: Soldier on Horseback

As author David R. Collins traveled around Illinois, librarians and teachers everywhere begged him to write a book about noble Polish patriot Casimir Pulaski. The teachers complained that there was a Pulaski state holiday, as well as Pulaski towns, schools, and streets across the country, yet few students know who he was or what he did.

Casimir lived a short but active life--he was only fifteen when he took on Russian troops that attempted to conquer his homeland in the mid-1700s. When the invasion of Poland became inevitable several years later, he went to America to help the Colonists fight for their freedom from the dominating British monarchy. Young Casimir helped develop new cavalry units and fighting techniques, and eventually was recognized as one of the most important officers of the American Revolution. George Washington once said that Casimir was a true hero because he indiscriminately risked his life in the name of democracy. This biographical account of a young man's struggle for freedom and liberty for all people is an admirable example of the democratic spirit.