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Search - Seabiscuit
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Seabiscuit Author: |
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Book Information
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Other Versions of this Book: Audio Cassette, Paperback, Audio CD (Abridged), Hardcover, Hardcover
Book Description:
Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit's fortunes:
Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon.
Author Laura Hillenbrand brilliantly re-creates a universal underdog story, one that proves life is a horse race.
Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon.
Author Laura Hillenbrand brilliantly re-creates a universal underdog story, one that proves life is a horse race.
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Top Member Book Reviews
Patsy A. S. (
5 member(s) found this review helpful.
I don't especially like horses, don't know anything about horses or horse racing, but this was one of the best books I read in 2006!
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
It's been awhile since I read Seabiscuit, but I remember being struck with this: The author researched, wrote, and edited the book while confined to her tiny Wash.D.C. apt.while afflicted w/some kind of chronic fatigue syndrome. She literally had to drag herself across the floor at times to do her work. Juxtapose this with the story of a horse who had practically risen from the dead and beaten all odds, a horse who represented "every man" during the dark days of the nation's depression and beat out all the thoroughbreds, a horse who just wouldn't quit no matter how bleak things got...and you've got one heck of a story. This book drew me in right from the beginning and didn't let go. I grew up riding horses but realized I didn't know didley. I learned a whole lot about horses, jockeys, the race track set, circuit, and way of life that I had no idea existed. Great book.
Janis K. (
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
"Seabiscuit" is a compelling story about a connection between a horse, his jockey, and the entire nation. Laura Hillenbrand's narrative contains the best of everything that makes any book, great: a touching storyline about a remarkably determined horse with as much of a personality as his fiery, red-headed jockey; a collection of fascinating and horrifying details of horse racing that blend right into the story and are just as captivating as the plot itself; and grand descriptions of Seabiscuit's worst and finest hours on the racetrack that transport any reader from the sofa to a front row seat on the metal bleachers of Santa Anita. Simply put, this book is a masterpiece.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
For a non-fiction book, this one reads like a novel. Very engrossing. I throughly enjoyed reading about Seabiscuit.
3 member(s) found this review helpful.
Love....Love..... Love... this book and story. I did not want it to end. What an amazing little horse!
Jan K. (
2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Great book! The author takes you through each race and you feel as though you are right on top of the horse. The story of the men involved make this an exciting and inspiring read.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is not the type of book that I normally read but it was recommended to me by my brother. I was truly impressed by the research and presentation of this book. It drew me in and I felt like I was part of the story. I felt that this was an excellent book and didn't want it to end. I would recommend it to anyone regardless of what type of book you "normally" read. A truly good read.
Mg N. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
This is so much better written than 90% or more of today's books. It is really beautiful even if you know the whole horse, jockey, trainer, and owner story. I feel it is a must-read. I could not believe how beautifully it was written. It is the classic page turner.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Very beautiful, moving story about one larger than life little horse. The author does an excellent job of really bringing you into the story, you will definitely empathize with the people involved in bringing this horse into his star role.
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
I read the book first and then watched the movie. While the movie was awesome, the book was even better! Isn't that always the way it is? Enjoy!
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Please Rate these Book Reviews
He was a cultural icon. A world-class athlete. A champion who triumphed over terrible handicaps to become a legend of the racetrack. No other racehorse has rivaled Seabiscuit's fame or his sway over the nation's imagination. This spellbinding story of this marvelous animal, the world he lived in, and the men who staked their lives and fortunes on his dazzling career. A riveting tale of grit, grace, luck, and an underdog's stubborn determination, Seabiscuit is an American classic.
Great story about a race horse. It will make you cheer and cry.
I have not seen the movie yet, so I'm not sure how the 2 compare, but I thought the book was great. It's very descriptive about horse racing, but still stays very interesting. I would for sure reccommend it!
Ammie H. (I love this book. Anyone who loves horses will too. I cried so hard I had to put the book down. The relationship between the jockey and Seabiscuit is heart wrenching. So sad but a great look into the world or horse racing.
Katherine R. (The story of the underdog's triumph: the racehorse Seabiscuit who became a legend.
Fantastic book, one of the best I've read of a true, larger than life story of a horse.
Read All Book Reviews of "Seabiscuit"
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