Average Rating: 
Rating: - A great book about a game little horse
Seabiscuit was a descendant of Man o War. He didn't inherit any of his famous beauty and bad temper, but he definitely inherited his speed. He wasn't a pretty horse, in fact people apparently often mistook him for a cowpony, but under the care of trainer Tom Smith, ownership of Mr. Howard, and ridden by Red Pollard, the homely little horse became a legend.
Ms. Hillenbrand brings you to the racetracks of the twenties and thirties. You see racing through the eyes of the trainers and jockeys of the time. You can almost smell the horses! Her descriptions of the conditions that the jockeys and horses had to deal with were vivid, and at times horrific. But most of all, this is the story of Seabiscuit, and his love of racing. All of his quirks, and he had quite a few, are described lovingly. I now understand why he was so popular that he was mentioned in the press more times than the president. This is a must read.
Rating: - All of which are american dreams
I immediataly became hooked on this book! The first few pages were a little slow, but once i got passed that I was unable to put the book down! This is a Cinderella story in which four creatures, united for a brief period of time (1936-47), spark the imagination of an entire country. Hillenbrand combines the horse's biography with a social history of 1930s and 1940s America and incisive portraits of the team around Seabiscuit. Charlie Howard, a car dealer, bought the crooked-legged, scruffy little horse; Tom Smith, a man who rarely spoke to people but who communicated perfectly with horses, became its trainer; and Red Pollard, a half-blind jockey, rode Seabiscuit to fame. Hillenbrand's extensive research compares favorably with that of Alexander MacKay-Smith's in Speed and the Thoroughbred (Derrydale, 2000). This story of trust, optimism, and perseverance in overcoming obstacles. I highly recommend Seabiscut, An American Ledgend. Big Truck
Rating: - The most engrossing book I have read in 5 years
Let me say a few things up front: I have never set foot on a racetrack, I have watched the Kentucky Derby maybe twice on TV and I have little interest in jockeys, horse trainers or horses in general. For those who think this is a book about a racehorse, think again. It is a wonderful, descriptive work about the underdog, about triumph over adversity, about personality in animals and, most importantly, about a rarely discussed slice of America.With a keen sportswriters eye toward detail as well as broader context, Ms. Hillenbrand has written a vivid description of an amazing animal, the three men around him and an era in American sports and history. Seabiscuit was a fascinating creature, not only for his deceptive power but for his playful, competitive nature. Ms. Hillenbrand helps us understand this horse as a person - a person you instinctively root for. His owner, a self-made success in the automobile industry, displays concern for the horse as if it were a child. Seabiscuit's trainer embodied the western spirit and had an uncanny bond with the horse - he was a real-life horse whisperer. Finally, the harrowing, rough and tumble life of a jockey during the 1930's is painted here with unsympathetic accuracy, as we learn about the trials of Red Pollard. Seabiscuit was the hub of these three lives and their extraordinary accomplishment on the racetrack. The book builds toward two climaxes - the match race against War Admiral (which Ms. Hillenbrand desribes in such wonderful detail) and the ever elusive Santa Anita Handicap. Although historical, the book has a novel-like suspense that keeps the uninformed reader rapt and engrossed. This book, which describes the regional split between east and west coast race horses, really describes the potential and scrappy nature of the American west. Thank you, Ms. Hillenbrand, for such a terrific read.
|
