Rating: 
Summary: A Must-Read!
Review: Hillenbrand's book alternates smoothly among the histories of the main protagonists and their friends and foes on and off the track, an insider's dark view of thoroughbred racing at the time, the astonishingly intimate relationship between true horseman and horse, and Seabiscuit's progression of races. But what makes her book stand out for all audiences is its fascinating glimpse into the American social and psychological landscape during the Depression years - a country hungry for escape from the dreary everyday news about unemployment and business failures, and longing for heroes. Seabiscuit, made larger than life by wild newspaper accounts and hysterical live radio broadcasts of his races, achieved such cult status that he drew tens of thousands of fans to workouts, not to mention races. This book is a must-read! Also recommended: THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book!
Review: Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit is an outstanding work. I've read it twice, and was enthralled each time. I recommend this book to anyone interested in American history, or horse racing, or cultural fads, or sports, or anything else. Laura's research is excellent, her writing style flawless, and her storytelling compelling. Unlike so many celebrity books that are famous or popular for all the wrong reasons, this book is a best seller for a good reason. A very good book!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I saw the movie and liked it so much I purchased the book. I was expecting to be a bit disappointed because I saw the movie first, but the book goes into so much more detail. The annecdotes of Seabiscuit and the other characters was so enjoyable to read about I was usually reading this book smiling to myself. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, young or old.
Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: I read the book on vacation while my husband watched Baseball games and Football previews. I had to share half the book with him during commercials! He got so interested he read it cover to cover in one night! We are both looking forward to seeing the movie, and are glad we took the time to read the book. Good heart warming story, and deatils to let you in on some secrets!
Rating:
Summary: Seabiscuit a runaway sucess!
Review: Laura has managed to capture a bit of history just before it was lost to us. If she hadn't started the book when she did, no one who knew the participants in this grand drama would have been around to tell us the inside story and what story it is. Hollywood did a pretty good job with translating it to film but as usual the book is a lot better.One can only hope that the healing nature of Seabiscuit's spirit can transform space and time to heal Ms. Hillenbrand. Of course if she had been healthy all those years she may not have spent all that time writing articles for those horse magazines and not discovered the basics of the story. Still a highly recommended read. You may have thought of the '30s as all soup kitchens and Hoverville's but horse racing really got going here in America and Seabiscuit led the champs.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful historical tale . . .
Review: I have no interest in horses. I rarely read non-fiction that is not work related. This book, however, is such a wonderful and well-written history that I will have to read it again. The well-worn phrase that "history comes alive" in her prose sounds trite, but it is definitely true. Give yourself a treat and settle in for this book. Even if it's not your type of read, you won't be disappointed. (AND SKIP THE MOVIE!!!!!)
Rating:
Summary: Unlikely Champions that Capture Your Imagination and Heart
Review: Seabiscuit is an amazing, captivating read! Hillenbrand's writing style is a pleasure to read and enables the reader to easily visualize the people, horses, and settings. The real story of Seabiscuit is more exciting than anything that the movie moguls could capture on screen. The struggles of the one-eyed, alcoholic jockey seem insurmountable, and yet he perseveres, seeming to realize his destiny and Seabiscuit's are one. The struggles of Seabiscuit himself are amazing, especially considering all the time the old, silent trainer spent trying to figure him out and trying creative solutions to hone the too-small Seabiscuit into a marvel of horseflesh. I found the description of the jockey's world partly amusing, partly horrifying -- I now feel an enormous amount of respect for these tremendous and under appreciated athletes. I was surprised that Hillenbrand was able to capture the feelings of racing in addition to the descriptive passages of the sights and sounds. Her race descriptions were so vivid and entertaining, I found myself returning to certain passges in the book several times. I highly recommend this book. I've read it three times cover to cover and certain chapters -- like the race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral -- dozens of times. Like any good tale it has highs and lows for the characters, but it is an entertaining book that gives inspiration and hope to all of us underdogs in the world.
Rating: 
Summary: Ain't Too Lame ...
Review: This book presents a colorful personal history of a somewhat forgotten race horse. The initial threads of the story are meticulously woven -- the first two or three furlongs seem to be a slow-going jockeying for position (or perhaps, the loading into the gate?), whereby authoress Laura Hillenbrand chronicles the lives of the three principal non-equine characters -- owner Charles Howard, trainer Tom Smith, and jockey/boxer Red Pollard -- before their lives became totally roped around the success of their beloved thoroughbred -- Seabiscuit. Once down the backstretch, the telling of the tale picks up pace, with a freshly-told recalling of probably every race this champion horse has ever run. Around the final turn, the storyline becomes climatic, stretching to the wire for a triumphant finish. To some, the concept of an underdog horse overcoming adversity to eventually end up in the winner's circle might seem a bit lame. But as we learn from Hillenbrand's sound and stable research, Seabiscuit could gamely overcome almost any obstacle, including lameness, to be the American legend that he truly was. And if you're too lame to read the book, at least go see the movie ...
Rating:
Summary: The best treat my brain has had in a while
Review: Laura Hillenbrand had a daunting task in front of her in writing this book. Horse racing no longer has the distinction of the most popular sport in America. So by necessity, she has to educate the readers about horse racing to even make them care, or even be able> to care about the story. Terms like bug boy, filly, spill, lame, stakes, and reducing had completely different meanings, if they had meaning at all, before I read this book. She masterfully uses the first part of the book as an incognito primer into the world of horse racing at the turn of 20th century. Yet, it was entertaining enough that I would imagine even a person familiar with racing wouldn't feel condescended to. It is a tale unto itself. After arming us with this newfound knowledge, she seamlessly drops us into the story. I mused to myself that most books have one climax, and a good one may have two. But I easily rattled off 4 climaxes in this book that had enough grip to keep you reading well into the wee hours of the night. Just when you thought the book couldn't go any farther, you noticed there were 150 pages left. While the story is extraordinary by itself, the telling of it was absolutely riveting. Finally, in a story with this caliber of legend, it is so easy for the narrative to slip into romanticism. Ms. Hillenbrand however, did no such thing. Instead, she included the nasty right with the nice, relayed the story in a frank manner, and kept the characters human (or equine as the case may be). Red's alcoholism, Seabiscuit's failed races, numerous brawls and arguments among characters and even the melancholy epilogue, all could have been omitted, but were kept. The proximity of such lows to such triumphant highs only intensified the catharsis. What more can I say: a superb read!
Rating: 
Summary: Rather boring...
Review: I can't believe the reviews on this book! I read it months ago, and found it long-winded and boring. I am not a horse person, and truthfully, after reading this book, I find myself not wanting to ever go to the horse track... I am shocked sometimes by what novels capture the "common folks" attention. Literature this ain't!!! Beach reading this ain't!!! I need to read a book to help me fall asleep; now that's the rub.
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