Rating: 
Summary: The whoosh of Seabiscuit
Review: Laura Hillenbrand's book "Seabiscuit" is a winner. She has told a story of triumph so richly and so deftly that when I finished the last page I closed the book very slowly, deeply moved by what I had read. Her penchant for drama coupled with her wonderful insights into horse and human alike make this a book for the ages.The story of Seabiscuit is one of the great sports stories of the twentieth century. Like the "little engine that could", Seabiscuit overcame overwhelming odds to become a true champion. And Ms. Hillenbrand captures it all. From the most basic point of view the author puts you in each horse race. Instead of watching from the sidelines, which is the only way most people ever see this kind of competition, the author puts you ON TOP of Seabiscuit. You feel you're racing along with him at breakneck speed, co-habiting the bodies of Red Pollard and George Woolf. It's an amazing piece of writing. Of course, this is about so much more than a horse race. Pollard, Tom Smith and Charles Howard share the spotlight with their famous equine and theirs is really a collective story in a sense....how these three with their enormously different backgrounds could come together and work so well as a team year after year is credit to each of them...and their horse. Smith, to me, is the most intriguing of the three. He seems to share the same sixth sense about horses as Seabiscuit does about people. The dramatic content of the book, however, is what drives it. Hillenbrand is a wonderful storyteller and her research is terrific. The dozens of moves around the country, the constant scratches due to weather, the teamwork....and especially Seabiscuit's losses....all add up to make his victories that much sweeter. And you can hear the current cheering from the thousands of people who "watch" Seabiscuit's races in the pages of this book.....most of us who may have known this wonderful horse by name only. You don't have to be a fan of horse racing to enjoy this book. But in the end, you will have much more of an appreciation for it and a love of a book well written.
Rating:
Summary: Simply a MUST Read!
Review: This book is not merely about a horse. It's about an American dream, how 4 unlikely misfits came together to achieve that dream, and how an unlikely hero captured the heart of American racegoers in the 30s. I have loved horse racing from the first time my father took me to Santa Anita almost 20 years ago. I've seen the statues of Seabiscut and George Woolf at that racetrack many times, but never knew their story. I am thankful to Ms Hillenbrand for writing a story so compelling and so well-researched that I came to know all of these characters so well. As a side note, I liked the way Ms Hillenbrand takes the time to explain to the reader about horse racing, its terms, and what it means to the owners, the trainers, and the jockeys. She makes it a world that is simple to understanding, while at the same time never losing the true heart of this book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and yeah, it'll even make you cheer!
Rating:
Summary: excellent, compelling
Review: I bought this book for a 5 hour plane flight and could not put it down. Seabiscuit reads more like a work of fiction. The chapters are relativly short and it makes for a great travel/commute book. Definatly read this before seeing the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!!! Bravo Ms. Hillenbrand!
Review: I loved this book. The story was amazing. I could not put it down. I was reading it just so I knew about the story before I went and saw the movie, but I was captivated by its suspense. Ms. Hillenbrand deserves well more than a pat on the back for this accomplishment!
Rating:
Summary: Could not put this book down!
Review: I had no particular interest in horse-racing, but picked this book up for half price at a used bookstore, and figured "Why not?" Several people had recommended it to me, so it couldn't be all bad. I completely underestimated this book. I absolutely could not put it down! I found myself waking up early in the morning before work to have time to read. I took public transportation instead of my car so I could read. I read 339 pages in two days (and I have a full time job). Hillenbrand brings the race track to life, in a way that is so engrossing, it won't matter a bit if the only thing you know about horses is that they're quadrupeds. She offers an inside glimpse into the strange world of jockeys. Along with the story of Seabiscuit himself is interwoven a cultural history of the times. Particularaly fascinating is Hillenbrand's discussion of America's switch from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles. Read this book...it is history and story-telling at it finest. One of the best books I have read in recent memory.
Rating:
Summary: History of Sports Best
Review: Seabiscuit is a stunning acheivement. Despite the hype that a blockbuster movie and multiple years on the bestseller lists give a book, Seabiscuit managed to surpass even my most ambitious expectations. The story of course revolves around an unattractive horse who belies low expectations to capture most of the greatest awards in racing and the hearts of Americans during the last years of the depression. With the help of Tom Smith, the strong, slient trainer who devoted years of his life to Seabiscuit's development, the financial support of auto magnet Charles Howard who seemed to love the horse like a favored child, and jockies Red Pollard and Charlie Woolf, no one in racing, even the fabled War Admiral or the track stewards who saddled Seabuscuit with absurd weights in handicap races, no horse could stop the Biscuit when he was at his best (which was most of the time between his third and seventh years). Aside from the stories of the characters, which are terrific, this book establishes itself as the best sports history book I've read because of the quality of writing and research. Hillenbrand lets her emotions come through very well and the action of the book is so well written that it gives the readers a perfect mental image that is so gripping it will leave you with goosebumps. I don't know the first thing about horse racing or even like watching it, but her race descriptions are outstanding. They were so good and personal that I often thought she may be embellishing and adding her own dramatic creations, but if you look at the end notes of the book, her research was exhaustive and everything she says is documented in her sources (which doesn't always make them true, but that isn't her fault). Finally, this book extends much further then horse racing to analyze depression-era society. It is a great cultural history and it is so seemlessly written into the book that you don't realize all you've actually learned until analyzing what you've read after finishing it. I would recommend this book to everyone no matter what your reading preferences may be. It is a fast read and can be fun as a beach book, but would not be out of place as a book for class. An excellent selection.
Rating: 
Summary: An enjoyable story well told
Review: Seabiscuit fills the place in American Mythology that can only be attained a true "Rags to Riches" story. Laura Hillenbrand has recovered a true American story that warms us to the dream of what this country wants to be.
Rating:
Summary: This book makes most others pale in comparison
Review: Wow what a book. I just finished it. I may have to rethink the evaluations and ratings I have given all other books I have read. This is an amazing read. Even more so becuase it is true.
I don't remember the last time I felt such a range of emotions while reading a book. Truly the people and especialy "The 'Biscuit' are inspirations to us all. A truly wonderful, inpirational book. One of the best writeen books I have read. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Finally a Feel Good Book
Review: When you finally need a break from murder,terror, sex, virgin births, etc. and you want to feel good about a book, read this book. I will not summarize the story or plot of the book (read the other reviews if you want that),but finally a book (and movie) that when it is over I don't feel as though I need a shower. The books reads as though it is fiction, these people can't be real but it is so good you want to read it again. It is a story of a time in history and how three men got together with a horse and made history. Believe me, read the book you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome... A magnificent Victory!
Review: I read it almost as fast as that darn horse could run.
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