Seabiscuit: An American Legend

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Summary: Not Just for Horse Lovers
Review: This book came recommended as 'not just for horse lovers' and it was true. Beginning with some history of the resisted transition of horse to automobile in the United States, we are introduced to some colorful and amazingly tenacious characters, especially Charles Howard and Tom Smith, the owner and handler respectively of Seabiscuit. I found the first 100 pages to be a bit slow, but then the story took off. In race after race, the vivid descriptions put you there on the animal's back seeing things from the jockey's perspective. It was quite an education to read about the lives of jockeys. I had no idea they were so obsessed with weight that they would resort to ANY means to lose pounds, almost to the point of killing themselves. It was hard to believe some of the tactics they used to win races, such as pulling on the tail of the competitors horse, before regulations were put in place. Seabiscuit was a total prima donna right from the start: sleeping laying down on his side for hours on end, insisting on having his pals by his side in his stall, overeating every chance he got. This book was thoroughly enjoyable and I recommend it to everyone looking for one of those hard-to-put-down reads.

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Summary: Wire-to-wire winner
Review: What an amazing story! Laura Hillenbrand puts the reader right the middle of a truly capitavating slice of American sports history. (Non-sports fans should find this book just as irrestible as sports fans.) She describes a horse race so vividly that you can almost feel the wind and dirt blowing past your face as you circle the track. The race stories are fantastic, but the real beauty of the book can be found in the book's many memorable characters, underdogs all. The stories of the men that staked their fortunes, careers and sometimes lives on this magnificant horse are truly fascinating. The author is also able to describe the horse's personality and athleticism in a way that will forever change the way I look at thoroughbred horses. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great American story.

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Summary: More Than A Horse: A Hero and Inspiration for All Time
Review: No one could have made up characters this interesting. The story is riveting from start to finish. In 1938, Seabiscuit was the biggest story in the country -- Roosevelt and Hitler took a backseat to this unlikely hero. Seabiscuit didn't look like a winner and perhaps if it hadn't been for the intuition and talents of people like Smith, Pollard, and the Howards, he would have remained just another horse. But Seabiscuit had heart and courage -- he may have been a horse, but he was a hero for all times. And the story of Seabiscuit and the important humans in his life serves as a reminder to all of us to look beyond the obvious and to never give up. Read this book. It is fabulous.

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Summary: Really Well Written
Review: Didn't think I would have any interest in a book with this topic and avoided reading it until now (10/02). Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. When I finished, I wanted to read it again. Hillenbrand does an amazing job of telling the tale.

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Summary: What a horse
Review: I believe this is the best non-fiction book I've ever read. Hillenbrand really draws you into this story. I kept thinking of Smith, Howard, Pollard and Woolf as characters rather than real people. I chose this book for two book clubs, and the readers enjoyed it so much, they've recommended it to their friends.

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Summary: An absolutely astounding book about an amazing horse
Review: Other than reading some fiction about horses when I was a kid--Black Beauty is the title that springs to mind--I'm not a huge fan of horses or horse racing. Oh, I watch the Triple Crown races every year and marvel over the exploits of Secretariat, but I don't believe I knew anything about Seabiscuit before reading this book. Without telling you anything about the story (you can get all that from the dust jacket or from the editorial reviews), I will say that I found the story so moving that I had difficulty reading the final chapter or the chapter on the famous match race between the Biscuit and War Admiral. What a horse! And what a wonderful job the author did. This is one book that's fully deserving of all the glowing reviews about it.

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Summary: Great read for those outside racing community
Review: Well written and researched book! I can easily see this as a film - the events captured by Hillenbrand came alive while I read. Those who are not horse lovers or faimilar with racing will find no problem enjoying this book! It seems that jockeys are the forerunners (so to speak) to our supermodels of recent years w/all of their outlandish tactics to keep weight off! That and other portions of the book (including Depression-era details) invite you to read this from start to finish w/out putting the book down. Highly recommended!

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Summary: Hooray for Seabiscuit!
Review: I really didn't know very much about horse racing nor had I ever heard of Seabiscuit. However, with this great novel that really didn't matter. The author draws you in with her crisp, detailed writing. By the end of the book, I felt like I loved Seabiscuit just as much as his fans did back in the day. I was fraught with anticipation at the outcome of Seabiscuit's nail-bitting race with War Admiral. I'm sure everyone who reads this book will love it as much as I did. I even felt a twinge of sadness that I was not able to experience what it must have been like when Seabiscuit was alive and running.

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Summary: Seabiscuit's journey
Review: This extremely well-researched book about the legendary horse Seabiscuit, his owner, his trainer, his jockeys, his racetrack opponents, and the world of American horse racing, especially during the 1930s, is a journey worth taking. Every character has a story and it is interesting to find out about each of them before and after their lives intersected with Seabiscuit's. Bringing out and nurturing the greatness of the unlikely looking champion Seabiscuit was a feat accomplished by special men who respected one another and this unique horse. Even if you have limited experience with horses and horse racing, you will probably enjoy the ride.

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Summary: WONDERFUL, COMPELLING BOOK
Review: I started to read this book only because my reading group chose it as its next selection. I thought I would hate it - I have no interest whatsoever in horses or horse racing. And I have very little patience with books. If they don't grab me in the first 50 pages or so, I usually don't have the tenacity to hold on. (There are so many wonderful books to read, why waste time with one you don't like!) But Seabiscuit captured my interest from the very first page. I cannot explain why I liked it so much - I just know that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The writing was superb. I was sorry when the book ended. Highly recommended.