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Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Seabiscuit: An American Legend

List Price: $25.95
Your Price: $17.13
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful-the must read of 2001!
Review: Don't like horseracing? Doesn't matter! This book has it all and is wonderfully researched and the tale unfolds as only a real life drama can. A slice of Americana, the depression, a look at a way of life and a hero to root for. I picked up the book (like horses, dislike horseracing) and did not want to put it down. The characters are well-developed, the plot really has you involved, the horses have you rooting for them and the tale is one you will not forget.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Absolutely captivating period book
Review: This is the first "horse racing" book I have ever bought and read, and wow......a truly great read. This book is much more about life than about racing. It seems to capture the period in a style that is engaging, without too much hyperbole. I will not be surprised to see this book being made into a movie in the very near future. After reading this book, I found myself searching the Internet for all the information I could about Seabiscuit. I even found Clem McCarthy's radio feed during the famous match race with War Admiral. Even though I knew the outcome, I was fascinated. Thank you Laura, for a wonderful read. I highly recommend this book!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: maximum melodrama
Review: This book is a history of a horse named Seabiscuit, whose racing career was roughly from 1936-1940. The author succeeds in making this a compelling story by squeezing the maximum amount of melodrama out of it.

First, she does a nice job of describing the Depression-era setting. She sets up a conflict between upstart California, where horse racing has just been re-legalized, and the older East Coast tracks.

Second, she brings out the temperamental idiosyncrasies of the proud horse, the flamboyant owner, the laconic trainer, and the gritty jockey. They are as colorful as characters in a novel.

Third, she takes us inside the world of racing: the dangers and athletic demands faced by jockeys; the fouls and subterfuge that were committed during this period; the power of the racing stewards.

The result is a very gripping story. The book is almost bound to exceed anyone's expectations for it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Unbelievably heartwarming
Review: I'm not typically one to read autobiographies or true stories, but having heard so much good "buzz" about "Seabiscuit" I put it on my birthday list and wasn't sure how excited to be when I actually received a copy. After leaving it on the shelf for a couple of months, I finally dragged it down ... wondering how long it would take me to read (it's a hefty book, and the print is by no means large!).

The answer? Under a week -- reading in bed, in the car, ANYWHERE where I could continue to devour the pages of this amazingly well-written, well-researched book. Laura Hillenbrand has taken the true tale of a scrawny, behaviorally-challenged Thoroughbred colt who energized the nation with each comeback he made and turned it into a gripping, page-turning read. Having picked it up for the "horsey" aspects alone, I was stunned to find myself enthralled by the background stories of the owner, trainer, and jockey who came together quite by chance to bring this horse to his full potential. I actually laughed out loud when reading some of the descriptive passages relating to Seabiscuit's personality traits and behavior quirks, I rooted for him to win races that are long since past, and I cried for this horse who has long since left the earth.

Please read this beautiful story and let it take you back to a time when even a nation plunged into financial despair could garner real pleasure and joy from watching a true athlete do what he was born to do.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply Terrific
Review: One of the best books I have read in a long time. Hillenbrand is a terrific writer; she makes the world of 1930s thoroughbred racing come alive and reveals the people and horses who inhabited it as flesh and blood, complex characters. She brings a depth of feeling to the high and low points of Seabiscuit's career that is wonderful to experience. Whether or not you have any interest in thoroughbred racing, this story will grab you.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Heart Pounding Excitement
Review: Ms. Hillenbrand has a gift for conveying the drama and excitement of horse racing. The description of the races places the reader right in the saddle, rooting for Seabiscuit to triumph with each approach to the finish line. She maintains narrative tension despite the heartbreaks, losses and false starts this true story chronicles. What was even more enjoyable was her skill in recreating the men and women that brought Seabiscuit to the attention of a nation starved for heroes and hope. This is a book I will read again and again. Even if you have no interest in the sport of kings, this book will provide a rewarding reading experience.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: First Adult Novel, BEST Adult Novel
Review: Seabiscuit was my first and best adult novel. When I got it I kept on procrastinating reading it. I thought that it would be really boring after all and that it would be all dry paragraphs loaded with dates. It was, in fact, quite the contrary. Written in a story-like way, Seabiscuit was a page turner for me, and I'm sure will be the same for anyone else who reads it. It is an educational and fun-filled novel about one of the greatest horses in history. And whether or not you are an equine fanatic, you'll LOVE Seabiscuit.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An inspiring story of perseverance, hardship, and victory.
Review: The author did a great job and gave us an excellent story that reveals the amazing and demanding circumstances under which the subjects of the story live in the world of horse racing. Though Seabiscuit is the star and an amazing animal, I found this book to be more interesting and inspiring in terms of what we humans can tolerate and achieve. This book is also a great example of how life follows anything but a straight line.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An All American Story
Review: Laura Hillenbrand's tale of Seabiscuit and the people who loved him is destined to become an American classic. Please don't mistake this for a "sports" book, a "horseracing" book, or a "horse" book. This book is for everyone. I've never seen a horse race and have never been particularly fond of horses, but I can assure you, gentle reader, that you will not be able to put this book down. You will laugh. You will cry, and you will grow to love that horse.

This is also one of those books that will annoy friends and family as you will will insist on reading passage after passage to them aloud. Hillenbrand's description of a manure mountain during a rainstorm at the racetrack will leave you in stitches: a ... Godzilla..."

So, grab that mouse and put this one in you shopping basket; you won't regret it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Seabiscuit an American Legend
Review: What a wonderful book ! Well researched with amazing details considering the time past .I hated to put it down and I hated to finish it ! What a dilema ! Now I just hope my next choice will be as interesting and satisfying a read . Why doesnt Oprah ever choose this type of book . Anyone who loves horses or racing , and even people just interested in a wonderful story will enjoy this . And Ms Hillenbrand , dont stop here ! Your book was wonderful .


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