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Summary: A Must-Read For Lovers of Non-fiction
Review: What a storyteller Hillenbrand is! She knew how to keep her readers hooked, and she also knew when to stop with the cliffhangers and tell a bit more so we wouldn't get frustrated with this incredible tale of a horse, his two jockeys, his trainer and his owner. Each of these characters gets his own chapter, and the way they come together is magic. And what research! The appendix at the end is amazing--like a textbook. Too bad more history texts aren't written this way. Students would love history if they were!As amazing as Seabiscuit was, I thought this was really a story about the jockeys who rode him. Red and Iceman went through horrible ordeals to attain their successes; ordeals I had no idea went on back then. Thank goodness things have changed! Or have they? Today I learned that four horses had to be destroyed at the opening day of Emerald Downs in Auburn, WA. They didn't say what happened to the jockeys. I heard a story on this book on NPR before I read it, and I turned it off because I didn't want to know what happened. Even if you did hear that story, read this book. It's got it all: heroes, heartbreak, and history! Hillenbrand wrote a gem.
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Summary: An Amazing Story
Review: If you are a fan of horse racing or sports in general this is a must read. The story is well told and paints an interesting picture of the sport of kings in the depression era. It's hard not to enjoy a story about a true underdog that becomes a champion.
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Summary: I Thought I Had Outgrown Horse Stories
Review: As a child, I read every horse and/or dog story I could locate in our small town library. Laura Hillenbrand's skillful storytelling engaged me as never before. Weaving historical information into the tale makes this book, not just a "horse story," but a picture of America at an important juncture of our history. I have passed on the book to a daughter, who will in turn pass it on to her son. Each of us will undoubtedly receive great pleasure in its reading, making it a book for all ages. Thank you, Laura.
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Summary: Awesome, a must read
Review: I absolutely loved this book! The history, the horse, the characters - the races were riveting! It was really very entertaining.
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Summary: Just an incredible read
Review: In her description of the life of one horse and the people around it Laura Hillenbrand has captured the very soul of America during the Great Depression. Seabiscuit is a uniquely American story. It is a Horatio Alger story. Seabiscuit and those around him rise together from hard times and obscurity to the pinnacle of racing, taking on all comers. It is especially a story about that trait that we Americans prize most: Courage. Seabiscuit had it, his trainer had it, his jockey had it. No wonder all of America loved the horse. He was us, or at least what we strive to be. Hillenbrand tells a remarkable story here, her research is exhaustive, her pictures are painted brilliantly. The love she has for this horse and the people around him comes through on every page. Just an incredible read.
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Summary: An "ACADEMY AWARD WINNER" of books
Review: If books were given Academy awards (and if authors had the same celebrity status as actors) this one would be a winner hands down. As someone who reads every horse book I can, I can say that this one is a stand-out and could be enjoyed by nearly anyone, horse lover or not. It is filled with the kind of details that make a book come alive, - vivid portraits of horse owners, riders and those in the racing world, an intimate look at racing, vivid descriptions that make you feel as though you were actually in the saddle, little-known (and fascinating) facts. I thought I knew everything about Seabiscuit already, from having read about this horse from the time I was a child but this author proved me wrong. I'd recommend this book to anyone. If you find it easy to put down, I'll eat my riding helmet!
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Summary: You don't have to love racing to love this book
Review: I have been to race tracks only a handful of times. I cannot call myself a fan. Nevertheles, Laura Hillenbrand has pieced together a fascinating story and set it out in a compelling page-turning fashion. This book finishes in the money on many levels. As a work of history it evokes both an era (the 20's - 30's) and the role that sports in general, and horse racing in particular, played in depression-era America. Hillenbrand's potrayal of the hard-scrabble life of jockeys was particularly vivid and heart-wrenching. As a work of biography its portraryal of the men whose lives revolved around Seabiscuit was spot on. As a narrative, the story unfolds in a well-written suspensful and highly entertaining way. Hillenbrand has succeeded on every level. A great book.
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Summary: My new favorite horse story
Review: As a life long horse owner and lover of horses, I began reading horse stories as soon as I could read. This book is my new favorite. Not only did it capture the entire feeling of pre WWII horse racing, it portrayed horsemanship at it's very finest. I read this entire book on the commuter rail with tears streaming down my cheeks. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough. If this book were fiction no one would have believed it!!
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Summary: Wonderful!!!
Review: My idea of a book about horse racing was an airplane and the latest Dick Francis novel. This was before I read Seabiscuit, An American Legend. This is without any doubt the best book I have read in ten years-not the best horse racing book, the best book. Meticulously researched Laura Hillenbrand depicts the strange lives and rituals of jockeys and trainers, the excesses of the press and owners, and the thrill of the ride on the great Seabiscuit. You will feel a part of this world at every level. You will come to understand life in the owner's box at a great stakes race, the indentured servitude of bug boys, the race strategy of the jocks, and the caginess of trainers. Mostly you will touch the heart of a great champion, Seabiscuit.
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Summary: Seabiscuit: An American Legend
Review: This is not only the best thoroughbred racing book I have read, but one of the best books I have ever read. While I was already familiar with the story of Seabiscuit and especially his race against War Admiral in the 1938 Pimlico Special, I learned so much about not only racing history but American history. The beauty of this book is in the details. The author's portrait of life during the depression and horse racing's role in capturing the public imagination is fantastic. I hope that the popularity of this great work gets more people interested in going to racetracks and getting into the sport or racing.
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