The Big Horse

Rating:
Summary: A great read, 6 stars if you are a Racing Fan.
Review: Any racing fan will find this a facinating and revealing portrait of the game. The late (sadly) PG Johnson and Volponi are the main subjects but there's juicy insight into many other characters.

Get the book.



Rating:
Summary: What about Volponi?
Review: The Big Horse is a very well-written book that provides insight to the life of a horse trainer. Interesting, unless you bought the book for the horse. Although the book is supposed to be centered around the horse, there are no details of his races, or much about his personality etc. It is a great way to remember the late P.G. Johnson, but now write a book for Volponi!

Rating:
Summary: A "wire to wire" great read
Review: A truly enjoyable book for anyone who has spent time at a race track. McGinniss truly captures the essence of those old curmudgeons who inhabit race tracks, and the driving force behind those who are searching for the brass ring on four legs. A nice change of pace from a great writer.

Rating:
Summary: Dark Horse
Review: At last a McGinnis book where he doesn't betray the trust of the protagonist!

McGinniss' writing remains fluid and engaging. His subject -- P.G. Johnson, a legendary, if unsung, horse trainer -- is a fascinating curmudgeon. And what the story lacks in plot, it makes up for in rich character development.

And, best of all, after finishing the book, I continued to like and admire the subject.

A great horseracing book.

Rating:
Summary: Living a dream
Review: In THE BIG HORSE, Joe McGinniss tells the story of one horse trainer's desire and longing to have a horse that will bring fame as well as riches to his stable. This book may surprise McGinniss' readers, as this one does not have the spicy twist and turns we are accustomed to in his former books. Instead, McGinnis tells a truly unique and inspiring story about P.G. Johnson and a horse named Volponi. In his sixty years as a trainer, P.G. Johnson has never had a big horse. He has bred and trained some of the best, but none of them could compare to thoroughbreds like Funny Cide, Secretariat or Seabiscuit who all won races that brought in purses that totaled in the millions. He is an authority on training horses and well respected in the industry. As Joe McGinniss follows him from racetracks at Saratoga, to Belmont to the Aqueduct, we learn about the industry in all its glory and get a peek at the seamy underbelly of the profession. P.G. gives a blow-by-blow account of what it's like to be a horse trainer and have all your heartaches, desires and dreams tied to that one horse that can hopefully bring it all home. Volponi may be P.G.'s final chance at the big horse.

This was a well-written and very interesting read. McGinniss did not disappoint readers with his storytelling abilities. I was catapulted into the horse racing industry in its current state, which is a sport on the decline. I was also allowed glimpses into the past when horse racing was the sport of the season and spectators came in droves to the tune of tens of thousands. The journey included walks with trainers, jockeys and owners to get a complete taste of what this sport is about. For those that love the sport of horse racing, this book is a must have.

Reviewed by Brenda M. Lisbon
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers


Rating:
Summary: McGinnis must have needed the money
Review: Oh what a dissapointment. Joe McGinnis, the great storyteller, wrote a book on my favorite subject: horseracing. I couldnt wait to get the book. Well, I did -- and I found I wasted my money.

Mcginnis was dying to write a horseracing book. He searched for a good story the horse Volponi and a down and out -- old-timey crusty trainer. It doesnt fly.

While giving some insight into the game of horseracing, the author couldnt make me, the reader, feel any affection for the story's main character. I mean, while I was reading the book, I would think to myself how crusty, nasty, cheap and stupid this trainer was. I had no emotional involvement in it at all. Actually, that is not true. I disliked the trainer so much, that I was glad his horse lost.

Another thing, the story line: the Big Horse that McGinnis chose, Volponi -- lost more often than he won. Not much of a story there. The trainer was small time -- the horse was a brief flash in the pan -- I mean, who cares?

mcginnis as well seems to have lost some of his gift for the story. His skills were not readily extent in this book. Save your money; don't buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Place!
Review: THE BIG HORSE is to what every trainer aspires. It is a horse that captures the imagination and wins the biggest stakes. P.G. Johnson's first big horse Volponi came in the twilight of Hall of Fame racing career. Volponi captured the 2002 Breeder's Cup Classic and prepares for the 2003 race in this account of horse and trainer.

As a book Seabiscuit did it better, but that is almost like saying as a horse Secretariat did it better. Joe McGinniss takes you into the world of 21st Century horse racing in the same way Laura Hillenbrand returned us to the glamour of horse racing in the late 1930s.

With a point of view switching between author and trainer the cadences are those of the denizens of the stables and betting windows. This particular authenticity surpasses even Hillenbrand.

McGinniss has returned, and how we have missed him.