Rating: 
Summary: Great for the horse racing fanatic!
Review: "Old Friends" is an excellent book for any horse racing fan's library. I read a story a day and have been enlightened by them all. Reading about these older horses is great because it lets me relive their racing days, even though I was not born while most of these horses ran. I am always on a quest to learn about as many racehorses as I can and this book really taught me about many older horses I have missed out on! Buy this book today and you'll never regret it! Awesome photos as well as awesome stories!!
Rating:
Summary: A must-have for any horse fan.
Review: Barbara D. Livingston, Old Friends: Visits with My Favorite Thorougbreds (Eclipse Press, 2002)
Reviewing books of photography often makes me feel guilty. As brilliant as someone like Romain Slocombe or Joel-Peter Witkin (for example) is, and as good as his books are, it seems kind of cheating to put a big photography book on one's list of books read for a given year. After all, how long does it really take to get through a book of photography?
Not so with Old Friends. While it is, in fact, packed with the gorgeous photographs of horses for which Barbara Livingston is so deservedly well-known, every horse in here also has a small essay from Ms. Livingston, making this more a trip down memory lane than a photography book. Some of the horses in here are some of the best-known horses on the continent (Spectacular Bid, for example), some are well-known in their region of the States (Zuppardo's Prince, the leading stallion in Louisiana most years), and some even the most hardcore horseplayer has long forgotten, or never heard of in the first place. Livingston treats them all with equal dignity, and by the end of the book, we feel like we know these horses, too.
A number of the horses here, since (and in a few cases before) the book was published, have died, and any of the rest of them are going to succumb to the ravages of old age within the next few years. But while some of their names will live in the lore of horse racing forever, Livingston has here ensured that many of the others will also not be forgotten.
A fantastic book, and well worth having. **** ½
Rating:
Summary: Endearing, Touching and Uplifting
Review: Barbara has devoted much time and heart into a wonderful book reflecting the lives of many racing legends. She's been able to touch on individual aspects of each animal including a little racing background and breeding. After reading each chapter, I felt I knew each one personally.
As a frequent browser of Bloodhorse.com, I've come across obituaries of several horses that were in the book and have printed the articles and inserted them into their appropriate chapters. I recently emailed Barbara with some inquiries and she was very kind in responding back to me. She is currently working on Old Friends-Part 2 and you can bet I'll purchase a copy for my library.
I recommend this book to all horse enthusiates!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Moving
Review: I bought this book after hearing about the death of the great Ferdinand.
This book shows many of the great ones that have come along, many that are still breeding and many that are living out the rest of their days in quiet comfort. Livingston is a fan of all of these horses, writing as if each one is her own. I read this book in one sitting, crying and laughing all at the same time. I can't help but think of all the horses that didn't make it, the horse that met the same end as Ferdinand. The one's that were bred for speed but couldn't quite turn it on at the right time. The horses in this book were and are all very, very lucky indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Very moving and honest
Review: I bought this book after hearing about the death of the great Ferdinand.
This book shows many of the great ones that have come along, many that are still breeding and many that are living out the rest of their days in quiet comfort. Livingston is a fan of all of these horses, writing as if each one is her own. I read this book in one sitting, crying and laughing all at the same time. I can't help but think of all the horses that didn't make it, the horse that met the same end as Ferdinand. The one's that were bred for speed but couldn't quite turn it on at the right time. The horses in this book were and are all very, very lucky indeed.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book, lovely lady
Review: I had the pleasure of meeting the author at Gulfstream Park . She was doing a book-signing at the Florida Derby and I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. She is a kind and gracious lady. She took her time with everyone who approached her. I was already planning to purchase book and was so happy to get an autographed copy! The pictures are incredible and the grace and dignity she conveys with them is perfect for such beautiful animals as thoroughbred horses. I recommend this book to anyone who loves horses or horse racing. As Ms Livingston signed in my book : Track fever is a good thing!"
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Summary: What a gem!!!
Review: I have just received my copy of OLD FRIENDS and absolutely love it. Barbara's love and respect for these horses is so evident. The pictures are wonderful. One picture of Water Lily and Viva Sec with their caretakers is described as looking like "teenage girls with their prized show ponies" and it does look that way. Smiles and love all around. I have visited Lexington a number of times and have seen some of these horses. One of my favorites is Cozzene who Barbara writes about. She noted how easy he was to photograph. I also noted that. One of my pictures of him is with Cozzene in front of a group of about 30 people. However, I am the one with the camera and he is looking at me and posing away like a body builder in the Mr. Universe pagent (Cozzene looks like you expect a stud to look like.) As Barbara said "He knew I was photographing him. I was certain of it." Me too. I was very pleased to see Pleasant Colony doing well as I had seen him at Lane's End and felt he was a grand old man. Seeing handsome Affirmed was great. The picture of Basket Weave is excellent. As I page through the book and see the next name, the memories of that horse come back to me, Bid, Dahlia, Genuine Risk, Star de Naskr, the once horse-napped Fanfreluche, Brown Bess with her foal and the ReRun rescue Our Mims, Alydar's sister. The stories are heartfelt and a joy. The pictures are wonderful and the book is a treasure.
If you follow horse racing at all and love horses you will enjoy this book. I imagine Barbara will win another Eclipse award (an equine award) for this and she certainly should. She is able to capture that intangible "thing" about horses that makes some of us love them so very much.
I couldn't wait to tell you how special this book is.
Thanks Barbara for such a lovely book.
Rating:
Summary: What a gem!!!
Review: I have just received my copy of OLD FRIENDS and absolutely love it. Barbara's love and respect for these horses is so evident. The pictures are wonderful. One picture of Water Lily and Viva Sec with their caretakers is described as looking like "teenage girls with their prized show ponies" and it does look that way. Smiles and love all around. I have visited Lexington a number of times and have seen some of these horses. One of my favorites is Cozzene who Barbara writes about. She noted how easy he was to photograph. I also noted that. One of my pictures of him is with Cozzene in front of a group of about 30 people. However, I am the one with the camera and he is looking at me and posing away like a body builder in the Mr. Universe pagent (Cozzene looks like you expect a stud to look like.) As Barbara said "He knew I was photographing him. I was certain of it." Me too. I was very pleased to see Pleasant Colony doing well as I had seen him at Lane's End and felt he was a grand old man. Seeing handsome Affirmed was great. The picture of Basket Weave is excellent. As I page through the book and see the next name, the memories of that horse come back to me, Bid, Dahlia, Genuine Risk, Star de Naskr, the once horse-napped Fanfreluche, Brown Bess with her foal and the ReRun rescue Our Mims, Alydar's sister. The stories are heartfelt and a joy. The pictures are wonderful and the book is a treasure.
If you follow horse racing at all and love horses you will enjoy this book. I imagine Barbara will win another Eclipse award (an equine award) for this and she certainly should. She is able to capture that intangible "thing" about horses that makes some of us love them so very much.
I couldn't wait to tell you how special this book is.
Thanks Barbara for such a lovely book.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book About The Forgotten Stars of Horse Racing
Review: I'm a frequent visitor to a website which contains a lot of the work of Barbara Livingston. I have to say that her photography of famous race horses, both current and from the past is impressive. When I saw that she was writing a book about older thoroughbreds living out their last years, I was intrigued. There are horses shown that I hadn't thought of in 20 years included, such as Wajima, who came out of nowhere in the latter part of 1975 to almost beat out the great Forego for Horse of the Year and faded into oblivion almost as quickly. He ended up living a nice long life. Another fun read was the story of Proud Birdie, who was very popular in Florida, but hit it big with a win over Forego in a big race. The pictures of these horses were spectacular. Barbara also chronicles the great champions Affirmed, Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid and John Henry as well. A lot has been written about these horses when they were in their primes, but a masterful job has been done about their later years. I'm still going through the book, but I've looked at enough to let you know that if you love the bauty of horse racing, this would be a great coffee table book for your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book About The Forgotten Stars of Horse Racing
Review: I'm a frequent visitor to a website which contains a lot of the work of Barbara Livingston. I have to say that her photography of famous race horses, both current and from the past is impressive. When I saw that she was writing a book about older thoroughbreds living out their last years, I was intrigued. There are horses shown that I hadn't thought of in 20 years included, such as Wajima, who came out of nowhere in the latter part of 1975 to almost beat out the great Forego for Horse of the Year and faded into oblivion almost as quickly. He ended up living a nice long life. Another fun read was the story of Proud Birdie, who was very popular in Florida, but hit it big with a win over Forego in a big race. The pictures of these horses were spectacular. Barbara also chronicles the great champions Affirmed, Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid and John Henry as well. A lot has been written about these horses when they were in their primes, but a masterful job has been done about their later years. I'm still going through the book, but I've looked at enough to let you know that if you love the bauty of horse racing, this would be a great coffee table book for your collection.
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