Seabiscuit

Tom Smith, perhaps the original "horsewhisperer", spends hours learning and understanding his horse. When Seabiscuit is first put into his care for training, the horse is nervous, paces incessantly, weighs too little, and suffers from a sore body. Tom spends time caring for Seabiscuit, showering him with affection and carrots, even sleeping in Seabiscuit's stall at night. A daily routine is introduced plus animal companionship. Before long, Seabiscuit has his own entourage: a cow pony named Pumpkin, the little stray dog Pocatell, and Jojo the spider monkey. Under Tom's care, the high-spirited Seabiscuit learns to trust, becomes calm, and, most importantly, starts winning horse races.

The triumph of Seabiscuit is ultimately the story of what any person (or animal) may accomplish when their talents are recognized, supported, and expanded. Seabiscuit, given his inauspicious start in life, could just as easily have faded away into non-existence running third tier races. However, the love and care he receives from his owner, jockey, and trainer have you cheering until the end of the book for Seabiscuit to keep running (and winning) with his heart. Not only does Seabiscuit capture the hearts of the misfit trio, he will capture yours.

With a keen sportswriters eye toward detail as well as broader context, Ms. Hillenbrand has written a vivid description of an amazing animal, the three men around him and an era in American sports and history. Seabiscuit was a fascinating creature, not only for his deceptive power but for his playful, competitive nature. Ms. Hillenbrand helps us understand this horse as a person - a person you instinctively root for. His owner, a self-made success in the automobile industry, displays concern for the horse as if it were a child. Seabiscuit's trainer embodied the western spirit and had an uncanny bond with the horse - he was a real-life horse whisperer. Finally, the harrowing, rough and tumble life of a jockey during the 1930's is painted here with unsympathetic accuracy, as we learn about the trials of Red Pollard. Seabiscuit was the hub of these three lives and their extraordinary accomplishment on the racetrack.

The book builds toward two climaxes - the match race against War Admiral (which Ms. Hillenbrand desribes in such wonderful detail) and the ever elusive Santa Anita Handicap. Although historical, the book has a novel-like suspense that keeps the uninformed reader rapt and engrossed. This book, which describes the regional split between east and west coast race horses, really describes the potential and scrappy nature of the American west. Thank you, Ms. Hillenbrand, for such a terrific read.

When I first heard about this story, I wasn't sure about it - after all, I really know (or should I say "knew") very little about horse racing. Despite my misgivings, I soon realized that a major purpose of this book was not only to teach the reader about this sport via Seabiscuit's career but also to memorialize the amazing individuals (Charles Howard, Tom Smith, Red Pollard, George Woolf, etc.) who defied all odds to make such a successful racing career possible.

I especially liked the chapters dealing with the difficulties of life as a jockey - the way the jockeys punished their bodies to the extreme for the honor of participating in a harrowingly dangerous sport was truly unbelievable...and I thought ballerinas were harsh on their bodies when it came to weight loss! Red was my favorite character and I can't help wondering if the author felt a particular kinship with the jockey as a result of her own struggles with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - after all, she did have to push her own body beyond her normal physical limits to complete her research and write this amazing book!

Ms. Hillenbrand successfully incorporated the story of Seabiscuit's racing career into the historical context of the era. Seabiscuit was a much needed diversion for Americans who were suffering the depths of the Great Depression. ...And perhaps, through Laura Hillenbrand, Team Seabiscuit is still providing us all with an inspirational diversion from today's distressing headlines!

Oh - and don't skip the interview with Laura Hillenbrand at the end of the book. It was very interesting to see how Ms. Hillenbrand's own background influenced her writing and how her research helped her to resurrect this intriguing epoch in American history.

I'm excited about the movie although I hope Universal Studios does this wonderful literary work justice!

Take it from someone who spent six years of his life as an observer and worker at backstretches all around this country. I have held jobs from hot walker to trainer, at venues such as Belmont Park, Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Bowie, The Fairgrounds, Monmouth Park, etc. I also had a chance to observe some excellent horsemen for whom I worked, including Frank Whitely, Elliot Burch, Woody Stephens, and others. I had the pleasure to meet and talk with Alfred Vanderbilt, one of the characters in this story, as he was an owner of one of the trainers for whom I groomed horses. I?ve seen most of what the backstretch has to offer, from the lowliest stable-hand at a rickety bullring track in New Mexico, to the richest owner in the world purchasing horses at the Keeneland Yearling Sale. So perhaps I feel myself qualified, though it is hardly necessary, to say that Laura Hillenbrand has written the book I wish I had had the talent and fortitude to write. Her book, more than any other I have ever read, captures life on the backstretch as it is, was, and ever shall be. She has gotten to the essence of horse-racing, capturing perfectly the allure, the dreams, the utter exhilaration and despair that unfolds day in and day out behind the scenes at racetracks the world over. She has done this despite severe physical infirmities that would have stopped us lesser humans in our tracks. Reading this book left me feeling as though I had just won the pick-four at Hollywood Park. Hats off and thrown high into the air to Laura Hillenbrand for an accomplishment that will be next to impossible to match.

You do not have to be a horse racing afficionado, nor a sports fan to absolutely love this story. It brings back the life and times of an unlikely group of people and animals in early 20th Century America in such a way that you will find yourself completely mesmerized as the events unfold. If you believe that "Truth can be stanger than fiction" you will understand that such were the details of these amazing characters that no fable could equal.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves tragedy and triumph as told by a master writer such as Laura Hillenbrand. It had me on the edge of my seat rooting and cheering as if I was actually witnessing the spectacular events that had so many Americans hypnotized during the height of the Great Depression.

I "cashed a WIN-ticket" when I bought and read "Seabiscuit"

Seabiscuit's story also depicts the reality that it isn't always easy to maintain values, loyalty and integrity in the face of opposition. Hillenbrand illustrates these qualities in Seabiscuit's owner, trainer and jockey extremely well. The three together, and individually, were able to maintain their values and shoot for success while always keeping Seabiscuit's welfare as the primary consideration.

I tried this book in large part because of the unanimous 5 star rating that readers had given it. While I'm not sure I would have agreed it was quite a 5 for Part One, by the time I got into Part Two, I didn't want it to end. I'd have given it higher than a 5 if I could have. It's the only book I can remember reading that had me crying at the end. Definitely one of the best books I've ever read. All I can say is, give it a try, I think you'll be glad you did.

Similar to its subject, the underdog Seabiscuit, the book, Seabiscuit, constantly surprises in many multi-dimensional ways. The best books about sports transcend sports and teach us about life. Seabiscuit is a fine example of that success.

Ms. Hillenbrand is a brilliant story teller, a fine writer, and has an eye for detail that brings you into the scenes she describes. You will feel yourself on Seabiscuit's back, looking for an opening to the rail, as you read the accounts of his most famous races.

If you do not know about Seabiscuit, this horse was an unlikely candidate for racing greatness. He was built all wrong, had a weird personality, and required unusual handling that few would provide. His career was heading nowhere when he was bought by the wealthy Charles Howard, a legendary automobile dealer in the western United Sates, on the advice of his obscure trainer, Tom Smith.

Finding ways to encourage Seabiscuit provides all of the intellectual excitement of a puzzle. Part of solving the puzzle required finding a very special jockey, one whose intelligence allowed him to be flexible. No one could have seemed less likely to play the role of top jockey based on his career track record than Red Pollard, who became the most effective jockey on Seabiscuit.

The triumverate combined to take advantage of Seabiscuit's "blistering speed, tactical versatility, and indomitable will." All of that training and work led up to a monumental match race against Triple Crown winner War Admiral in 1938. During that year, more inches of newspaper space in the United States were devoted to Seabiscuit than to FDR or Hitler.

The book has so many dimensions that they cannot all be addressed in this brief space. There is a lot of history. The biographies of the three main human characters tell you a lot about the development of the automobile, horse training, and the careers of jockeys. The colorful side stories are priceless, especially the ones in Tijuana around the old track there (where western racing migrated after betting was made illegal in California). The tales about the manure pile there are hilarious.

Each of the three main characters could have been the subject of his own very interesting biography, and much interesting detail is included here.

There is a lot of humor. You will especially like the cat-and-mouse games that Tom Smith played with the media so that they could not find out how fast Seabiscuit was running in his workouts.

The stories also involve a lot of diplomacy. The background leading up to the match race with War Admiral will remind you of the peace negotiations to end the Vietnam War.

Finally, there is much tragedy. Horseracing is dangerous (especially for the jockeys), and many paid the price is a variety of ways.

I cannot remember a sports book that captures so many dimensions of fine book writing and story telling. I was reminded of Death in the Afternoon by Ernest Hemingway as I read this book, but I think that Seabiscuit is the better book.

After you finish enjoying the book, look around you. Where is there hidden potential waiting to be tapped? Do you have a Seabiscuit-like opportunity you can develop? Probably.

Be flexible in looking for great potential!

Laura Hillenbrand's book exceeds most other horse-related books I've read. She writes extraordinarily well in a style which never bogs down in the wealth of information she handles and is never intrusive, overblown or irritating to the reader. This book is truly one I couldn't put down, and in fact I couldn't bear to have it end and read with fascination every single one of the wealth of footnotes she included.

I confess to being a "horse person", but I don't need to recommend this book to horse people, who will discover it themselves. I specifically recommend it to my friends who couldn't care less about horses or racing but who love a good story, good writing and an author who has done her research, knows her subject and can introduce you to a unique world of fascinating and dedicated people who truly love their work.

Hillenbrand slowly but very entertainingly works the Seabiscuit story to the legendary 1938 match race with yet another descendent of Man O' War, 1937 Triple Crown winner War Admiral. She doesn't ignore the Admiral's connections either. Sam Riddle comes to life, as do the horse's infamous temper tantrums on the racetrack. There are constant difficulties in getting the two great horses together on the same track on the same day, including jockey Pollard's injuries (vividly described by Hillenbrand), Seabiscuit's injuries, and other delays. When the horses finally do get together (with the underdog Seabiscuit clobbering the Admiral), Hillenbrand writes with such vividness that you feel you are right there at the track witnessing the race. (She was fortunate enough to have obtained rare footage of this race and several other Seabiscuit races.)

After the climax of this famous race, Hillenbrand continues the Seabiscuit saga to the deaths of the principals. On the last page she writes of Howard having buried Seabiscuit to a secret site at his ranch where he had an oak sapling planted where the great horse was buried. She writes: "He told only his sons the location of the grave and let the oak stand as the only marker. Somewhere in the high country that was once Ridgewood, the tree lives on, watching over the bones of Howard's beloved Seabiscuit."

What a great writer. What a read.

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.

Well, I almost missed out on the most well-written book I have had the pleasure to read! I loved it so much that, when I lost my 1/2 finished copy on a business trip, I couldn't wait until my replacement copy arrived!! All of the characters, human and animal alike, are so well developed that you feel as if you know them and you REALLY care about them.

I would consider myself a "quiet" reader, but I found myself laughing, gasping or crying out loud frequently; that is how involving this story is! When I put the book down for the last time, I felt as if I was saying goodbye to some very, very, very dear friends!

Thank you, Laura Hillenbrand, for such an awesome book! Please, please, please write more!!

The reader is treated to a fantastic tale of horse racing in the early part of the 20th century. Nothing is left out; from the bothels of Tijuana to the upper crust of New York's horse racing elite. And although the book tells of the triumph of the three men. Sometime near the and of the story, either unintentionally or intentionally the reader starts to wonder about the fate of the ohter men who labored at this hard life and never had the taste of fleeting fame achieved by Smith, Howard, and Pollard.

Hillenbrand not only gives her reader a fresh perspective on the Depression, she also lets us into the hearts and minds of three men and one great racehorse. Before reading this book, I had the vague notion that Seabiscuit was a gelding who won a big match race against War Admiral.

Okay, I thought, so Seabiscuit got lucky. War Admiral was a triple-crown winner, and even War Admiral's sire, the immortal Man O'War lost one race.

I could not have been more wrong (for one thing, Seabiscuit was a stallion).

In some respects, Seabiscuit was like the Depression-era survivors who filled the stands to watch him: hard-bitten, tough, struggling to win in spite of bad knees and the weight that race-track stewards piled onto his back when he began to win. The bay colt started thirty-five (!) times at age two, and evidently impressed no-one as he could have been claimed for $2,500 more than once. At age three, when trainer Smith bought him for his new owner, Buick-dealer Charles Howard, he paid $7,000 for a colt whose, "... body, built low to the ground, had all the properties of a cinder block. Where Hard Tack [Seabiscuit's sire] had been tall, sleek, tapered, every line suggesting motion, his son was blunt, coarse, rectangular, stationary. He had a sad little tail, barely long enough to brush his hocks. His stubby legs were a study in unsound construction with squarish, asymmetrical `baseball glove' knees that didn't quite straighten all the way, leaving him in a permanent semicrouch."

Paging through old issues of "The Blood-Horse," I see that Seabiscuit at age three was described as `useful.'

It was not until the colt turned four that his rags-to-riches fairy tale truly began. At four and five he was one of the best handicap horses in training, although he lost the Santa Anita Handicap (the `Big Cap') twice in close finishes---and this was the one race that his owner, Charles Howard had set his heart on winning.

The fairy tale might have ended when Seabiscuit turned six---he injured his knee and was retired to stud. But his owner never gave up hope.

Read this marvelous book to see what Seabiscuit, his owner, trainer, and jockeys accomplished when the rugged, little stallion turned seven---well past the retirement age for most Thoroughbreds.

But this isn't so much a story about horse racing as it is a story about the relationship between Seabiscuit and his three human companions. And what a story.

Hillenbrand is a lovely writer and her book is chock full of images that you come away with you. The many details she inclues from her meticulous research make this book a memorable one.

The fact that Seabiscuit got written is itself a near miracle as Ms. Hillenbrand suffers from severe chronic fatigue syndrome that makes it difficult for her to work or even leave the house.

I have two wishes for her: That she continue writing and start another book, and that health be returned to her.

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.

We get an understanding of the times, still depression-era with clouds of war gathering, and why a hero to ease the extreme stress of the time was necessary. We learn much of the unpretty side of the lives lived by the jockeys. We get the flavor of bordertown Tiajuana in the days of U.S. prohibition and anti-gambling legislation.

But the absolute highlights for me were Ms. Hillenbrand's colorful race descriptions. I was able to picture the running of each important race and these descriptions were suspenseful. In fact, Laura Hillenbrand's ability to keep the reader on the edge of one's seat is a welcome treat in non-fiction.

Now if you're just not at all interested in horses or horse racing, you're probably not even reading this, and if you are, I'd suggest getting the book from the library. But for the average person who has even the mildest interest in the topic, this is abolutely a rewarding read.

One of the most fascinating things about the book is that while the story of Seabiscuit and his handlers zips along in the foreground, hovering over the whole tale is a brilliant evocation of the 1930s Depression. The rich and the poor, the hopeful and the despairing, movie stars and neighborhood priests all get a turn onstage in this story.

Hillenbrand's description of the racetrack-driven rise of Tiajuana is riveting; she suggests the importance of radio to a weary public; the sports writers of the time live vividly in the background of Seabiscuit's story. In Seabiscuit the texture of American life in the 30s and the spirit of its people provides a setting as compelling as the main narrative.

All this is in addition to some of the most breath-taking descriptions of horse races ever written. I was literally bouncing up and down in my chair and making little anguished squeaks while reading about the race that marks the climax of the book!

Its an extraordinary acheivement and may very well bring back the excitement and interest in thoroughbred racing that once made horses like Seabiscuit, Man-o-War, and War Admiral genuine American heroes.

This is a must read.

Seabiscuit doesn't just tell the story of probably the greatest horse ever to take the field; Hillenbrand ties the story of the horse to its owner, its trainer, its jockey, and its country. Each character is painted with vivid detail, warts and all. Seabiscuit is no hagiography; these were men with many faults as well as virtues, and Hillenbrand doesn't flinch from portraying them. Yet in the telling, the characters become greater rather than worse. And none greater than the title character, whose incredible exploits seem to gallop off the page, particularly in the magnificently-detailed descriptions of Seabiscuit's races.

Although very detailed, the book reads more like a novel than a history. The pages fly by as Hillenbrand's prose brings historical figures to life with such detail it's impossible not to be drawn into their lives. Better still, though Hillenbrand writes like a novelist, she cites sources like a historian, reminding the reader that, while Seabiscuit's exploits may seem legendary, he was absolutely real. And the reader will be absolutely awed to read of all that Seabiscuit accomplished.

For those who've seen the movie first, there's still plenty here for you. The book goes into so much more depth than a movie can, reading this will only increase your enjoyment of the film.

This is a Cinderella story in which four creatures, united for a brief period of time (1936-47), spark the imagination of an entire country. Hillenbrand combines the horse's biography with a social history of 1930s and 1940s America and incisive portraits of the team around Seabiscuit. Charlie Howard, a car dealer, bought the crooked-legged, scruffy little horse; Tom Smith, a man who rarely spoke to people but who communicated perfectly with horses, became its trainer; and Red Pollard, a half-blind jockey, rode Seabiscuit to fame. Hillenbrand's extensive research compares favorably with that of Alexander MacKay-Smith's in Speed and the Thoroughbred (Derrydale, 2000). This story of trust, optimism, and perseverance in overcoming obstacles.

I highly recommend Seabiscut, An American Ledgend. Big Truck

Racehorse owner Charles Howard, an automobile baron, hired trainer Tom Smith and sent him searching for a bargain animal whose talent had been overlooked, Smith searched numerous racetracks unable to find what he was looking for. On June 29, 1936, at Suffolk Downs in Massachusetts, the horse found him. The horses name was Seabiscuit, a 3-year-old cold with crooked forelegs, knobby knees and a lazy disposition. He was often mistaken for lameness. But Smith saw something no one else saw. This horse had heart. Jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer, was down in his luck until he joined Team Seabiscuit. Individually, this horse and these men wouldnt amount to much. Together, their unlikely alliance would make history.

Throughout this wonderful story we learn of the dangerous life of the jockey, their weight loss regimens, Red Pollards handicap and his critical injuries. We see Charles Howards rise to success in California and his friendship with the elite, including Bing Crosby. Also, theres Tom Smiths gift of understanding and training the most difficult horses.

In the Winter of 1937, America was in the seventh year of the most catastrophic decade in its history. America was desperate to lose itself in anything that offered affirmation. With the relegalization of wagering, no sport was growing faster than Thoroughbred racing. In six years, Seabiscuit had won 33 races and set 13 track records. He earned world record prize money as well. Finally in 1938 the Biscuit was named Horse of the Year.

Seabiscuit didn't look a winner. His body was low and his knees didn't straighten all the way. His gait was so peculiar that people mistook it for lameness. His gallop was such chaos that he could hit his front ankle with a hind hoof. He had a bloodline, but he lacked the looks, and he lacked the background. His jockey, Red Pollard, kept with him pocket volumes of Shakespeare and Emerson (whom he called "Old Waldo"), and he had much of the contents memorized, quoting it and spouting jokes. At fifteen, he hung around the "bush tracks," the lawless races that followed the carnivals. Even when he graduated to racing at the official tracks, he had no home, for he slept in empty horse stalls wherever the riding circuit took him. He might get hired, and he might win, but he seldom had money because everyone knew he was a soft touch for a "loan." Horseracing ripped his body apart; he was blinded in one eye (a dangerous secret he managed to keep), and he had his chest crushed and a leg ripped up in racing accidents. Perhaps the strangest character in the book is the trainer, the sphinx-like Tom Smith, who had learned horsemanship from the Plains Indians. It was he who saw Seabiscuit's potential when it was invisible to everyone else, and he who convinced his employer to buy the horse. Smith used to give sportswriters fits, as he seldom strung any words together for humans, and when he did deign to talk to a reporter, he could deliberately spout the most outrageous lies, such as that all of Seabiscuit's legs had been broken (that one was picked up by the wire services). The man who took Smith's advice to buy Seabiscuit was Charles Howard, who had come to San Francisco and begun a bicycle repair shop, but started repairing autos when no one else during the turn of the century could do so. Howard took on the Buick distributorship, making the fortune by which he could play the racing game. Unlike Smith, Howard loved publicity. Hillenbrand's description of how the contract for the race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral was arranged between Howard, War Admiral's owner, and the different target tracks is almost as exciting as the race itself.

Hillenbrand's book includes quite a bit of American history, especially of the Depression, from which Seabiscuit fandom was a special relief. She has traced the arcs of the careers of these three remarkable men, and that of one legendary racehorse, with great attention to period detail. Seabiscuit was lucky to have the men on his team, and now he is lucky to have such a riveting story made of his life to bring his fame back sixty years on.

The author does a great job with pace in this book. She goes into a pretty good amount of detail about the nuances of horse racing and jockey life, but I never found it to be slow or dull. It's also a very well written book. The prose is easy, clear, and the author does a great job bringing her characters to life.

This is a kind of bad-news-bears story about a knobby-kneed horse, a down-on-his-luck jockey, a mysterious horseman, and flamboyant owner who come together to form the Seabiscuit team. People who like uplifting stories, rooting for the underdog, or well-written sports books will probably love this book.

It's not that he won horse races, it's the way he won horse races. It's the way he overcame challenges. The individual stories of the people that comprised "Team Biscuit" could have easily drawn the attention of writers with lesser talents, but Laura Hillenbrand puts the spotlight squarely on this wonderful horse; skillfully weaving in the exploits of his owner, trainer and jockeys to illustrate how he won the hearts and minds of a depression-battered nation.

There is something for everyone here. Have you ever wondered about how someone could train a racehorse? How a human can exploit, while simultaneously protect the competitive heart of an animal? How a horse can affect the lives of so many? Seabiscuit is a book that is almost impossible to put down (yes, I know that's a cliché) but you won't believe how much sleep I happily lost because of this book. I can't recommend it highly enough!

The most amazing part of this book, though, is the way in which the author describes the races themselves. Her writing is fast and breathless, like the horse race being portrayed, and this narrative will grab the reader in a way most history books never could. For somebody with no interest in horse racing, but bought the book for a love of history, I was surprised at how anxious I became while reading the parts about the races and could not wait until the next one. This is a very well put together book that will educate and excite in one rollicking package.

Unlike some reviewers, as a Californian, I found the early part of the book covering the Bay Area's turn of the century history, as relevant to the rise of Seabiscuit's owner-to-be's automotive business empire, and other background information about trainers and jockeys to be very interesting as well as essential to the overall story of Seabiscuit's development into a champion racehorse.

Laura Hillenbrand is truly a master storyteller and an unmatched wordsmith. What a literary tour-de-force she has created in this book! No one could have done a better job of telling this story.

Seabiscuit was an unlikely champion. He was small, short-legged, knobby-kneed,with a rough coat. He was trained in California, which, at the time, was considered a very low class place to be for a thoroughbred. The power and glory were in the hands of the Eastern Establishment. Seabiscuit had one thing going for him. Once his interest was engaged, he was the fastest horse in the world. Thoroughbreds are noted for their foul dispositions and though Seabiscuit liked to taunt and tease the competition, he was a well-mannered and affectionate fellow. He did enjoy a good snooze and hated to get up in the morning, and he loved to eat. When put on an enforced diet, he would scream his displeasure. He adored the camera and when he heard the click or pop of flashbulbs, he immediately fanned his tail, batted his eyes and faced front and forward, which I presume he thought was his best camera angle. Seabiscuit was made to order for Americans who love to love the underdog.

The author devotes an entire chapter to Seabiscuit's famed match race with War Admiral, the champion East coast thoroughbred. War Admiral was a magnificent horse with speed, fire, and a ferocious temper. It took years to arrange this match and protracted negotiations went on right up to the starting gate. Ms. Hildenbrand's recounting of this Race of the Century (and it truly was!) is a masterpiece in nail-biting suspense. I never knew I could hold my breath for an entire chapter.

This is my Book of the Year. Highly recommended.