- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Aurum Press Ltd (25 Feb 2011)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1845136101
- ISBN-13: 978-1845136109
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 16.2 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 132,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
‘A veritable treasure trove, the book covers the splendour of Royal Ascot and the Derby…through to the homeliness of the most humble country course’ (Daily Telegraph 20110325)
'Martin Smith relives horse racing’s greatest moments in this wonderful book’ (Manchester Evening News )
‘Anthology of outstanding writing’ (Blackpool Gazette )
'Martin Smith relives horse racing’s greatest moments in this wonderful book’ (Manchester Evening News )
‘Anthology of outstanding writing’ (Blackpool Gazette )
Product Description
It is the Sport of Kings. And Queens. And Lords and their Ladies. It is also the sport of knaves and bounders, spivs and cheats. Horse racing, moreover, is the sport of the ordinary man: from housewives with their 50p on whichever horse Lester is riding in the Derby, to anyone who has entered the office Grand National sweepstake. It is a massive commercial industry with a multi-million pound turnover in betting, breeding and prize-money. Yet it is a fun day out, whether it be the splendour of Royal Ascot, Epsom dolled up for the Derby, Cheltenham rocking to the Irish enjoying ‘the craic’, or the homeliness of the most humble country course. The names of its best-known exponents have become engrained in the nation’s consciousness: who has never heard of Red Rum, Best Mate, Shergar, Arkle, Desert Orchid, Nijinsky, or Richards, Winter, Piggott, Francome, Dettori or McCoy? And who has not rooted for one or all of them when they have lined up in the Derby, Grand National or Cheltenham Gold Cup? The Sport of Kings, Queens & Four-Legged Athletes relives racing’s greatest moments through the passion and authority of the back pages’ true thoroughbreds: John Oaksey, Brough Scott, J.A. McGrath, Marcus Armytage, Peter Scott, Paul Hayward, the anonymous Hotspurs and Marlboroughs, and jockeys Tony McCoy and Frankie Dettori, offering their tips for the day. If you love the Sport of Kings, and its four-legged athletes, then The Telegraph Book of Horse Racing is a veritable treasure trove. (201103)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Whatever one thinks of the newspaper's politics, the one undeniable truth is that the Telegraph established and maintained a great tradition in its coverage of horseracing. The newspaper began its coverage a week or two after its launch in 1855, at a time when the only other major sports were cricket and rifle shooting. Remember that this was more than thirty years before the establishment of a professional football (soccer) league.
The book focuses mainly on the last half century, so many of the great races from the period are covered, ranging historically from Arkle in the sixties to Workforce winning the Arc in 2010. You can read about the 1971 2,000 Guineas, which provided a rare defeat for Mill Reef, but also about that horse's triumph later that year at Ascot. You can also read about many other champion racehorses and great jockeys and trainers as well as a few notable owners. Among the more recent champions, you'll find two articles about Ouija Board - one covering her second Breeders Cup win and another marking her retirement from racing.
The royal family gets a whole chapter. The Telegraph devoted an entire page of broadsheet (almost three pages here) to the victory of Minoru in the 1909 Epsom Derby. There are articles about the Queen Mother and the Queen as owners, and Prince Charles and Princess Anne as amateur jockeys.
There is a chapter containing articles about race days, looking at the spectators and the course itself rather than the serious business of actually racing. A chapter about farces and falls is primarily devoted to the Grand National, but the Derbies of 1913 and 1962 are included as well as some other races and the foot-and-mouth epidemic that caused the cancellation of Cheltenham 2001 and the death of Best Mate at Exeter in 2005. This article appears to be in the wrong place; I think it should have been in the final chapter, which focuses on deaths of horses and jockeys.
Of course, an unavoidable problem of a book based on newspaper articles is that some stories are left hanging. Each article stands on its own, without any follow-up. There is, for example, an article about Jenny Pitman having six runners in the 1995 Grand National, written in anticipation of the race, so that article does not tell you whether any of them won the race (one did, but it was an outsider.). Actually, the editor was very kind to choose that article about Pitman rather than (say) the one about the 1992 Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Pitman-trained Golden Freeze appeared to be used as a pacemaker, or an earlier event up at Ayr that ended with Pitman lashing out at jockey Jamie Osborne. Obviously, not everything can be included, but either of those articles would have been more exciting than the one about six horses in the same race.
Given the newspaper's history, one disappointment with the book is the lack of early articles. The oldest article here is from 1886 on Fred Archer's suicide. While this article reflects on his career as well as his death, and definitely merits inclusion, it is a shame that it is the only article about him. From 1900 until the mid-twentieth century, there are a few articles but not that many, and most of them focus on the Aintree Grand National and the Epsom Derby. I know that some people think that racing didn't really begin until Arkle burst on the scene in the early sixties, and that in any case people generally prefer to reminisce about things within living memory, but I still think there should have been more articles from the first 100 years of the Telegraph.
I am also disappointed that no index is provided. This won't matter to e-book readers, but I bought the hardback. The articles themselves are not in historical order, being classified according to categories chosen by the editor. The lack of an index is therefore all the more noticeable.
In many ways an excellent book, the over-emphasis on the last half-century (which some people will appreciate) and the lack of an index are serious enough for me to drop this to four stars, but there is plenty to enjoy here.
The book focuses mainly on the last half century, so many of the great races from the period are covered, ranging historically from Arkle in the sixties to Workforce winning the Arc in 2010. You can read about the 1971 2,000 Guineas, which provided a rare defeat for Mill Reef, but also about that horse's triumph later that year at Ascot. You can also read about many other champion racehorses and great jockeys and trainers as well as a few notable owners. Among the more recent champions, you'll find two articles about Ouija Board - one covering her second Breeders Cup win and another marking her retirement from racing.
The royal family gets a whole chapter. The Telegraph devoted an entire page of broadsheet (almost three pages here) to the victory of Minoru in the 1909 Epsom Derby. There are articles about the Queen Mother and the Queen as owners, and Prince Charles and Princess Anne as amateur jockeys.
There is a chapter containing articles about race days, looking at the spectators and the course itself rather than the serious business of actually racing. A chapter about farces and falls is primarily devoted to the Grand National, but the Derbies of 1913 and 1962 are included as well as some other races and the foot-and-mouth epidemic that caused the cancellation of Cheltenham 2001 and the death of Best Mate at Exeter in 2005. This article appears to be in the wrong place; I think it should have been in the final chapter, which focuses on deaths of horses and jockeys.
Of course, an unavoidable problem of a book based on newspaper articles is that some stories are left hanging. Each article stands on its own, without any follow-up. There is, for example, an article about Jenny Pitman having six runners in the 1995 Grand National, written in anticipation of the race, so that article does not tell you whether any of them won the race (one did, but it was an outsider.). Actually, the editor was very kind to choose that article about Pitman rather than (say) the one about the 1992 Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Pitman-trained Golden Freeze appeared to be used as a pacemaker, or an earlier event up at Ayr that ended with Pitman lashing out at jockey Jamie Osborne. Obviously, not everything can be included, but either of those articles would have been more exciting than the one about six horses in the same race.
Given the newspaper's history, one disappointment with the book is the lack of early articles. The oldest article here is from 1886 on Fred Archer's suicide. While this article reflects on his career as well as his death, and definitely merits inclusion, it is a shame that it is the only article about him. From 1900 until the mid-twentieth century, there are a few articles but not that many, and most of them focus on the Aintree Grand National and the Epsom Derby. I know that some people think that racing didn't really begin until Arkle burst on the scene in the early sixties, and that in any case people generally prefer to reminisce about things within living memory, but I still think there should have been more articles from the first 100 years of the Telegraph.
I am also disappointed that no index is provided. This won't matter to e-book readers, but I bought the hardback. The articles themselves are not in historical order, being classified according to categories chosen by the editor. The lack of an index is therefore all the more noticeable.
In many ways an excellent book, the over-emphasis on the last half-century (which some people will appreciate) and the lack of an index are serious enough for me to drop this to four stars, but there is plenty to enjoy here.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
1 review
Collection of newspaper articles
19 May 2011
Format:Hardcover
Whatever one thinks of the newspaper's politics, the one undeniable truth is that the Telegraph established and maintained a great tradition in its coverage of horseracing. The newspaper began its coverage a week or two after its launch in 1855, at a time when the only other major sports were cricket and rifle shooting. Remember that this was more than thirty years before the establishment of a professional football (soccer) league.
The book focuses mainly on the last half century, so many of the great races from the period are covered, ranging historically from Arkle in the sixties to Workforce winning the Arc in 2010. You can read about the 1971 2,000 Guineas, which provided a rare defeat for Mill Reef, but also about that horse's triumph later that year at Ascot. You can also read about many other champion racehorses and great jockeys and trainers as well as a few notable owners. Among the more recent champions, you'll find two articles about Ouija Board - one covering her second Breeders Cup win and another marking her retirement from racing.
The royal family gets a whole chapter. The Telegraph devoted an entire page of broadsheet (almost three pages here) to the victory of Minoru in the 1909 Epsom Derby. There are articles about the Queen Mother and the Queen as owners, and Prince Charles and Princess Anne as amateur jockeys.
There is a chapter containing articles about race days, looking at the spectators and the course itself rather than the serious business of actually racing. A chapter about farces and falls is primarily devoted to the Grand National, but the Derbies of 1913 and 1962 are included as well as some other races and the foot-and-mouth epidemic that caused the cancellation of Cheltenham 2001 and the death of Best Mate at Exeter in 2005. This article appears to be in the wrong place; I think it should have been in the final chapter, which focuses on deaths of horses and jockeys.
Of course, an unavoidable problem of a book based on newspaper articles is that some stories are left hanging. Each article stands on its own, without any follow-up. There is, for example, an article about Jenny Pitman having six runners in the 1995 Grand National, written in anticipation of the race, so that article does not tell you whether any of them won the race (one did, but it was an outsider.). Actually, the editor was very kind to choose that article about Pitman rather than (say) the one about the 1992 Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Pitman-trained Golden Freeze appeared to be used as a pacemaker, or an earlier event up at Ayr that ended with Pitman lashing out at jockey Jamie Osborne. Obviously, not everything can be included, but either of those articles would have been more exciting than the one about six horses in the same race.
Given the newspaper's history, one disappointment with the book is the lack of early articles. The oldest article here is from 1886 on Fred Archer's suicide. While this article reflects on his career as well as his death, and definitely merits inclusion, it is a shame that it is the only article about him. From 1900 until the mid-twentieth century, there are a few articles but not that many, and most of them focus on the Aintree Grand National and the Epsom Derby. I know that some people think that racing didn't really begin until Arkle burst on the scene in the early sixties, and that in any case people generally prefer to reminisce about things within living memory, but I still think there should have been more articles from the first 100 years of the Telegraph.
I am also disappointed that no index is provided. This won't matter to e-book readers, but I bought the hardback. The articles themselves are not in historical order, being classified according to categories chosen by the editor. The lack of an index is therefore all the more noticeable.
In many ways an excellent book, the over-emphasis on the last half-century (which some people will appreciate) and the lack of an index are serious enough for me to drop this to four stars, but there is plenty to enjoy here.
The book focuses mainly on the last half century, so many of the great races from the period are covered, ranging historically from Arkle in the sixties to Workforce winning the Arc in 2010. You can read about the 1971 2,000 Guineas, which provided a rare defeat for Mill Reef, but also about that horse's triumph later that year at Ascot. You can also read about many other champion racehorses and great jockeys and trainers as well as a few notable owners. Among the more recent champions, you'll find two articles about Ouija Board - one covering her second Breeders Cup win and another marking her retirement from racing.
The royal family gets a whole chapter. The Telegraph devoted an entire page of broadsheet (almost three pages here) to the victory of Minoru in the 1909 Epsom Derby. There are articles about the Queen Mother and the Queen as owners, and Prince Charles and Princess Anne as amateur jockeys.
There is a chapter containing articles about race days, looking at the spectators and the course itself rather than the serious business of actually racing. A chapter about farces and falls is primarily devoted to the Grand National, but the Derbies of 1913 and 1962 are included as well as some other races and the foot-and-mouth epidemic that caused the cancellation of Cheltenham 2001 and the death of Best Mate at Exeter in 2005. This article appears to be in the wrong place; I think it should have been in the final chapter, which focuses on deaths of horses and jockeys.
Of course, an unavoidable problem of a book based on newspaper articles is that some stories are left hanging. Each article stands on its own, without any follow-up. There is, for example, an article about Jenny Pitman having six runners in the 1995 Grand National, written in anticipation of the race, so that article does not tell you whether any of them won the race (one did, but it was an outsider.). Actually, the editor was very kind to choose that article about Pitman rather than (say) the one about the 1992 Cheltenham Gold Cup, in which the Pitman-trained Golden Freeze appeared to be used as a pacemaker, or an earlier event up at Ayr that ended with Pitman lashing out at jockey Jamie Osborne. Obviously, not everything can be included, but either of those articles would have been more exciting than the one about six horses in the same race.
Given the newspaper's history, one disappointment with the book is the lack of early articles. The oldest article here is from 1886 on Fred Archer's suicide. While this article reflects on his career as well as his death, and definitely merits inclusion, it is a shame that it is the only article about him. From 1900 until the mid-twentieth century, there are a few articles but not that many, and most of them focus on the Aintree Grand National and the Epsom Derby. I know that some people think that racing didn't really begin until Arkle burst on the scene in the early sixties, and that in any case people generally prefer to reminisce about things within living memory, but I still think there should have been more articles from the first 100 years of the Telegraph.
I am also disappointed that no index is provided. This won't matter to e-book readers, but I bought the hardback. The articles themselves are not in historical order, being classified according to categories chosen by the editor. The lack of an index is therefore all the more noticeable.
In many ways an excellent book, the over-emphasis on the last half-century (which some people will appreciate) and the lack of an index are serious enough for me to drop this to four stars, but there is plenty to enjoy here.
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