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Laura Hillenbrand

Seabiscuit: The True Story of Three Men and a Racehorse Hardcover – 21 May 2001

by Laura Hillenbrand (Author)

4.5 3,665 ratings

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The true story of three men and their dreams for a racehorse – Seabiscuit – that symbolised a pivotal moment in American history, as the twentieth century’s greatest nation found the courage to bet on itself to win against the odds. Now a major motion picture directed by Gary Ross and starring Toby Maguire and Jeff Daniels.

In 1936 the habits of 19th-century America were finally consigned to history just as Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was published. In their place, modern America was born. But what defined this new era? Nothing more than the story of Seabiscuit, a stunted colt with asymmetrical knees that had for two years been hacked around no-good race tracks which led to permanent leg damage. Yet by 1937 Seabiscuit could draw crowds of 60,000 and had more newspaper column inches devoted to him than Mussolini, Hitler or Roosevelt, his popularity peaking during his appearances at the Santa Anita Handicap. America had gone to the races for the first time since the Depression and fallen in love with a misshapen colt of great character. Now it wanted a winner. Seabiscuit is aslo the story of three men: Tom Smith, a former Wild West Showman was the trainer; Red Pollard, abandoned by his poverty stricken family at a race track became the rider; and Charles Howard, a pioneer car manufacturer in San Francisco in the 1920s was the owner and financier. These three combined to create the legend of Seabiscuit and epitomise a dream for the emerging new America.

Print length

399 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Fourth Estate
Publication date

21 May 2001
Dimensions

15.9 x 3.7 x 24 cm
ISBN-10

1841150916
ISBN-13

978-1841150918
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Product description

Amazon Review

Laura Hillenbrand tells the story of the horse who became a cultural icon in Seabiscuit: the Making of a Legend. He didn't look like much. With his smallish stature, knobbly knees, and slightly crooked forelegs, he looked more like a cow pony than a thoroughbred. But looks aren't everything; his quality, an admirer once wrote, "was mostly in his heart".

Seabiscuit rose to prominence with the help of an unlikely triumvirate: owner Charles Howard, an automobile baron who once declared that "the day of the horse is past"; trainer Tom Smith, a man who "had cultivated an almost mystical communication with horses"; and jockey Red Pollard, who was down on his luck when he charmed a then-surly horse with his calm demeanour and a sugar cube. Hillenbrand details the ups and downs of "team Seabiscuit" from early training sessions to record-breaking victories, and from serious injury to "Horse of the Year"--as well as the Biscuit's fabled rivalry with War Admiral. She also describes the world of US horseracing in the 1930s, from the snobbery of Eastern journalists regarding Western horses and public fascination with the great thoroughbreds to the jockeys' torturous weight-loss regimens, including saunas in rubber suits, strong purgatives, even tapeworms.

Along the way, Hillenbrand paints wonderful images: tears in Tom Smith's eyes as his hero, legendary trainer James Fitzsimmons, asked to hold Seabiscuit's bridle while the horse was saddled; critically injured Red Pollard, whose chest was crushed in a racing accident a few weeks before, listening to the San Antonio Handicap from his hospital bed, cheering "Get going, Biscuit! Get 'em, you old devil!"; Seabiscuit happily posing for photographers for several minutes on end; other horses refusing to work out with Seabiscuit because he teased and taunted them with his blistering speed.

Though sometimes her prose takes on a distinctly purple hue ("His history had the ethereal quality of hoofprints in windblown snow"; "The California sunlight had the pewter cast of a declining season"), Hillenbrand has crafted a delightful book. Wire to wire, Seabiscuit is a winner. Highly recommended. --Sunny Delaney

Review

'A rip-roaring narrative from a cobwebbed chapter of the Depression' Sunday Times

'Hillenbrand tells the story of the triumphs and tribulations of her cast of misfits with flair and skill, relishing the larger than life characters who inhabited this forgotten demimonde.' Sunday Times

'Most readable…a wonderful tale' Daily Mail

'This season's literary sensation' Financial Times

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Fourth Estate; First Edition (21 May 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 399 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1841150916
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1841150918
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.9 x 3.7 x 24 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 806,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 270 in Horse Jockey Biographies
- 704 in Horse Race Betting
- 748 in Horse Racing (Books)

Customer reviews:
4.5 3,665 ratings

About the author

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Laura Hillenbrand

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Laura Hillenbrand (born May 15, 1967) is an American author of books and magazine articles. Her two best-selling nonfiction books, Seabiscuit: An American Legend and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption have sold over 10 million copies, and each was adapted for film. Her writing style is considered to differ from the New Journalism style, dropping verbal pyrotechnics in favor of a stronger focus on the story itself. Both books were written after she fell ill in college, barring her from completing her degree. She told that story in an award-winning essay, A Sudden Illness, which was published in The New Yorker in 2003. She was 28 years with Borden Flanagan, from whom she separated by 2014.

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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Lynsey Lou

Fascinating

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 April 2023

Verified Purchase

Loved this book. So very well researched and written. A wonderful story of owner, trainer, jockey and horse and the relationships interwoven together.

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Baraniecki Mark Stuart

Seabiscuit, An American Legend

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2013

Verified Purchase

Charles Howard was good at spotting opportunities and made a fortune as the General Motors automobile distributor for the Western United States in the 1920's. He also made the most unlikely choice of Tom Smith as trainer for his newly established racing stable.

Smith was 56 when Howard met him and had spent his life around horses, cattle ranching, taming mustangs for the British cavalry, circus shows, small time racing but by 1934 he was out of money and he lived in the same stall as his only horse.
Charles Howard decided that the uncommunicative Smith was the right person for his project, and Smith travelled round the tracks for him looking at hundreds of cheap horses until he found the well bred loser "Seabiscuit".

He saw something there, and together with jockey Red Pollard they went on to win everything in American racing.

Laura Hillenbrand obviously loves horses and has written a great story about the almost magical rise of "Seabiscuit".

One person found this helpful

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Flynn

This is an incredible book and I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone who enjoys reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2015

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This is an incredible book and I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone who enjoys reading. I had no prior knowledge of Seabiscuit's exploits and no interset in horses or horse racing but heard a very enthusiastic review of this book and saw that it was available at a good price so I thought 'Why not?' I left it on the 'to read' shelf until 6 months later and picked it up for a holiday read. Quite simply it blew me away. The first quarter of the book is a little fragmented but interesting in its own right, however, once all the pieces fall into place the narrative is relentlessly and intensely exciting and utterly immersive. Countless times I found myself miming riding a horse as I was reading and once, by the pool, I shouted "NO!" to the amusement of those around me. I also spent the next week telling anyone who'd listen random facts and stories about Seabiscuit like he was someone I'd known intimately. Do yourself a favour and buy this book.

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JJJ4J

Absolutely Gripping, a must read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 August 2015

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It has been a long time since a book has so gripped me. I am an avid book reader but mostly read Christian non-fiction but, having seen the film I was intrigued as to what the whole story would be like. I cannot begin to find all the superlative words except to say I was not disappointed in any way, even the races themselves were written in such a way that you could truly see what was going on and you found yourself tensing as you read the description. The ups and downs of the life of this horse and his jockey, trainer and owner are almost unbelievable set, as they are against the background of America in depression and leading up almost to the point of America becoming involved in the second world war. A must read for anybody, you do not need to love horses, or racing, just human beings and what they have to overcome.

2 people found this helpful

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Seabiscuit.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 September 2017

Verified Purchase

I came to this after watching the fine 2003 film version directed by Gary Ross that was based on this book.

A marvellously detailed and engrossing book, Hillenbrand does a fine job of contextualising this remarkable story within its time frame; it is not just a study of the lives of three men and a racehorse – it describes the racing industry of the day and it`s place in 1930s America, a whole detailed, panoramic background against which the drama (human and equine) is played out.
If anyone had said I would be enthralled by a book about horse-racing I would have laughed, but this is a gripping and utterly mesmeric tale that is both uplifting and hugely informative.

A fine work of historical and biographical research and an exemplary piece of writing that entirely engages the reader in it spell – a hugely recommendable book.

6 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Absolutely brilliant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 December 2021

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A truly fitting tribute to one of the greatest racehorses of all time. A marvellous insight into the three men in his life, and into Seabiscuit's own character. Highly entertaining throughout.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2021

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I really enjoy reading Laura's books, she has a great way of telling a story. I feel I learned a lot about horse racing. Definitely worth a read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 October 2021

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Hard to put down a book that keeps you wanting more and sad to finish. Such a thrilling journey brilliant

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Seabiscuit: The True Story of Three Men and a Racehorse Hardcover – 21 May 2001

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