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Walter Farley (1915–1989)

Author of The Black Stallion

65+ Works 21,602 Members 172 Reviews 20 Favorited

About the Author

Walter Farley was born in Syracuse, New York on June 26, 1915. He began writing The Black Stallion when he was a student at Columbia University and completed it while working as an advertising copywriter in New York City. It was an immediate success when it was published in 1941. During World War show more II, he served in the army where he wrote the second book in the series, The Black Stallion Returns. After his discharge from the service in 1946, he became a full-time author. He wrote 20 novels in the Black Stallion series. His also wrote a fictionalized biography of America's greatest Thoroughbred, Man O'War. He died of heart failure on October 17, 1989 at the age of 74. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: Farley Walter, Farley Walter R7H6

Series

Works by Walter Farley

The Black Stallion (1941) 4,854 copies
The Black Stallion Returns (1945) 1,688 copies
Son of the Black Stallion (1947) 1,432 copies
The Black Stallion and Satan (1949) 986 copies
The Black Stallion Mystery (1957) 980 copies
The Black Stallion Revolts (1953) 932 copies
The Black Stallion and Flame (1960) 874 copies
The Island Stallion (1948) 860 copies
The Black Stallion's Filly (1952) 757 copies
The Black Stallion's Ghost (1964) 742 copies
The Black Stallion's Courage (1956) 644 copies
Man O'War (1962) 619 copies
Little Black, A Pony (1961) 584 copies
The Island Stallion's Fury (1951) 543 copies
The Black Stallion Legend (1983) 516 copies
The Island Stallion Races (1955) 461 copies
The Young Black Stallion (1989) 445 copies
The Horse-Tamer (1958) 347 copies
Big Black Horse (1953) 71 copies
The Great Dane Thor (1966) 50 copies
Little Black Pony Races (1968) 27 copies
Horse That Swam Away (1965) 25 copies
Flamme, cheval sauvage (1973) 4 copies

Associated Works

The Black Stallion [1979 film] (1979) — Original book — 170 copies
The Black Stallion Returns [1983 film] (1998) — Original story — 56 copies
The Young Black Stallion [2003 film] (2004) — Original book — 36 copies
Writing Books for Boys and Girls — Contributor, some editions — 5 copies
The New Roger Caras Treasury of Great Horse Stories (1999) — Contributor — 3 copies

Tagged

adventure (175) animal (76) animal stories (91) animals (587) Black Stallion (542) Black Stallion Series (104) chapter book (69) childhood (60) children (315) children fiction (68) children's (579) children's book (92) children's books (138) children's fiction (213) children's literature (163) classic (117) classics (105) fiction (1,791) hardcover (52) horse (293) horse racing (256) horse stories (174) horses (2,241) horses--fiction (73) J/YA (56) juvenile (187) juvenile fiction (156) kids (65) literature (102) novel (129) own (117) paperback (82) racing (139) read (161) series (356) to-read (177) Walter Farley (80) YA (216) young adult (377) youth (71)

Common Knowledge

Members

Discussions

The Black Stallion Series, Walter Farley in World Reading Circle (January 2014)

Reviews

First published in 1941, Walter Farley's best-selling novel for young readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.
 
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PlumfieldCH | 55 other reviews | Sep 22, 2023 |
Black Stallion series, Walter Farley, horses, racing,
 
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fetish4minx | 6 other reviews | Jul 19, 2023 |
It is a classic and deservedly so in so many ways. Once, when life was a bit slower, people traveled the world on ships. And the ships stopped at many ports, and at one of those ports young Alec Ramsey sees a magnificent black stallion that can barely be contained by his handlers. Somehow, he manages to come onboard the ship where a specially-built stall is constructed for him, and Alec manages to befriend him with a cube of sugar, a bit of apple, and the adventure begins.

What captured me as a young, horse-mad girl, at a time when horse pastures were being "zoned" out of existence in and around Atlanta, was the solitude that Alec had with his horse on the desert island. I was so very glad that the movie captured the look and the feel of living there, only the two of them, learning to trust one another, and eventually Alec climbs on The Black's back for that marvelous ride around the island, feeling joy in existence and possibilities.

What I noticed now was the publication date: 1941. This book was written before the US entered World War II, horses were still kept near people's homes, and the return Alec makes to his home is not quite as jarring as it once was. The training that Alec goes through with Henry is intense (how on earth did Alec stay awake in class??) but again, there is that sense that *this* is the most wonderful of horses ever and adds a bit of apprenticeship to the magic of The Black Stallion.
… (more)
½
 
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threadnsong | 55 other reviews | Jun 6, 2023 |
Independent Reading Level: Grades 4-6
Awards: Young Reader's Choice Award (1944)
 
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KayleeWhitley | 55 other reviews | May 2, 2023 |

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Associated Authors

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Marga Ruperti Übersetzer, Translator, Übersetzer
T.R. Godschalk Translator
Gertraud Funke Cover artist
Nini Brunt Translator
Kajo Bierl Cover artist
Angie Draper Illustrator
Keith Ward Illustrator
John Rowe Illustrator
Peter van Straaten Illustrator
Ferdinand Kessler Cover artist
Ruth Sanderson Cover artist
Manja Wilkens Translator
James Shucker Illustrator

Statistics

Works
65
Also by
5
Members
21,602
Popularity
#996
Rating
3.9
Reviews
172
ISBNs
565
Languages
11
Favorited
20
Touchstones
218

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