King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian

It has been a very long time since I've been so enthralled with a book that I kept reading until I was finished. Henry's style of capturing the reader is magical. As I started reading the book, I was thrilled because I knew who Man 'o War was in the horse racing world. But tbook is actually about the stallion, born in Morocco, that was the base of his line, and so many other racing lines in Europe and the USA.

Born in a royal stable and given to the King of France as a gift, but starved on the journey there, Sham and Agba, the horseboy accompanying him are rejected and given away as a cart horse. Agba manages, through many challenges of his own, to keep track of Sham as he is mistreated and passed from owner to owner, always as a cart show more horse. At one point Sham and Agba are joined by the ginger striped cat Grimalkin who, one person comments, looks like Dick Whittington's cat. It's something that, in the tale, is important.

Agba never forgets the promise he made when Sham was a new-born colt: My name is Agba. Ba means father. I will be a father to you, Sham, and when I am grown I will ride you before the multitudes. And they will bow before you, and you will be King of the Wind. I promise it.. But how can Agba ever keep the promise he made? show less

When I was a preteen, I read several books by Marguerite Henry, but not King of the Wind. I probably didn't want to read it because the main human character is a boy. But now I have read it, and in my estimation it is a beautifully-written and illustrated story about the deep bond between a mute, parentless stable boy and an extraordinary stallion. The two, along with their cat companion Grimalkin, experience many hardships that would have defeated weaker souls, but they triumph in the end. That the ending is ultimately happy may seem a little predictable (this is a children's book after all), but it is uplifting all the same.

It seems like all the "classic" books about horses follow the same mold; the horse is born, grows up, learns how to handle humans, goes through a casting out period where they are treated horribly and become separated from the people they love, then somewhere toward the end they find their family or human again and all is restored in the world. This book fits right in with that category, so why do we all love it so deeply?

The story of Sham is the story of hope, of struggle through hardship and the return to grace. It is also the story of the strength in friendship. But more than all of this, it is the story of a great horse who was made great not by his deeds, but by the deeds of his children. King of the Wind captures the essence of show more Sham's greatness, showing it to the readers in a way that his actions were never allowed to do, all while describing the experiences in the most beautiful and heart-touching detail. Horse lovers and fans of racing will find that this book is so all-encompassing that they simply can not put it down, because after a while you realize you don't see the words on the page, you see the image of the experience in your mind.

Easy to see why this was a Newbery winner and is still a must read. show less

He was named "Sham" for the sun, this golden red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco's stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of misfortune. Although he was as swift as the desert winds, Sham's proud pedigree would be scorned all his life by cruel masters and owners.

This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France and, finally, to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned Godolphin Arabian, whose blood flows through the veins of almost every superior Thoroughbred. Sham's speed - like his story - has become legendary.

He was named "Sham" for the sun, this golden red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco's stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of misfortune. Although he was as swift as the desert winds, Sham's proud pedigree would be scorned all his life by cruel masters and owners.

This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France and, finally, to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned Godolphin Arabian, whose blood flows through the veins of almost every superior Thoroughbred. Sham's speed - like his story - has become legendary.

I like, not love horses; but I'm a sucker for a good animal story; and this one, based on history with some liberty in the telling, is outstanding. I loved the book as a kid, and it's still a great read in my 50's. The detail of the backgrounds, from Morocco to the streets of Paris and the marshes in England, the riches-to-rags-to-riches story of the fiery Arabian Sham and the mute boy, Agba, who loved him; make this book a wonderful reading experience.

As a child, and as an adult too actually, I loved horse stories. Marguerite Henry writes an easy but enjoyable horse story. Her stories feel very true to the time and setting and are enjoyable to read.