Seabiscuit: An American Legend

This was a great book; a classic story of underdogs who achieve great victories. At center is, of course, Seabiscuit, who was deemed too small and too lazy to be a champion. Besides, he was short and his knees were bony. Bought by a man who built an automotive empire out of 21 cents. Trained by a virtually speechless man who was said to be too old. Ridden by a jockey blind in one eye and generally thought to be too tall. And yet, they are triumphant.

The gripping saga of Seabiscuit's career with its successes and many setbacks could have been enough for an interesting book. But the author has done amazing research and brings us the personalities and back stories of all the main players (human and animal). She sets the story in the show more broader context of the depression and prohibition. She shows the appalling lack of safety standards for both jockeys and horses. She gives us the story not only of a horse, but of the sport, the horseracing business and the broader times.

Very well done. show less

Some forgotten number of years ago, I read a fascinating article about non-fiction writer Laura Hillenbrand when Unbroken was about to be released. It was about how she was able to meticulously research and write about WWII despite being unable to leave her house. I remember a man she interviewed for the book saying how he was sceptical of her hands-off research at first. A scepticism which turned into being awed by how she managed to capture the feelings of being in a submarine despite never visiting it.

Everybody loves an underdog story, and Seabiscuit is no exception. The story of its chance meetings and drama of horse racing are natural fodders for an interest piece in, say, a weekend newspaper. However, Hillenbrand turns what could show more otherwise be a page-filler into a superbly researched and excellently written tale where she shows that sometimes real life can be more outrageously amazing than fiction. She portrays Seabiscuit as beyond a mass of winning muscles and reveals the stubborn, cheeky, naughty, cocksure personality beneath - which might be accused of anthropomorphism if not for the anecdotal and circumstantial evidence but adds such an enjoyable dimension. Who knew that Seabiscuit had an animal posse!

As someone who is ethically/morally/wholeheartedly against horse racing, this exhilarating novel blew my convictions sideways for Seabiscuit. The adrenaline on every page compels me to actively make a fist with my right hand to stem my excitement for something that happened over eighty years ago. I'm still disgusted by the animal cruelty and casualty/injury rates of such a "sport" but while I'm reading, Laura Hillenbrand will make me feel like I'm right there in 1938 America, swept up and down by the celebrity mania that is Seabiscuit. show less

Seabiscuit: an American Legend is a beautifully written book. The book tells the stories of the horse, Seabiscuit, and the people most close to him: his owner (Charles Howard), trainer (Tom Smith), and primary jockey (Red Pollard). Hillenbrand gives us a lot of detail about their lives, so that we feel like we know them. Her descriptions of their appearance is as vivid and detailed as you would find in a novel. In fact, the book reads like a novel. And the story of Seabiscuit is extraordinary. Short and unimpressive in appearance, he did not have the look of a champion. But with unexpected speed and heart, he was able to win races the experts did not believe that he could. He became wildly popular with the depression-era audiences, who show more loved his underdog story.

Hillenbrand masterfully recounts the stories of Seabiscuit's most important races, with an especially dramatic telling of the famous match race with War Admiral. We follow the lives of Seabiscuit, his owner, trainer, and jockey through all their ups and downs. This is truly a tale that if someone wrote it as fiction, no one would believe it.

Laura Hillenbrand completed an extraordinary amount of research in order to provide the rich details of the story. I am thankful that she was able to talk to so many who could provide eyewitness details before they were gone. A truly unforgettable book. show less

Who would’ve thought that a horse would merit nearly 350 pages? I read this book because Unbroken was such a compelling page-turner; it seemed worth a try, but I was doubtful. And it drew me in completely. I’m not all that keen on horses, but the author conveyed the appeal of the Depression era public distraction of horse racing, with a cast of naturally colorful characters, no contrivance needed: the owner Charles Howard, who converted 21 cents into a bicycle repair shop and an automobile franchise; the trainer Tom Smith, who spoke to people in cleverly selected monosyllables but spoke to horses in their own language; the jockey Red Pollard, who successfully kept the secret that he was blind in one eye. All three saw something show more special in this horse of stellar pedigree but idiosyncratic and misunderstood form, who had been relegated to the lower tier of races. The style is an immersive you-were-there perspective, made possible by contemporary reports and interviews, a volume of minutiae that could’ve been a slog, but it is so skillfully arranged and presented that the effect is anxious anticipation. This incredibly talented horse was also fragile; hopes and reputations and dollars depended on the perfect alignment of fitness and race schedules, and there are several sequences of yes, it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, ... oh no! And yet it has to happen, the crucial megabucks race with the top-ranked competition, or this horse would not be famous. Highly recommended.

(read 15 Nov 2013) show less

Seabiscuit: An American Legend - Hillenbrand
4 stars

I don’t enjoy horse racing. I can’t get past the idea that it is abusive to the animals and the jockeys. And then, there’s the people with gambling addictions; it’s just so depressing. My father, who did enjoy horse racing, would tell me, ‘You’re such a kill joy.’ (Guilty as charged.) I planned to buy him a copy of Seabiscuit when it was published, but he didn’t want to read it. Maybe he thought it would spoil his fun.

I did enjoy HIllenbrand’s book. It was interesting, and she even managed to have me at the edge of my seat over races whose outcome I already knew. She captured Seabiscuit’s unique personality. Gotta love a horse who runs like the wind, but is just as show more happy to eat and sleep if he isn’t running. I enjoyed Tom Smith’s thoughtful horse training and his devious war with the press.
I cringed at the horrendous injuries suffered by the jockeys. It was great that Seabiscuit got to have a long and fruitful retirement. It was tragic that Tom Smith, Red Pollard, and George Woolf did not.

I still don’t like horse racing. show less

Vivid descriptions of events and the people who shaped the popular Thoroughbred Seabiscuit reminds me of the enthusiasm my parents - in particular my father - had for this horse and his triumphs. The story of the trainer Tom Smith and jockey Red Pollard made me imagine my father in those roles, since so much of his life and dreams intersected with the lives of those men. I'm glad Laura Hillenbrand uncovered these details through meticulous research so we can relive this story as if we are living it in the present.

This story takes us back in time to the 1930’s, a time of much turbulence in the world. This work, however, focuses on one horse and his important people. Together with owner Charles Howard, trainer Tom Smith, and jockey Red Pollard, Seabiscuit makes sports page history. The story reveals it just as it happened. We get to know the people and Seabiscuit first and then follow this horse’s training and racing days. The story is written in such a way that the races seem like actual play-by-plays. It’s often hard not to jump up and yell “Go, Seabiscuit!” as the races are run on the pages of this book! Well researched and lots of fun, this book is delightful reading for any animal lover or fan of sports history.