Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Seabiscuit. An American Legend. I think the only reason I even know the horse's name is because of the movie they filmed a few years ago. I'm obviously not a horse-racing fan, right?

I don't even remember why I grabbed this at a library book sale. A friend here on GR must have given it a good review. But I am so glad I read this.

I've gotten much better about reading non-fiction over the past six months, but I was amazed at what a page-turner this was for me. I've been reading non-fiction before bed, thinking that would be a good time to squeeze it in because I wouldn't have to worry too much about getting caught up in the story and staying up all night. Bad move with this book. I was doing the "one more chapter" thing quite a bit.

It was show more just a perfect mix of an underdog story and excellent writing. Hillenbrand has a gift for putting you right into the action. Not knowing if Seabiscuit was going to win or lose any given race, my stomach would knot up and I would start reading faster as he came out of the gates. I was worried about injuries. I was furious with jockeys whom I thought were cheating. My heart pounded as Seabiscuit came down the home stretch and I read ahead to find out if he pulled it off this time. What the heck has happened to me?!? Where did the woman who thought "Non-fiction is boring" go?

This horse and his team are truly all-American legends. It seems that we love underdog stories and Seabiscuit, owner Charles Howard, trainer Tom Smith, and jockey Red Pollard were all underdogs at some point. Reading about their struggles and triumphs and, yes, even failures, was inspiring. If they can pull off something like this, why can't you or I?

I loved reading about Tom Smith's unending feud with the press. I worried over Pollard, the injury-prone, Shakespeare-quoting jockey. Seabiscuit's quirks amused me to no end--unless he was messing around with another horse as the finish line approached. Then I just wanted to yell at him, "Stop horsing around! Just finish the race!" (Sorry. I couldn't resist.)

Now that I've finished it, I've caught myself spouting off some random Seabiscuit trivia to my husband. "Oh, did you know that Seabiscuit hated to run on mud?" The Belmont Stakes was on tv. The track looked muddy. It seemed relevant. There was more, but I'll keep my own quirks to myself.

The whole match race thing with War Admiral had me a nervous wreck! I just watched the real race on YouTube and, wow! It gave me goosebumps! It was funny to see Seabiscuit's awkward stride after reading so much about it and to know about all the prep work and psychology that went into that race.

I just loved this book, and I can't say enough about it. So before I end up giving you a page-by-page summary and my reactions, just do us both a favor and go read it. 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

I'll admit, I can be a bit of a book snob-- I like to find hidden treasures and tend to stay away from the mainstream bestsellers that everyone's reading. But then my aunt got on my back about how I just had to read this book, and I'm very glad that she did. This is a finely crafted account of a moving story that combines the smooth pace of a traditional novel with the fascination of living history. The characters, both human and equine, are well-drawn and the race scenes are a real stand-out. I felt like I was actually at the races-- I couldn't read the words fast enough to see if Seabiscuit would prevail! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good story.

I never thought or believed I would love a nonfiction novel this much, especially one as a required read. Nonfiction isn't my genre at all, and I tend to steer clear of it whenever possible, but I loved Seabiscuit. Well, as much as you can love a book for school. Seabiscuit snuck up behind me and left me wrought out with emotion at the end.

Somehow Laura Hillenbrand was able to recount the life of Seabiscuit and those around him in such a thrilling and gripping way that made me forget it was even nonfiction at times. I admit that the first 5 or 6 chapters were hard for me to get through. As a horse/animal lover, I was looking forward to reading about the adventures of Seabiscuit but the first few chapters were mostly the backstory of show more the people. This was the hardest part for me to get through because I was kind of bored and at times felt that parts were a complete info dump, but it was somewhat expected in a nonfiction novel. But after I got through those chapters, I easily sailed through the rest of the book. My favorite parts of the book were easily the horse racing scenes. I have no idea how Laura did it, but the way she described them had my heart racing and my eyes glued to the book in anticipation. Those were the times where I felt as if I was part of the crowd watching the horses race. I absolutely loved it and honestly didn't want to put it down. I also loved well, any part that had Seabiscuit, whether it be training with Smith or simply getting his pictures taken by reporters.

Seabiscuit was an amazing horse-smart and cunning yet stubborn as a mule at times. The characters definitely grew on me as well. I felt sorrow and pain for Pollard and his injuries and sadness reading about Smith in the epilogue. The relationship between Smith, Pollard, Howard, and even Woolf was woven intricately with their paths entwining together, completing Team Seabiscuit. My favorite character is a tie up between Pollard and Smith. I guess I shouldn't call them characters but people. This book makes it easy to forget that what happened on the page occurred in real life. Smith was an excellent horse trainer. In my mind, I dubbed him the Horse Whisperer for his ability to train even the stubbornest and rowdiest horses. He was a quiet person but extremely clever and quick witted. Pollard had tenaciousness in him that was admirable. He and Seabiscuit forged a bond together that displayed the trust between the rider and the horse. As I read this novel the people grew on me. I felt happy for their accomplishments and felt sadness and pain during their losses. The epilogue of Seabiscuit was bittersweet. I loved knowing what happened to the people and horses after their racing days were over, but some endings were filled with sorrow.

Overall, Seabiscuit was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it to animal/horse lovers. Even if you aren't a fan of nonfiction, Seabiscuit is definitely a book you should give a try if you ever find yourself in the mood for one. Don't be afraid if you don't know anything about horse racing either. I didn't know anything to begin with either, but Laura does a great job at explaining and describing the races and the jockeys, albeit sometimes I felt like it was too much information to take in at once. This is probably my favorite nonfiction book I've read. show less