Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand (2001)

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Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand


                Other trainers had overlooked Seabiscuit for many reasons. He was a difficult horse with “bucked knees” and bad composition. “Get me that horse. He has real stuff in him. I can improve him. I’m positive.” That statement made my by Tom Smith secured in history the success and trials that would come to him as the trainer, Charles Howard as the owner and Red Pollard, his jockey. The group would come together and take the racing world by storm. In the late 1930’s Seabiscuit would fight through injuries, successes and failures as he was swept back and forth across the country competing against many of the best horses in the world, breaking records and winning.
                I only found myself gravitating towards this book because I had previously read Hillenbrand’s Unbroken and absolutely loved it. I have never been a fan of horse racing. I’ve also never seen the movie Seabiscuit so I considered myself completely ignorant on this subject. Needless to say I plowed ahead with this nonfiction book to educate myself on the subject and to see if Hillenbrand was as talented as I assumed she was. I was not in any shape way or form disappointed. This book is absolutely amazing. Beautifully narrated and chronologically told Hillenbrand takes readers from the very beginning with the story of Charles Howard, and how he gained his fortune and began dabbling in racing. We then meet Tom Smith and John “Red” Pollard and the lives of all three men intersect because of Seabiscuit.

                What these men did together over the course of 5 years with this horse was absolutely amazing. And it is all captured and characterized in Seabiscuit: An American Legend. Hillenbrand is gifted in the way she can provide information and weave a beautiful tale. The world and characters are so detailed that they come alive on the page. I felt like I was in the midst of watching these races. The suspense was there in each moment. I felt the pain with each injury, the exhilaration of each win, and the sadness of each lose. I love when I finish a story that I not only loved but that I learned a great deal from. My interest is piqued and I find myself going back to certain section of this book simply to relive the moment. This was extremely well done and I give it 5 out of 5 stars. 

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