He would sweep into a room, working a cigarette in his fingers, and people would trail him like pilot fish. ![]() The unlikely matching of a self-made business tycoon, a taciturn cowboy horse trainer, and a gangly, half-blind jockey rounded out the quartet that captured the hearts of an eager public, as well as the imagination of Hillenbrand. Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand THE DAY OF THE HORSE IS PAST Charles Howard had the feel of a gigantic onrushing machine: You had to either climb on or leap out of the way. From his initial outings in the dust of Tijuana to his grudge match with Triple Crown winner War Admiral, Seabiscuit epitomized the rags-to-riches American dream for millions of impoverished citizens who wondered whether the dream was still possible.Īlthough the horse became the focus of public attention, it was the convergence of the unique men contributing to Seabiscuit's success that piqued the interest of the media reports of the day, just as it is for Hillenbrand's book. Seabiscuit became a cultural icon,Īccording to Hillenbrand, and offered hope to a generation of disadvantaged people: if he could overcome adversity and become a winner, so could they. In fact, in 1938, as the word teetered on the brink of World War II, the majority of news coverage was devoted not to politicians or warmongers but to one knobby-kneed horse nearly past his prime. An unlikely hero-a short, squat, and seemingly unfit racehorse-offered one such distraction, becoming a media darling and capturing the national imagination. During those dark days, average citizens clung to even the smallest diversion that afforded hope or escape from their daily lives. In the United States, a stock market crash heralded the decade-long Great Depression that mired the country in despair and hopelessness. The book takes place between 19, a period during which the world changed dramatically. The plethora of detail is a testament to Hillenbrand's thorough research. In the depths of the Great Depression, Seabiscuit rose from obscurity to international fame, and became a symbol of hope for many Americans. Though nonfiction, the book pushes the reader forward using narrative elements more commonly found in fiction novels, as lives and situations intersect and diverge. Seabiscuit is a 1999 nonfiction book written by Laura Hillenbrand about the rise to fame and racing glory of an American racehorse named Seabiscuit. ![]() She found that his story was a triumph over adversity that mimicked her personal predicament in many ways. While suffering from a debilitating illness, Hillenbrand wrote short pieces and feature articles for a variety of equestrian magazines before becoming captivated by the tale of Seabiscuit and the men who believed in him. ![]() Seabiscuit is an inspiring tale of unlikely heroes, a classic story of three embattled individuals and a remarkable racehorse overcoming the odds in the Great Depression.Seabiscuit: An American Legend is the first book-length work published by Laura Hillenbrand. In four tumultuous years, the rags-to-riches horse overcame a phenomenal run of misfortune to emerge as an American cultural icon, drawing an immense following, prompting an avalanche of merchandising, and establishing himself as the single biggest newsmaker of 1938-receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or any other public figure. Forming an improbable partnership, they transformed the horse into one of the most extraordinary competitors in sports history. In the sultry summer of 1936, the lives of these men converged around a bad-legged, floundering racehorse named Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit tells the story of three remarkable men: Charles Howard, a bicycle repairman who made a fortune by introducing the automobile to the American West Red Pollard, a failed prizefighter and failing jockey who was abandoned as a boy at a makeshift racetrack and Tom Smith, an enigmatic mustang breaker who came from the vanishing frontier, bearing generations of lost wisdom about the secrets of horses. Named one of the best books of the year by more than twenty publications-including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, People, USA Today, and The Economist-Seabiscuit was also honored as the BookSense Nonfiction Book of the Year and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, and was a finalist for several other major prizes, including the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.įor this lavishly illustrated special edition, author Laura Hillenbrand has written a new Introduction and selected nearly 150 rare photographs from historic archives and private collections. ![]() The spellbinding true story of how three men and a great racehorse captivated a nation, Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit: An American Legend became an immediate number one bestseller and cultural phenomenon upon its publication in 2001. A deluxe illustrated edition of one of the most beloved books of our time, with nearly 150 historic photographs personally selected by the author
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