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A review of Seabiscuit: An American Legend

by Laura Hillenbrand

The exciting story of an unexpected champion.

Reviewed by: April Chase
About April Chase

Seabiscuit: An American Legend From the very beginning, Americans have shown a deeply ingrained love for the underdog. Perhaps because in the eyes of the world, the foolhardy colonists who waged war on the mighty British Empire were the ultimate underdogs, the come-from-behind winner seems to hold a special place in our hearts. So when Seabiscuit, an ugly little horse with poor conformation and a bad temper, seemingly the unlikeliest of racehorses, started to win races, he became a major cultural icon of the 1930's. In 1938, Hillenbrand notes, Seabiscuit received more press coverage than either Franklin Roosevelt or Hitler!

Of course, Seabiscuit was not the only underdog in his story. His owners, his trainer, his jockey - they all took a big chance, working with such a questionable runner. Every horse owner dreams of buying some little old pony that will reveal unimagined speed, win many races, and make them rich. But let's face it, that just doesn't happen in real life. Except in this case, it did. He saved his jockey's career, launched his owners to the top of the racing elite, and helped revive the popularity of horse racing, reeling from past scandals. Not bad for a bargain basement horse!

This book provides a fascinating slice-of -life view of the Depression years, and how sports and other entertainments gained prominence in those days, as the public desperately sought ways to forget, for a little while at least, the hard times around them. Tales about Seabiscuit, his flamboyant jockey Red Pollard, and the social elite represented by his owner Charles Howard spread across the airwaves and the public ate them up. Today's sports mega-industry is firmly rooted in the sports pages and radio broadcasts of this era.

Not all was sweetness and light, though. Racing was a brutal occupation, pushing men and animals to the limit. Seabiscuit and his jockeys endured multiple injuries, grueling schedules, and constant travel. Hillenbrand shares details of the horrendous diet and exercise routines that the jockeys inflicted on themselves to maintain their weights, which sometimes nearly killed them. The psychological pressure to win at any cost took its toll, too, on friendships, relationships, and health.

Hillenbrand, a journalist with years of experience in the world of thoroughbred racing, writes the story of Seabiscuit's incredible career with authority and wit. And it is a fantastic story - even those who don't think of themselves as "horse people" will enjoy the drama and humor of his spectacular rise to fame. Seabiscuit draws extensively on interviews and excerpts from newspapers of the day, which Hillenbrand painstakingly researched, and interviews with people who remember the exciting events and the people involved. Her well written, no nonsense prose keeps the book moving along, and she provides excellent notes detailing her sources. I highly recommend this book.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Copyright © by April Chase, 2003

Reviewed by April Chase:
-- Move Your Stuff, Change Your Life - by Karen Rauch Carter
-- The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids On 25 Words Or Less - by Terry Ryan
-- Seabiscuit: An American Legend - by Laura Hillenbrand









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