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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this more than Seabiscuit and trust Nack’s retelling of the story more since he was actually there.
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
I'll start this by admitting I love, love horses and really loved this movie. People who don't feel that way probably wouldn't love this book. I was surprised by how much detail the author went into about the history of Thoroughbred breeding in this country. While it got confusing and somewhat repetitive, I found it so interesting. I was also struck by how different the author's perspective about the owners, trainer, and jockey was compared to the one presented in the movie. As you might expect, Hollywood took a lot of creative license with Secretariat's story. I tend to believe the version portrayed in the book because the author spent so many hours in the barn with the horse and the people who interacted with Secretariat on a daily basis (during his racing years,anyway). This book was well written and obviously well researched. I still love the movie anyway:-)
It was no Seabiscuit, but it's hard not to like a book about the greatest racehorse that ever lived.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was better than the movie, although I have to admit to a horse-lover bias. The detail is incredible and the racing scenes are written so well you feel as if you're sitting in the grandstand watching!
It starts slow with all the background of who and how Secretariat came to be. As I finally got into the training and racing and on into his brilliant 3 year old racing life I couldn't put the book down.
I am torn on my rating for this book. The first third is a one star for me. It was very dry, a rattling off of horse bloodlines and breeding. If you are really into horse racing, this will probably be of great interest to you. I learned of Secretariat through the recent film, and was interested to learn more of his story, but not to this level. The middle section starts to pick up with Secretariat's early years, but I was hoping for more on the people who worked with him as well. This was a huge part in the film, but the book does not actually explore this as much as I would have liked. I did notice that the film seemed to take a lot of liberties compared with the actual story. (i.e. Lucien Laurin trained horses outside of The Meadow.)
The book really picked up in the last half to third, becoming a five star. It was very exciting to read about his journey between winning Horse of the Year through his Triple Crown victory. The book became a page turner for me. It also began to explore more about the people involved. One thing which made this section so wonderful (which I didn't realize until the end of the book) is that the author was there with Secretariat & co. all day every day beginning when he showed up at Belmont Park in March to begin his quest for the crown. Looking back on this last part of the book, the author was recounting his actual experiences, which added a level of excitement in the training and race recounting, especially the reactions of Lucien. He includes things that Lucien and Ronnie told him in private talks. He describes the relationship groom Eddie Sweat had with Big Red from his observations. I didn't realize the author's involvement until I read the "Pure Heart" supplement. He truly loved this horse, and that shines in his writing.
For all you casual horse racing fans, or fans of the movie, if you can get through the beginning, the ending really is worth it. I love this quote from Ronnie Turcotte at the end of the author's note: "He should never have been beaten. Make no mistake, my friends. He was the greatest racehorse who ever lived, and I was the luckiest guy in the world to be on his back."
The book really picked up in the last half to third, becoming a five star. It was very exciting to read about his journey between winning Horse of the Year through his Triple Crown victory. The book became a page turner for me. It also began to explore more about the people involved. One thing which made this section so wonderful (which I didn't realize until the end of the book) is that the author was there with Secretariat & co. all day every day beginning when he showed up at Belmont Park in March to begin his quest for the crown. Looking back on this last part of the book, the author was recounting his actual experiences, which added a level of excitement in the training and race recounting, especially the reactions of Lucien. He includes things that Lucien and Ronnie told him in private talks. He describes the relationship groom Eddie Sweat had with Big Red from his observations. I didn't realize the author's involvement until I read the "Pure Heart" supplement. He truly loved this horse, and that shines in his writing.
For all you casual horse racing fans, or fans of the movie, if you can get through the beginning, the ending really is worth it. I love this quote from Ronnie Turcotte at the end of the author's note: "He should never have been beaten. Make no mistake, my friends. He was the greatest racehorse who ever lived, and I was the luckiest guy in the world to be on his back."
Secretariat is my absolute favorite racehorse, I even share a birthday with him. However it would be 21 years older than me if he were still alive. I could have done without the first ten chapters or so, but it was necessary back-story nonetheless. I enjoyed Nack's writing enough that I was tearing up by the end. I love books like that. Can't wait for the movie of Secretariat that is coming to theaters October 8 where Diane Lane plays Penny Chenery, Secretariat's owner and John Malkovich plays Lucien Laurin, his trainer.
As a lifelong lover of horse stories and horse racing, I always have a stack of books about the Sport of Kings piled in a corner awaiting my attention. This classic by sportswriter Bill Nack came to surface as I shuffled for some reading material to sync with this year's Triple Crown races. The new champion, Justify, reminded me just a little of Big Red--Secretariat, whose 1973 Triple Crown unfolded when I was just 19. People today may find it surprising to know that the big red horse had a pop culture impact comparable to today's best-known sports celebrities. As of that year, there had not been a Triple Crown winner since 1948, when Citation won the three races--the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.
Nack does a lovely job taking us from the evening of the colt's birth and through his training, maiden race and Horse-of-the-Year-winning two-year-old season, an honor that usually goes to older horses. But Nack goes deeper, sharing the story of thoroughbred breeding in America. He shares the stories of great owners whose horses have influenced the racing bloodlines for a century-and-a half. He names most of the great racing sires and broodmares, and the fortunes and misfortunes of their offspring. We get to know the key players in the drama to come--Lucien Laurin, the French-Canadian trainer risen back to the top after a long spell at the bottom of his profession; Ron Turcotte, jockey and son of a Lumberjack, who rode amazing races on the Horse of the Century; and owner Penny Chenery Tweedy, daughter of a thoroughbred breeder who took up the reins of her ailing father's business and became an icon for her horse sense and her success in what was and remains very much a man's sport.
But Nack excels at detailing the races as they unspooled--as the colt grew into his massive, powerful body, finding his stride and running style, improving with each race. The final account of the Belmont Stakes victory--31 lengths ahead of the 2nd-place runner, setting records that stand today--is almost as good as watching the video of the race itself. We'll never see the like of Secretariat again. but we have Nack's book to help us relive one of sports most remarkable stories.
Nack does a lovely job taking us from the evening of the colt's birth and through his training, maiden race and Horse-of-the-Year-winning two-year-old season, an honor that usually goes to older horses. But Nack goes deeper, sharing the story of thoroughbred breeding in America. He shares the stories of great owners whose horses have influenced the racing bloodlines for a century-and-a half. He names most of the great racing sires and broodmares, and the fortunes and misfortunes of their offspring. We get to know the key players in the drama to come--Lucien Laurin, the French-Canadian trainer risen back to the top after a long spell at the bottom of his profession; Ron Turcotte, jockey and son of a Lumberjack, who rode amazing races on the Horse of the Century; and owner Penny Chenery Tweedy, daughter of a thoroughbred breeder who took up the reins of her ailing father's business and became an icon for her horse sense and her success in what was and remains very much a man's sport.
But Nack excels at detailing the races as they unspooled--as the colt grew into his massive, powerful body, finding his stride and running style, improving with each race. The final account of the Belmont Stakes victory--31 lengths ahead of the 2nd-place runner, setting records that stand today--is almost as good as watching the video of the race itself. We'll never see the like of Secretariat again. but we have Nack's book to help us relive one of sports most remarkable stories.