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Chargement... Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning (original 2006; édition 2006)par Dorothy Ours
Information sur l'oeuvreMan o' War: A Legend Like Lightning par Dorothy Ours (2006)
   Aucun Actuellement, il n'y a pas de discussions au sujet de ce livre.   ) kyragtopgirl | Jan 12, 2012 |  ) FionaCat | Aug 21, 2007 | LesaHolstine | Jul 19, 2007 | like I did, thinking that horses were about the most beautiful creatures on the face of the earth--Thoroughbreds in particular--you might just be interested. The problem with new biographies of horse racing legends is that they are all going to be compared to Lauren Hillenbrand's marvelous book about Seabiscuit. Hillenbrand chose the perfect racing legend. Seabiscuit was a true rags-to-riches character. He raced during desperate times (the Depression) and was fortunate enough to find fascinating people to take care of him. The blend of history, society, people and horse was mesmerizing. Ours probably thought that she'd chosen well, too. In a recent poll, Man o' War was chosen as The Best Racehorse of the Twentieth Century. He was beautiful, well-bred, won 20 of 21 races, carried tremendous weight on his back and broke many track records. People fought their way to the racetrack whenever he was to run. He was bred by a millionaire and raced by another. His first jockey's license wasn't renewed and he lived under a cloud the rest of his life. Got to be as interesting as Seabiscuit, right? No, it doesn't. The only interesting millionaire in the pack was the owner of Sir Barton, one of Red's rivals, and too much of the book was about Sir Barton rather than Man o' War. At the end of the book, the reason for it was clear, but it was still irksome. Despite its flaws, I liked the book. I learned just how dishonest horse racing could be back then. How gamblers could pay jockeys to fix races. How easy it was for trainers to dope their horses so they'd run better. (Ever wonder why heroin is often called "horse"?) I also learned things about Man o' War that I'd never known. Unfortunately, I have to compare Ours's book to Hillenbrand's. Although a page-turner, it falls short. (  ) cathyskye | Dec 27, 2006 | aucune critique | ajouter une critique
His trainer said that managing him was like holding a tiger by the tail. His owner compared him to "chain lightning." His jockeys found their lives transformed by him, in triumphant and distressing ways. All of them became caught in a battle for honesty.Born in 1917, Man o' War grew from a rebellious youngster into perhaps the greatest racehorse of all time. He set such astonishing speed records that The New York Times called him a "Speed Miracle." Often he won with so much energy in reserve that experts wondered how much faster he could have gone. Over the years, this and other mysteries would envelop the great Man o' War.The truth remained problematic. Even as Man o' War---known as "Big Red"---came to power, attracting record crowds and rave publicity, the colorful sport of Thoroughbred racing struggled for integrity. His lone defeat, suffered a few weeks before gamblers fixed the 1919 World Series, spawned lasting rumors that he, too, had been the victim of a fix.Tackling old beliefs with newly uncovered evidence, Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning shows how human pressures collided with a natural phenomenon and brings new life to an American icon. The genuine courage of Man o' War, tribulations of his archrival, Sir Barton (America's first Triple Crown winner), and temptations of their Hall of Fame jockeys and trainers reveal a long-hidden tale of grace, disgrace, and elusive redemption. Aucune description trouvée dans une bibliothèque |
Auteur LibraryThingDorothy Ours est un auteur LibraryThing, c'est-à-dire un auteur qui catalogue sa bibliothèque personnelle sur LibraryThing. Discussion en coursAucunCouvertures populaires
 Google Books — Chargement...GenresClassification décimale de Melvil (CDD)798.400929The arts Recreational and performing arts Horsemanship and Animal Racing Horse racingClassification de la Bibliothèque du CongrèsÉvaluationMoyenne: (4.13)
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