Finished Seabiscuit: An American Legend the other night. Just as the newly engaged Cherie Jacobs said, the book was great. Author Laura Hillenbrand did a wonderful job of helping those uninitiated in horse racing understand it. By reading her words you can clearly see the races and intimatly get to know the people who surrounded The Biscuit.
One of the most impressive parts was the chapter she talks about the jockies and the horrible life they lived in the early 20th Century. They earned very little money and were subject to having to constantly reduce their weight so they could make the correct mount weight that a horse would be assigned. They did crazy things to keep their weights down to between 100-110 pounds for the most part. They were in constant danger but had no health insurance and when they did get hurt it was lucky if they were able to be taken to the hospital immediately or at all. And if they were hurt, they couldn't show it for fear the owners wouldn't let them ride.
I was amazed at how big Seabiscuit's races were. In 1938 this horse had more headlines than the president of the United States and Hitler. It was like the Super Bowl every time he stepped onto the track.
Even if your not a horse race fan I would reccomend this book. It is a good read. Now I will have to get myself to the movies.
My next book is Brendan O'Carroll's The Mammy. He is the author of The Young Wan that I read earlier. I am looking forward to another funny book on Agnes Browne. The book is based in Dublin and centers around Agenes who just lost her husband in a car accident and now has to raise 7 children. I'll let you know how it goes.
Oh, go read Seabiscuit!
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