Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World

by Mim Eichler Rivas

Book Overview

For close to a century, a majestic chapter of American history has been buried in an obscure grave in Shelbyville, Tennessee. Beautiful Jim Key, the onetime ugly duckling of a scrub colt that became one of the most heralded and beloved heroes of his day, was famous neither for his beauty nor his speed but instead for his exceptional intelligence. Said to have an I.Q. equivalent to that of a human sixth-grader, Jim exploded on to the national scene in 1897 by demonstrating inexplicable abilities to read, write, spell, do mathematics, tell time, sort mail, cite biblical passages, and debate politics. For the next nine years, Jim performed in nationwide expositions and world's fairs to wildly receptive crowds, smashing box-office records, overcoming hurdles of prejudice and skepticism, all the while winning rapturous praise from the press and leaders such as President McKinley, Booker T. Washington, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth. In this breathtaking saga, Jim's astonishing journey is coupled with that of his trainer and best friend, Dr. William Key, a self-taught veterinarian, former slave, Civil War veteran, prominent African-American entrepreneur, and one of the most renowned horse whisperers of his time -- a man who shunned all force in the training of horses, instead relying on kindness and patience. Masterful storyteller and bestselling author Mim Eichler Rivas at long last gives two cultural icons their due, not only unraveling the mystery of their disappearance but examining how, thanks to the rare and intimate relationship between horse and man that was championed by promoter and humane activist Albert R. Rogers, a dramatic shift took place in the public mind that made kindness to animals a cornerstone of modern civilization and helped launch the animal rights movement. Unveiled against the backdrop of American history, Beautiful Jim Key is their incredible tale.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060567031
• ISBN13: 9780060567033
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent historically based story!

A great story during a transition time that proves horses are smarter than given any credit for and humans are capable of doing the right thing.

Beautiful Kim Key

Almost finished this book. Loving it.

Wonderful Horse, Wonderful Book

Beautiful Jim Key was the smartest horse you've never heard of. The author's extensive research uses first-hand accounts, including newspaper accounts, to trace the horse's story--his mother's rescue, his time spent inside his owner's house, his public performances. Jim's owner spent years teaching the horse to spell and read. This was the horse that helped launch the A.S.P.C.A. and helped people realize that animals have feelings and intelligence too. A film of this story is supposedly in the works. But until then, read the book!

A Beautiful Book

Am a little shocked to find such harshly negative reviews of the book; this is easily one of the best animal books ever written. Arguably one of America's first media "superstars", Beautiful Jim Key toured the country for many years performing and was a major catalyst for both animal rights and human rights as well. It should also be stressed that the horse's act was minutely scrutinized by reporters and a team of professors from Harvard, who found no secret coaching or cues were given to the horse - he really could do everything it was claimed he could do, although the book only lightly touches on how long and arduous a process teaching him must have been. Any animal lover and/or history buff will fall in love with this book and never want it to end.

History that almost disappeared

I finished reading this book from cover to cover just a few minutes ago, and feel driven to share my thoughts on a book that held my attention to the very end. The author has turned a lot of painstaking research into a fascinating account of this extraordinary phenomenon. The story is well structured, and attractively told, with a lot of interesting diversions on the Civil War, the movement to curb cruelty to animals, and the St. Louis World's Fair as well as its predecessors. Isn't it remarkable how a significant piece of history can so narrowly escape total oblivion? It made me think of the efforts of Schliemann in the nineteenth century, who used his concept of archaeology to prove to the unsuspecting world that the account of the Trojan War in Homer's Iliad was truth and not fiction. In this case the history was recent, and Mim Rivas caught the descendants of the eye witnesses just in time. Incidentally, I am a very critical proof reader of everything I read, and I was impressed by the careful editing evidenced in the printing of this book. Just one observation: the singular of species is species, not specie (page 37). What haunts me now is my lingering skepticism about Jim Key's performances. I would like to know more about horse whispering, and whether it's possible that Dr. Key might have given signals to the horse that would have been imperceptible to the audience. I don't doubt that a horse could be taught to recognize letters and even do some arithmetic, but the idea that he could master some of the intricacies of spelling, like 'Isaac' and 'Aaron', strains my credulity, and I really suspect that some other communication came into play. Wouldn't it be interesting to hear more from some psychologists and animal experts along the lines of Desmond Morris?

A horse book that's even better than "Seabiscuit"

"Beautiful Jim Key : The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World" is a fascinating (and true) yarn beautifully related by author Mim Eichler Rivas. The book follows the almost impossibly dramatic odyssey of Dr William Key from slavery to wealthy veterinarian/ famous performer / savvy entrepreneur. It also tells the story of Jim Key, a sickly, spindly colt who grew to be one of post Civil War America's most beloved public figures, "the most wonderful horse in the world" (as he was often billed in his countless appearances). Rivas richly evokes the tragic and tumultuous conditions in East Tennessee during the Civil War and the subsequent Reconstruction. In addition, she includes intriguing material on the lineage of the Tennessee Walking Horse, and more significantly, we view the birth of movements and organizations like Humane Society and SPCA. In a time when America was trying to heal from the most devastating divisions, Dr Key and his wonderful horse were true uniters regardless of race or party --or even species.