Man O' War: A Legend Like Lightning

by Dorothy Ours

Book Overview

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."...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312340990
• ISBN13: 9780312340995
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 1.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

This is my favorite book of the year!!!

I just finished reading this book and it is amazing! Dorothy Ours does a fabulous job incorporating the history behind Man o' War. Not only does she give you a detailed story on a once in a lifetime racehorse, but she also gives you the background on the jockeys, the owners, the breeders... this is a must read for any horse lover! The book gets better and better as you turn the pages! I can't give enough praise to Dorothy for such a great read! Captivating to the last word, Man o' War is the best book I've read this year! It just may have become my favorite book on my bookshelf.

The most thoroughly researched book on "Big Red".

I just spent the last three days almost totally engrossed in this book after discovering it in the New Books section of my library. Anyone who is interested in Man O'War, American horse racing, Seabiscuit, etc should check this book out - Dorothy Ours has done extensive research on Man O'War and, just as important - the people surrounding Man O'War - key players such as Louis Feustel, Johnny Loftus and Clarence Kummer. Ms. Ours fills in the blanks as to the possible reason for "Red"'s one loss to Upset in the 1919 Sanford; goes into greater detail on Red's two stablemates, Major Treat and Golden Broom (although I know it's fiction, I had always assumed that the Walter Farley version of Golden Broom's fate (that he never ran again after the Sanford) was correct - however, Golden Broom did race again, he just never won again). While the storyline is not as compelling as "Seabiscuit" - as has been stated in previous reviews, this is not a rags-to-riches tale - I believe it must be regarded as the definitive work on Man O'War. True - the book does not refer (except in passing) to his stud career (other than his 25+ years as Kentucky's #1 tourist attraction). However, that information (as well as a detailed breakdown of his lineage) can be found in the 1950 biography by Cooper & Treat (recently reprinted in paperback). Highly recommended and a great gift for the racing fan!

An Absolutely Wonderful Read

There has been some great books on Thoroughbred racing past and present over the past several years. Dorothy Ours pens a classic on the history surrounding a champion for the ages, Man o' War. The reader regally captures the personalities, the controversies and the racers in what many consider "The Golden Age of Sports." The vast research by Ours and her flowing writing style makes the era come alive. It may come as a surprise that industry issues like juiced tracks, juiced runners and equally juicy rumors surrounding jockeys, gamblers and security issues at the tracks that capture headlines today were front-page issues nearly 90 years ago. The book is a must for a fan of Thoroughbred racing. And it is about time for those who learned about the sport through the classic book and movie about Seabiscuit to get reacquainted with the Sport of Kings.

Not Just for Horse Racing Fans

If you like horse racing books, it's excellent. I like horse racing, and horse racing books, so I'm admittedly biased, but I think this is a great read for people with only a passing interest in horses... it's an excellent look at a period in history. The author does a nice job of immersing the reader in the time and place - definitely worth reading.

Wonderful!

This is easily the best book on Man O' War and it has the kind of beautiful writing and period detail to entice even those who aren't really horse racing fans. Red, as Man O' War was often called, comes to life in this book and the research Ours must have undertaken is impressive. There's a lot of great drama regarding the people who surrounded Red, including his jockey who was accused of throwing a race. Great stuff.