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Secretariat  By  cover art

Secretariat

By: William Nack
Narrated by: Grover Gardner
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Editorial reviews

You’ve likely seen footage of Triple Crown champion Secretariat’s remarkable racing career, and Grover Gardner brings us even closer to the track in his narration of William Nack’s enthralling investigation of the life and career of the champion thoroughbred first published in 1975. Gardner’s deep and robust voice heightens the intensity of those scenes when Secretariat bounds full throttle towards the finish line. Although aware of the outcome already, the suspense and excitement of the competition build all the same throughout this performance.

Following a record-shattering win at the Belmont Stakes in 1973, American thoroughbred racehorse Secretariat (fondly nicknamed “Big Red” by his fanbase) became the first Triple Crown winner in over a quarter-century. His performance has since been unmatched by any other competitor today. Secretariat charts the horse’s career from his calculated birth to his achieving the Triple Crown. Nack traces Secretariat’s lineage, studying his breeding and ownership by two families — the Chenerys of Meadow Farm in Caroline County, Virginia, and the Hancocks of Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky. These individuals involved in Secretariat’s victory make up a fascinating piece of his history and upbringing.

While horse lovers will thoroughly enjoy Secretariat, fans of investigative biographies and suspenseful narratives will devour Gardner’s rendition of this powerful athlete’s success story. The politics of the Triple Crown make for an intriguing sidebar to this story. Gardner plunges into Secretariat’s competitions with enthusiasm, and his smooth southern accent offers a pleasant reprieve from each pulse-pounding race. Secretariat triumphs in its depiction of horse racing and in moments of quiet investigation. —Suzanne Day

Publisher's summary

In 1973, Secretariat, the greatest champion in horse-racing history, won the Triple Crown. The only horse to ever grace the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated in the same week, he also still holds the record for the fastest times in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. He was also the only non-human chosen as one of ESPN's "50 Greatest Athletes of the Century". The tale of "Big Red" is an enduring and inspiring classic, more than 30 years after its initial publication.

©1975 William Nack. New Preface copyright 2010 by William Nack (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

" Secretariat is an elegantly crafted, exhilarating tale of speed and power, grace and greatness, told with such immediacy that the reader is lost in the rush of horses and the clatter and ring of the grandstand." (Laura Hillenbrand, best-selling author of Seabiscuit)

What listeners say about Secretariat

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Awesome book

A very informative book and tells you all you want to know about racing and secretariat.

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Great story

We’ll written and well read. It is the story of an exceptional horse and an insightful team

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Review of the audible book Secretariat!

I have always loved horses & enjoyed the history of horse racing & Secretariat’s Incredible accomplishments! I recommend to everyone interested in history & the horse Secretariat!

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  • kc
  • 03-16-19

The Ultimate Horse Tale

I'm old enough to remember seeing this incredible horse blow past all the other horses as he raced to complete the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes. What a magnificent beast he was! The book captures the nuances and complexities of the thoroughbred racing scene, as well as the exceptional history of the horse himself, and the family that reared him. The author and the narrator capture the magic this horse was conceived by and the tragedy of his final days. The writing and the spoken word do a tremendous job sharing the dynasty that created Secretariat, and the real people who guided him to become a legend. BEWARE: I carried like a baby at the end of this book.

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    4 out of 5 stars

great

I loved reading the book too about the mating of two good thoroughbred horses

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what's not to love

Secretiart and Bill Nack go together like eggs and bacon. Nack knows this horse like no-one to date

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful book

If you love horses, you'll love this book. If you're interested in the life story of an American icon, you'll be interested in this book. And if you're a reader who values crisp, strong writing, this book will reward your listening time with many pleasures. Ably narrated by Grover Gardner and concluded with a portfolio of Nack's later writings about Secretariat (read by the author). A winner all the way around the track.

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exceptional

beginning to end it was entertaining . this brought back the memories of the greatest Horse of all time

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Wonderfully written account of Secretariat

Loved it... I've read and listened over and over again! Thanks Bill Nack for this book.

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So glad I read this book!

As a teenager I fell in love with Secretariat, the horse,not the legend. This book reaffirmed all that I felt, such a special horse. I enjoyed the “real” story the author depicted, nothing like the Hollywood version. At times the story kind of stalled a little but it was so worth it.

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