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Seabiscuit  By  cover art

Seabiscuit

By: Laura Hillenbrand
Narrated by: George Newbern
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Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times best seller

From the author of the runaway phenomenon Unbroken comes a universal underdog story about the horse who came out of nowhere to become a legend.

Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes:

Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon.

“Fascinating.... Vivid.... A first-rate piece of storytelling, leaving us not only with a vivid portrait of a horse but a fascinating slice of American history as well.” (The New York Times)

“Engrossing.... Fast-moving.... More than just a horse’s tale, because the humans who owned, trained, and rode Seabiscuit are equally fascinating.... [Laura Hillenbrand] shows an extraordinary talent for describing a horse race so vividly that the reader feels like the rider.” (Sports Illustrated)

“Remarkable.... Memorable.... Just as compelling today as it was in 1938.” (The Washington Post)

©2010 Laura Hillenbrand (P)2010 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Fascinating... Vivid... A first-rate piece of storytelling, leaving us not only with a vivid portrait of a horse but a fascinating slice of American history as well.” (The New York Times)

“Engrossing... Fast-moving... More than just a horse’s tale, because the humans who owned, trained, and rode Seabiscuit are equally fascinating.... [Hillenbrand] shows an extraordinary talent for describing a horse race so vividly that the reader feels like the rider.” (Sports Illustrated)

"Remarkable... Memorable... Just as compelling today as it was in 1938.” (The Washington Post)

What listeners say about Seabiscuit

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Boring

Do not waste 13 hrs on this it is awful. No character development at all

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Balanced

This was an exciting ride around the racetrack! The excitement of the race was balanced by the grueling life of the jockey and some horses in Seabiscuit’s time. It was remarkable to learn how famous Seabiscuit was and the many challenges overcome by the team to achieve their success. The narrator was great to listen to as well.

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So much more than a book about a horse!

I loved this book and the depth of the characters. Learned so much about the world of horse racing. Couldn't stop listening. Finished 13 hours in two days - didn't sleep much!

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Seabiscut

Best book I ever heard. I loved it. I wish I had been there to see all these people and to see Seabiscut run. This was a great story!

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Just fine in my opinion.

It was entertaining enough... Didn't really understand what all the hype was about. It seemed to drag on with a bunch of minor details.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Yawn

After being enraptured by Unbroken, I naturally went for Seabiscuit. I gave up and returned it after 3 chapters. It sounds like a relentless litany of horse names. I couldn’t keep track and I quickly lost interest. The review of this book are stellar - maybe I’m not in the right headspace and I’ll try again in a few years.

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Seabiscuit

I 5thLoved the book! It was entertaining and I was thoroughly engrossed in every chapter.

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Wonderful!!!

Amazing story, I think I liked listening to the story more than reading it. Wonderful narrator. This was a great listening experience.

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A great book to read

The narrator makes this a difficult listen. He’s monotone which makes it sound like he’s reading the newspaper. It’s a wonderful story and deserves one of the many great narrators Audible has to offer.

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I love Laura Hillenbrand

So, so good! I was a little disappointed that the reader wasn't the same narrator in the movie, but I couldn't stop listening. Ms. Hillenbrand's ability to make you love these real life characters, now long dead, is amazing. It's like you are meeting Mr. Howard, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Pollard and getting to travel with them through their time together. I spent many afternoons at Santa Anita track as a young adult and this book brought back many lovely memories.

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