Seabiscuit: The Saga of a Great Champion

I knew B.K. Beckwith personally, and worked with him the last ten years of his life at Santa Anita. He was our television commercial spokesperson for the Santa Anita Handicap for several years, recounting remembrances of Seabiscuit. He was a consummate horseman turned journalist and writer, and had been at Santa Anita from the opening on Christmas 1934. He also wrote "The Story of Santa Anita," which was never published commercially, but used the same heroic and emotional Grantland Rice style that you enjoy in his Seabiscuit book. His memory was a treasure, and since he wrote this book contemporaneously with events, you can feel the horse come alive, as well as the people and the places. This is SO GREAT to have the publisher find this work of art, enjoyable for anyone who loves horses, or racing, of any age. The drawings by Howard Brodie -- who went on to great fame otherwise -- are superbly reproduced, and so are the historic photos. You can see the 'Biscuit's personality come through, especially when he's looking out of his personal railroad car at all the fans and cameras, and in several others!

Owner of Ponder Publishing Company, LLC, my first response after reading was `I wish I had found Beckwith's story before this publisher did!' I was there! I heard Seabiscuit breathing. I saw him sweat, felt his determination, smelled the liniment. You could taste the air of early last century, to anguish and rejoice with one horse's determination to Keep on Keeping on, despite all adversity. Here, love touches a reader, as it touched the crowds who flocked to admire the Biscuit, in the flesh, his ample flesh. My Christmas shopping is done this year!www.ponderpublishingcompany.com

I had no idea that there was a book about Seabiscuit before Hillenbrand's, until someone told me about this reissue. The book is alive with voices and scenes from the past -- I was especially interested to read how Tom Smith actually talked, and what he had to say about the Biscuit. The description of Seabiscuit's birth is really interesting; I found out that he wasn't even named for awhile, because his original owners were too busy with their more promising-looking colts! Little did they know...The race descriptions have a feeling of exhilaration about them, as if Beckwith can scarcely believe that he was privileged enough to see this great horse in action. And it's very touching to read what people of the time thought about Seabiscuit, and how the man in the street talked about him as if he were a well-loved personality, whose every win is celebrated, and every loss commiserated. You can really see just how important this fiesty little racehorse was to the country.Highly recommended!

Anyone interested in the actual story of Seabiscuit and racing in general should own this book. Not only is it beautifully produced, it is an authentic account of a bygone era, the "proof" for the claim that Seabiscuit was indeed immensely popular in pre-WWII America. In fact, it is only because of that World War that Seabiscuit was forgotten for so long.This is the original story of Seabiscuit written by a track writer who knew the main characters personally, Charles Howard, Red Pollard, and especially Tom Smith. Beckwith's book is the source for many of the quotes made famous in Hillenbrand's best seller and in the movie, such as Tom Smith saying to Seabiscuit, "I'll see you again." It is great to read these quotes in context. I also enjoyed the terrific line drawings by Howard Brodie--the one of Seabiscuit sleeping on his side is priceless! Beckwith's book was an important source of information for the story of Seabiscuit and it is so great to be able to go back in time and enjoy this moving story with all the excitement and energy of the moment it happened. Five Stars. I highly recommend it without reservation.

With all the popular hoopla surrounding the story of Seabiscuit, this new book provides an interesting "contemporary" perspective from writers who were alive and covering this amazing story at the time of all the action. This new high quality re-print of the original book provides an insight and a "voice" to the story which is simply unavailable to any writer today. The preface by Grantland Rice is worth the entire price of the book. I highly recommend it.