Reviewed by Mose Mosley

On a sunny autumn afternoon in 1938, with the grandstand of Maryland’s Pimlico racetrack packed with more than 16,000 spectators and President Roosevelt delaying a cabinet meeting to listen on the radio, two horses burst off the starting line to begin what many regard as the greatest horserace in history. On the outside was a four-year-old racehorse named War Admiral, winner of 23 consecutive races, including the 1937 Triple Crown. On the inside galloped a five-year-old with spindly legs, a thin chest and a set of cloth blinkers that restricted his vision. This was Seabiscuit.

The two horses broke the track record that day, and Seabiscuit, on his way to becoming the most famous racehorse of all time, won the race. In Seabiscuit: An American Legend, Laura Hillenbrand has written an eloquent and intensive story about the sport of horseracing, and the lives of the men and women who rode, trained and owned the equine athletes. Set in a time when horseracing was extremely popular (in 1938 Seabiscuit commanded more space in American newspapers than any other public figure), Hillenbrand’s book is an engrossing narrative told by an expert, with enough detail to paint a vibrant historical picture of a sport where accidents happen, winning takes grit and perseverance, and everyone seems to be betting on the outcome.

Though Hillenbrand occasionally goes overboard on superlatives, Seabiscuit is accessible and interesting, and the story of this legendary animal becomes a chronicle of the time and country that created the legend. Like the polished wooden grandstand at Churchill Downs and the Manhattan-style clam chowder at Belmont, Hillenbrand’s book is picturesque and satisfying. Some will call it, not without justification, a classic.