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Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning
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." Often he won with so much energy in reserve that experts wondered how much faster he could have gone. Over the years, this and other mysteries would envelop the great Man o' War.
The truth remained problematic. Even as Man o' War---known as "Big Red"---came to power, attracting record crowds and rave publicity, the colorful sport of Thoroughbred racing struggled for integrity. His lone defeat, suffered a few weeks before gamblers fixed the 1919 World Series, spawned lasting rumors that he, too, had been the victim of a fix.
Tackling old beliefs with newly uncovered evidence, Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning shows how human pressures collided with a natural phenomenon and brings new life to an American icon. The genuine courage of Man o' War, tribulations of his archrival, Sir Barton (America's first Triple Crown winner), and temptations of their Hall of Fame jockeys and trainers reveal a long-hidden tale of grace, disgrace, and elusive redemption.
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." Often he won with so much energy in reserve that experts wondered how much faster he could have gone. Over the years, this and other mysteries would envelop the great Man o' War.
The truth remained problematic. Even as Man o' War---known as "Big Red"---came to power, attracting record crowds and rave publicity, the colorful sport of Thoroughbred racing struggled for integrity. His lone defeat, suffered a few weeks before gamblers fixed the 1919 World Series, spawned lasting rumors that he, too, had been the victim of a fix.
Tackling old beliefs with newly uncovered evidence, Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning shows how human pressures collided with a natural phenomenon and brings new life to an American icon. The genuine courage of Man o' War, tribulations of his archrival, Sir Barton (America's first Triple Crown winner), and temptations of their Hall of Fame jockeys and trainers reveal a long-hidden tale of grace, disgrace, and elusive redemption.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2006
71 people are currently reading
4490 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Ours
3 books20 followersAlways been a bookworm. Love horses. Love history. Horses led me to become an author, because too many goodies about the great Man o' War and his era had been buried in the past -- had to share.
And then Battleship and his people stepped up, and showed how researching their lives wasn't enough -- they made me hear the music of storytelling.
Along with books, horses, and history, I love music, visual and performing arts, travel, and ghost stories. What next -- who knows? (Smile)
And then Battleship and his people stepped up, and showed how researching their lives wasn't enough -- they made me hear the music of storytelling.
Along with books, horses, and history, I love music, visual and performing arts, travel, and ghost stories. What next -- who knows? (Smile)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
April 4, 2011
Having completed biographies of seabiscuit and secretariat, I decided that my next horse book should be about man o'war. I knew that he is considered to be the greatest racehorse of the 20th century, but I didn't know much else. That is definitely not true anymore. This book tells, in great detail, the overwhelming story of this great horse. Dorothy Ours has clearly done a great deal of research (and working for the horse racing museum in Saratoga no doubt gave her a huge amount of access to information) and puts forth a definitive volume of the life of man o'war.
The story itself lacks some of the pizzazz of the stories of recently popular legends. It lacks the Cinderella story feel of seabiscuit, and doesn't have quite the same savior-in-a-time-of-need feel that secretariat had. It nonetheless tells a breathtaking story about a horse whose strength and power have not been seen again. Definitely worth a read for racing aficionados, although without the other charms of other racing legends, it might feel dense for a general audience.
The story itself lacks some of the pizzazz of the stories of recently popular legends. It lacks the Cinderella story feel of seabiscuit, and doesn't have quite the same savior-in-a-time-of-need feel that secretariat had. It nonetheless tells a breathtaking story about a horse whose strength and power have not been seen again. Definitely worth a read for racing aficionados, although without the other charms of other racing legends, it might feel dense for a general audience.
January 11, 2014
I went into this book with lowered expectations, that somehow Ours managed to undershoot.
On the upside, this really is a learned and completed guide to the life and career of Man o' War. Ours' is extremely reliable on every angle of this extraordinary horse. So that's the good part, I now know a lot of things about Man o' War.
The downside is that this is not interesting in itself. This book has no spark, no sense of momentum or personality or narrative. This is compounded by Ours' failings as a writer. The text reads like racing forms stitched together with awkward segues. The racing form feel plays out as "comments overheard at the track" and speed statistics presented in long long lists. Ours actually gets most animated in her prose when she is describing why times varied, how track conditions affected times, post positions, and all the rest of the minutia of track life. Where she is at her weakest is when writing about anything else.
Ours' greatest failing as a writer is her habit of repeating information a couple of times, then again, then again. This is how we get paragraphs like this from p. 203 of my hardcover copy, "Setting sail along the backstretch and discouraging Grier, Red set a brilliant pace, reaching the half mile in :46 3/5 and hammering out six furlongs in 1:10 flat. Saratoga's track record was 1:10 and two. No Travers winner ever had shown such insane early speed." This reads fine until you think about what she is saying there, which is repeating that the horse ran at record speed three times in a row (of course no Travers winner had ever run that fast, because it is a record speed. That is what record means). Moreover, she will repeat that same observation about that race and others at random intervals throughout the rest of the book. Aside from this very irritating echoic habit, Ours is just not very good at deciding what should be interesting to the reader. I laughed outright at page 236 where she seems to get really excited about Windsor, Ontario being SOUTH OF DETROIT and burns up a paragraph describing how strange Canadian geography is.
Overall, this is a book for horse enthusiasts and track people that probably would not have sold or been read so widely if not for the success of Seabiscuit (to support this observation, please note that my copy of this book has 4 cover blurbs, and two are from Hillenbrand and one is from a writer on the Daily Racing Form).
On the upside, this really is a learned and completed guide to the life and career of Man o' War. Ours' is extremely reliable on every angle of this extraordinary horse. So that's the good part, I now know a lot of things about Man o' War.
The downside is that this is not interesting in itself. This book has no spark, no sense of momentum or personality or narrative. This is compounded by Ours' failings as a writer. The text reads like racing forms stitched together with awkward segues. The racing form feel plays out as "comments overheard at the track" and speed statistics presented in long long lists. Ours actually gets most animated in her prose when she is describing why times varied, how track conditions affected times, post positions, and all the rest of the minutia of track life. Where she is at her weakest is when writing about anything else.
Ours' greatest failing as a writer is her habit of repeating information a couple of times, then again, then again. This is how we get paragraphs like this from p. 203 of my hardcover copy, "Setting sail along the backstretch and discouraging Grier, Red set a brilliant pace, reaching the half mile in :46 3/5 and hammering out six furlongs in 1:10 flat. Saratoga's track record was 1:10 and two. No Travers winner ever had shown such insane early speed." This reads fine until you think about what she is saying there, which is repeating that the horse ran at record speed three times in a row (of course no Travers winner had ever run that fast, because it is a record speed. That is what record means). Moreover, she will repeat that same observation about that race and others at random intervals throughout the rest of the book. Aside from this very irritating echoic habit, Ours is just not very good at deciding what should be interesting to the reader. I laughed outright at page 236 where she seems to get really excited about Windsor, Ontario being SOUTH OF DETROIT and burns up a paragraph describing how strange Canadian geography is.
Overall, this is a book for horse enthusiasts and track people that probably would not have sold or been read so widely if not for the success of Seabiscuit (to support this observation, please note that my copy of this book has 4 cover blurbs, and two are from Hillenbrand and one is from a writer on the Daily Racing Form).
June 29, 2023
This is a very informative book about the great Man O' War. I enjoyed it very much. It was clearly written and easily absorbed even with the depth of detail. Every description of every race was a nail biter giving you the closest experience possible without actually being there.
June 2, 2016
I read this book back in 2006 when it was first published. I am a horse fanatic and read everything about horses. I was looking for some information about Man O’ War and pulled this book off my bookshelf and reread the book. I then realized I had not recorded a summary of the book in my records of books read. Currently I use the review process on Goodreads to keep track of information about books I read.
Man O’War was probably the greatest American horse until Secretariat came along and broke his speed records. This book provides the history of Man O’ War along with a review of horse racing in the United States after World War One. Ours also provides a summary of August Belmont’s life and his role in horse racing in New York. Ours goes into depth about the rivalry between Man O’War and Sir Barton, the first American Triple Crown Winner.
Man O’War was born in 1917 and started his racing career just after WWI when people were looking for an escape. Ours covers the fiasco of the 1919 World Series (baseball) gambler’s fix and how it affected all sports after that scandal.
The book is well written but a bit dry in its presentation. Ours provides lots of information and provides reference sources for all data which is very helpful for people like me. If one is not interested in horses or horse racing, they probably would not enjoy this book. Dorothy Ours is a researcher who works at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. The book is 342 pages long.
Man O’War was probably the greatest American horse until Secretariat came along and broke his speed records. This book provides the history of Man O’ War along with a review of horse racing in the United States after World War One. Ours also provides a summary of August Belmont’s life and his role in horse racing in New York. Ours goes into depth about the rivalry between Man O’War and Sir Barton, the first American Triple Crown Winner.
Man O’War was born in 1917 and started his racing career just after WWI when people were looking for an escape. Ours covers the fiasco of the 1919 World Series (baseball) gambler’s fix and how it affected all sports after that scandal.
The book is well written but a bit dry in its presentation. Ours provides lots of information and provides reference sources for all data which is very helpful for people like me. If one is not interested in horses or horse racing, they probably would not enjoy this book. Dorothy Ours is a researcher who works at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York. The book is 342 pages long.
June 4, 2012
This book was about the greatest racehorse ever. It talks about his records and how great he was. "Man O' War may set a new (stakes) record this afternoon and beat Wildair by a couple of lengths," It says that he has a lot of fans and a lot of people who loved him. "A good many of those who go to the tracks on days when Man O' War is scheduled to start really do not care whether he is confronted with a contest or a mere gallop" (page 208). It also talks about his ups and downs and how he always recovered. Even though he had a short career he still got a lot of money out of it and still had many fans. The main characters in this book were Man O' War, his owner, and the jockey that rode him.
I think the author of this book did a good job. She said almost everything she could about him. This was published in 2006 and he raced in the 20's, to write this book she must of had to do a lot of research. This is probably the best biography of him. I learned a lot about him and it helped me a lot in my Extravaganza project. I don't think a lot of people I know would be interested in it except for some of my barn friends. The only people that would want to read it are the people who like horses and like racing. If you don't know who Man O' War is before your probably wont want to read it. You have to like the horse and racing to get into the book.
I rate this book a 3.5 out of 5. I chose 3.5 because it was a long book and at times it was kind of hard to get into reading it. It wasn't quite a 4 because I don't think I want to read it again. I would rather read a shorter story about him. It wasn't below 3 because I did like it at moments and I got a lot of information from it for my project. I love horses but I don't know much about racehorses so it was nice to know more about a horse who was so famous. Before reading it knew a little bit about him but after reading it I could explain to people who he was and what he did.
I think the author of this book did a good job. She said almost everything she could about him. This was published in 2006 and he raced in the 20's, to write this book she must of had to do a lot of research. This is probably the best biography of him. I learned a lot about him and it helped me a lot in my Extravaganza project. I don't think a lot of people I know would be interested in it except for some of my barn friends. The only people that would want to read it are the people who like horses and like racing. If you don't know who Man O' War is before your probably wont want to read it. You have to like the horse and racing to get into the book.
I rate this book a 3.5 out of 5. I chose 3.5 because it was a long book and at times it was kind of hard to get into reading it. It wasn't quite a 4 because I don't think I want to read it again. I would rather read a shorter story about him. It wasn't below 3 because I did like it at moments and I got a lot of information from it for my project. I love horses but I don't know much about racehorses so it was nice to know more about a horse who was so famous. Before reading it knew a little bit about him but after reading it I could explain to people who he was and what he did.
July 13, 2015
I decided to read this book for two reasons: (1) What little I knew about the horse called Big Red was impressive and (2) Laura Hillenbrand. I devoured her book about Sea Biscuit and she wrote a positive review about this book. When I started reading I thought the content was background for more information to come about Man O'War. It never came. I did learn a lot about horse racing and more about horses in general than I knew before reading the book. But it was dry and mostly boring and I can't help thinking it did't do the horse or the story justice.
January 4, 2014
Man o'War was a surprising disappointment. The lore around the horse is so fantastic that I'm not quite sure how Dorothy Ours managed to make it seem dull. Each race is reported dutifully but with so little color and context that it felt like reading the race guides at the track. Even her chronicle of Man o'War's final race with Sir Barton was a slog. If you are just looking to learn about Man o'War, this book fits the bill but if you're looking for an enjoyable read, skip it.
August 2, 2016
If you only read one book about Big Red, make it this 2007 biography by Dorothy Ours. After reading it, I wonder why Walter Farley would turn his hand at writing a fictional biography. Big Red’s life was colorful enough as it was. Unlike many other biographies of champion racehorses, this one isn’t afraid to show the dark side of racing, such as “hopping” horses and jockeys throwing races. (However, there is no evidence that any shenanigans happened during Man o' War's career -- which is amazing in and of itself.)
There are details not available in other biographies of Man o’ War’s life, such as his owner trying to show Big Red off to his neighbors in the Philadelphia Main Line. Red was nearly killed because of his high string nature, which didn’t exactly mesh with suburbia – even the suburbia of 1920. The book ultimately shows why Man o' War was voted the most important thoroughbred of the twentieth century in American racing.
And if you happen to have the Breyer Man o' War (any of them) then now you'll know what inspired the model horses. Or any of the other myriad of art forms featuring Man o' War, for that matter.
There are details not available in other biographies of Man o’ War’s life, such as his owner trying to show Big Red off to his neighbors in the Philadelphia Main Line. Red was nearly killed because of his high string nature, which didn’t exactly mesh with suburbia – even the suburbia of 1920. The book ultimately shows why Man o' War was voted the most important thoroughbred of the twentieth century in American racing.
And if you happen to have the Breyer Man o' War (any of them) then now you'll know what inspired the model horses. Or any of the other myriad of art forms featuring Man o' War, for that matter.
November 21, 2015
This is
the
authority on Man o' War! You won't find a better reference on the subject. Ours did some serious research, and it shows.
Hopefully this will help debunk that stupid myth that Man o' War 'was originally "My Man o' War"!!' that everyone repeats as fact, which is ridiculous.
There are several other urban legends she debunks, and interesting facts she unearths in their place. Not only that, but she manages to make the whole thing interesting and engaging. How rare is that?
Definitely pick this book up and keep it forever. I have two copies, one hardcover and one paperback, in case one is ever lost or damaged. I think this is what horse books should strive to be.
Hopefully this will help debunk that stupid myth that Man o' War 'was originally "My Man o' War"!!' that everyone repeats as fact, which is ridiculous.
There are several other urban legends she debunks, and interesting facts she unearths in their place. Not only that, but she manages to make the whole thing interesting and engaging. How rare is that?
Definitely pick this book up and keep it forever. I have two copies, one hardcover and one paperback, in case one is ever lost or damaged. I think this is what horse books should strive to be.
January 5, 2013
Love the horse and the general story, but it's tough to make racetrack history compelling.
May 14, 2020
I like horsey books. I loved Seabiscuit, read it like it was a race.
This book right here, was a slog. Compared to Seabiscuit, it was more like the horse Yellow Hand, who finished 100 lengths behind M o' W in a race.
It took me 3 tries and a couple of years to finish this book and the reason is that it does not tell a story. It more or less recounts facts, trivia and races. It lacks a narrow focus and just throws so many names (horse names, trainer names, owner names, racetrack names, jockey names) that I found that the only way to finish it was to just keep going. "Who the hell is Donut's Revenge and what races has he won?" I sometimes got whiplash when from one paragraph to the next she would change the subject so radically that I would have to backtrack to see if I had missed something.
Most annoying of all are the units of measurements. Going back and forth between furlongs and miles and 18/57ths of a quantum-yard and what horse could race a parsec in how many quasi-nano-molecular-sheep-intestine-digestions (a measure of time in horse racing). It became really meaningless to try to guess if 7/8ths of a furlong in .23 and 1/5 was impressive or not. She told me it was, so...okay. I understand this is how things were measured in 1920, but it made reading feel like homework.
Now, the story of the horse is interesting, but not even that interesting. Man o' War was a superb horse and once people realize this, he mostly runs by himself, because nobody wants to challenge the sure-thing. (*Stifles huge yawn*) The biggest setback this wonder-equine ever suffers is losing a shoe here and there. Worst of all, the big showdown at the end of the book, the match race against the one horse who can beat him (!) is an absolute let down. Allow me to replay it for you: And they're off! Man o' War takes the lead. He keeps the lead. The other horse never challenges him. Man o' War wins. Yay.
I finished this book out of stubborness. I was given 2 copies of this book at 2 different times (gave one of them away, will probably donate this copy, too) and it felt disrespectful to not read it all. Otherwise I probably would have stopped for good.
Unless you're really into horse racing, I can't recommend this one. Though if you do pick it up, it's a (relative) breeze, at 280 pages.
This book right here, was a slog. Compared to Seabiscuit, it was more like the horse Yellow Hand, who finished 100 lengths behind M o' W in a race.
It took me 3 tries and a couple of years to finish this book and the reason is that it does not tell a story. It more or less recounts facts, trivia and races. It lacks a narrow focus and just throws so many names (horse names, trainer names, owner names, racetrack names, jockey names) that I found that the only way to finish it was to just keep going. "Who the hell is Donut's Revenge and what races has he won?" I sometimes got whiplash when from one paragraph to the next she would change the subject so radically that I would have to backtrack to see if I had missed something.
Most annoying of all are the units of measurements. Going back and forth between furlongs and miles and 18/57ths of a quantum-yard and what horse could race a parsec in how many quasi-nano-molecular-sheep-intestine-digestions (a measure of time in horse racing). It became really meaningless to try to guess if 7/8ths of a furlong in .23 and 1/5 was impressive or not. She told me it was, so...okay. I understand this is how things were measured in 1920, but it made reading feel like homework.
Now, the story of the horse is interesting, but not even that interesting. Man o' War was a superb horse and once people realize this, he mostly runs by himself, because nobody wants to challenge the sure-thing. (*Stifles huge yawn*) The biggest setback this wonder-equine ever suffers is losing a shoe here and there. Worst of all, the big showdown at the end of the book, the match race against the one horse who can beat him (!) is an absolute let down. Allow me to replay it for you: And they're off! Man o' War takes the lead. He keeps the lead. The other horse never challenges him. Man o' War wins. Yay.
I finished this book out of stubborness. I was given 2 copies of this book at 2 different times (gave one of them away, will probably donate this copy, too) and it felt disrespectful to not read it all. Otherwise I probably would have stopped for good.
Unless you're really into horse racing, I can't recommend this one. Though if you do pick it up, it's a (relative) breeze, at 280 pages.
July 31, 2017
This book, man. I'm heartbroken that it's over, and even though I knew how it was going to end--and that it had to--these were some difficult characters to let go of, particularly as an equestrian. I also felt like the author rushed the ending a bit, and would have liked to hear more about what happened AFTER Red's racing career ended.
Overall, the writing style here is incredibly easy to read, the research is well done, and the story is told in a very complete and knowledgeable way. You're given a very full version of who and what and where, and you're definitely given the pieces you need to fall in love with the horse. That's not to say that parts of it weren't hard to read, b/c let's be clear--this is about racing, and if we think racehorses are mistreated now, it's nothing to what they used to go through. So there were definitely sections where I thought I would have to put the book down, just to keep specific knowledge out of my head.
Boy am I glad I didn't. This one goes directly onto my 'must read again soon' list.
Overall, the writing style here is incredibly easy to read, the research is well done, and the story is told in a very complete and knowledgeable way. You're given a very full version of who and what and where, and you're definitely given the pieces you need to fall in love with the horse. That's not to say that parts of it weren't hard to read, b/c let's be clear--this is about racing, and if we think racehorses are mistreated now, it's nothing to what they used to go through. So there were definitely sections where I thought I would have to put the book down, just to keep specific knowledge out of my head.
Boy am I glad I didn't. This one goes directly onto my 'must read again soon' list.
May 22, 2022
If you’re in the mood to read one of the few biographies out there on racehorses, look no further than the one published on one of the greatest to ever grace the sport of Thoroughbred racing. Horse enthusiast Dorothy Ours puts her best foot forward in her 2006 inaugural book “Man O’ War: A Legend like Lightning.” As a historian, I greatly appreciate the rich detail and research put into this work. As a sports fan, I also enjoyed the spectacle as presented, though some of the race recaps were repetitive in their style and slightly lacked in their emotional payoff. However, when telling the story of a racehorse who broke numerous speed records and was otherwise dominant, you can only slow down the furlongs of a race so much. (I was also looking forward a bit in hearing about Man O’ War’s sire line pedigree. Didn’t happen… But that’s what Google is for, to satisfy my curiosity, I suppose!)
September 13, 2020
The incredibly long time it took me to finish this book was no reflection on Ours' abilities as an author. I had to put my horse down - a descendent of Man o' War - shortly after starting this book and just couldn't bring myself to pick it up and read further for a couple of months.
This book was incredibly well-researched and perfectly captured the era and the mindset of owners, trainers and jockeys from a hundred years ago. Man o' War's spirit and abilities comes shining through and reinforces my belief that he was the greatest racehorse that ever lived. The book also shed some new light on the integrity of Samuel Riddle, Louis Feustel and Johnny Loftus, which I appreciated.
This book was incredibly well-researched and perfectly captured the era and the mindset of owners, trainers and jockeys from a hundred years ago. Man o' War's spirit and abilities comes shining through and reinforces my belief that he was the greatest racehorse that ever lived. The book also shed some new light on the integrity of Samuel Riddle, Louis Feustel and Johnny Loftus, which I appreciated.
October 5, 2021
As a horse lover since I was a very young girl, Man O' War was always my favorite. This book told a lot about Big Red's early years plus early racing. I never knew that they didn't have gates but just a "banner" to hold the horses back. A lot is ridden about his "speed" and the weight load that he had to carry in each race. Information about the jockeys who rode him, his owners and trainers was interesting. After reading the book the "notes" section in the back has some additional information that was interesting.
This book takes some concentration to absorb but I enjoyed the information on the horses and the history of racing.
This book takes some concentration to absorb but I enjoyed the information on the horses and the history of racing.
May 23, 2023
A little disappointing - not the horse - the story ... I don't think most racing fans care about how fast a horse runs, they care about who a horse beats and about seeing great individual races with reasonable fields and racing drama; that simply isn't Man O' War's story ... Without any real rivals, and indeed without any real competition, Man O' War was mostly running against himself and that takes all the fun out of it ... The book is not a tender, nuanced tale of a racehorse, rather it is one about the stopwatch and characters that aren't that interesting and the race game of a century ago and all it's warts ... a great horse, not a great horse book
December 19, 2025
This is a very detailed book about Man o' War, the times he lived in, and his effect on racing. Man o' War was a phenomenal athlete with immense strength, great intelligence, and a innate sense of himself and his place in the world. He was not an easy horse to handle because of his self awareness, but when handled respectfully, he was manageable and unstoppable in a race. The book also details the public's fascination and love of horse racing and the corruption that existed at all levels. In addition, there is a great deal of detail about the ins and outs of racing at that time; thus, the book may not be appeal to some readers.
February 2, 2025
This biography of the legendary racehorse is compulsively readable. It captures the heart and spirit of the horse as well as the people surrounding him. Man o' War was one of those rare creatures who drew the interest and devotion of experts and the general public. He was fortunate that his owners and trainers kept his health paramount in their minds, even as they navigated the difficult labyrinth of competing lures of prize money, record books, and a public who couldn't ever get enough of the big red colt.
April 8, 2021
I was disappointed with this book. Yes it told about the great Man O War but was like reading a book of statistics . The books I have read about Secretariat were much better they told the story of the spirit of the horse itself. This book was more concerned with the lives of the owners and the jockeys than the horse itself. There was too much emphasis on betting and the interactions between the owners.
December 28, 2021
I absolutely loved Man O’ War. I could have to do with me liking (and riding) horses but I think it also had to do with my interest in the past. I enjoy learning about how stuff was done back them. The reason I’m only giving this book 3 stars was because it was kind of lengthy and there were a lot of words on one page. I did start rushing through the book cause I was starting to get a pile of books that were starting to get a little too big. But I definitely enjoyed learning about Man O’ War.
August 16, 2017
Pretty boring account of Man-O-War's life and racing history. For serious racing fans it may have been more intriguing, but it seemed too full of stats and race times/circumstances and did not have much of a story line or connect outside historical events. Not the best horse racing book I have read.
April 14, 2025
I thoroughly loved reading this book. Man o' War is one of my favorite racehorses, and this book excellently told his story. I learned a lot about the different jockeys that rode him, the rival horses of his era, as well as many of the stable owners the period of history in general. I would highly recommend this to anybody interested in horse racing.
August 27, 2017
I enjoyed this well-researched and documented equine story and learned quite a bit about Thoroughbreds and the early days of horse racing in the US. Not a full five stars for me, but a solid 4.5! Anyone interested in horses won't want to miss this one.
May 29, 2018
Stunning bio of the greatest racehorse of the century, & the people who loved him & surrounded him. I loved the fact that there were photos included, but kind of sad that there was only one section of them. This is a must have addition to the library of every race fan!
June 18, 2018
I return to this every summer to read of Man O' War's Belmont and Saratoga exploits. As well researched and written as the mega-hit Seabscuit, this is a must read about that underdog's grandsire and possibly still the greatest horse ever!
May 11, 2019
I don't know exactly why a biography of a horse caught my attention. It just did. It's well written. You can't fault the author one bit.
If the history of a spectacular horse grabs you, this is the book for you. If not, pass it up.
If the history of a spectacular horse grabs you, this is the book for you. If not, pass it up.
April 7, 2020
Fairly well-researched but very dry. It lacked soul until the very last chapter & almost completely ignored the grooms integral to any racehorse. Also would have been nice to include some information about the many successful horses that Man O War sired.
April 18, 2022
Great Story
The author does a remarkable service telling the story of American horse racing's legend of the roaring twenty 's . The insight into Man O War's groom is enlightening and entertaining.
The author does a remarkable service telling the story of American horse racing's legend of the roaring twenty 's . The insight into Man O War's groom is enlightening and entertaining.
October 16, 2018
Amazing! If you like horse racing you'll like this book about arguably the greatest horse that ever lived.
December 29, 2020
What can I say? He was my childhood hero. This book chronicles his life and gives you all the details you need to put yourself in the story for awhile.
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