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The Black Stallion #2
The Black Stallion Returns
In this, the second book in the series, the heart-stopping adventures of the Black Stallion continue as Alec discovers that two men are after the Black. One claims to be the Black’s rightful owner and one is trying to kill the beautiful steed. An Arab chieftain proves his ownership of the Black and takes him away, but Alec is determined to find his horse again. Following the pair to Arabia, Alec encounters great evil and intrigue, as only a horse as spectacular as the Black could inspire.
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 12, 1945
145 people are currently reading
2678 people want to read
About the author
Walter Farley
169 books1,035 followersWalter Farley's love for horses began when he was a small boy living in Syracuse, New York, and continued as he grew up in New York City, where his family moved. Young Walter never owned a horse. But unlike most city children, he had little trouble gaining firsthand experience with horses-his uncle was a professional horseman, and Walter spent much of his time at the stables with him.
"He wasn't the most successful trainer of race horses," Mr. Farley recalled, "and in a way I profited by it. He switched from runners to jumpers to show horses to trotters and pacers, then back to runners again. Consequently, I received a good background in different kinds of horse training and the people associated with each."
Walter Farley began to write his first book, THE BLACK STALLION, while he was a student at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and
finished it while he was an undergraduate at Columbia University. It was published by Random House when he was 26. He used his first advance to go traveling and after that hardly stopped longer than it took him to write another book. He traveled and lived in Mexico, Hawaii, the South Seas, most of the South American countries, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe.
The appearance of THE BLACK STALLION in 1941 was hailed by enthusiastic boys and girls all over the country. An avalanche of mail urged Mr. Farley to write more about Alec Ramsey and the Black. But World War II intervened. Mr. Farley went into the US Army, where he spent the next five years. Most of the time he was assigned to Yank, the army weekly magazine, and he was also trained in the Fourth Armored Division.
After the war Walter Farley resumed the adventures of Alec and the Black with THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS. This was followed by SON OF THE BLACK STALLION. Then Mr. Farley tried his hand at a story about a new boy, Steve Duncan, and a new horse, Flame, in THE ISLAND STALLION. Mr. Farley's readers were just as delighted with this book as his others.
Mr. Farley went on to write many more stories about the two stallions, and about other horses as well. Children of all ages have found Farley titles to enjoy, since many of the later stories were written for Mr. Farley's own children when they were too young to read his Stallion novels. And older readers and adults have been gripped by his fictionalized biography of America's greatest Thoroughbred, Man O'War. Walter Farley's titles reached a grand total of 34. The 21 Black Stallion and Island Stallion stories are still in print and selling steadily. His readers respond with passion, writing him thousands of letters and emails every year. In May 1949, the first Black Stallion Club was founded, in Kentucky. Mr. Farley designed a membership button for it; the button was in constant demand among his readers for years. The Black Stallion books were so popular in the late 1940s and '50s that they York Times annual list of best-selling children's books. Three nationwide Black Stallion contests were held. Walter Farley's books have been published abroad in more than 20 countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Israel, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaya, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as in the United States and Canada.
All his life Walter Farley remained a keen spectator of the racing scene, and he enjoyed nothing more than hobnobbing with horse trainers and other professional horsemen. It is thanks to these people that his books are so full of authentic details of raising and training horses. When not busy working or traveling, Mr. Farley liked to ride dressage and high school Lippizaner horses. He also sailed and sometimes raced his 35-foot auxiliary sloop "Circe."
Mr. Farley and his wife Rosemary, had four children: Pam, Alice, Steve, and Tim, whom they raised on a farm in Pennsylvania and in a beach house in Florida. In addit
"He wasn't the most successful trainer of race horses," Mr. Farley recalled, "and in a way I profited by it. He switched from runners to jumpers to show horses to trotters and pacers, then back to runners again. Consequently, I received a good background in different kinds of horse training and the people associated with each."
Walter Farley began to write his first book, THE BLACK STALLION, while he was a student at Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School and Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and
finished it while he was an undergraduate at Columbia University. It was published by Random House when he was 26. He used his first advance to go traveling and after that hardly stopped longer than it took him to write another book. He traveled and lived in Mexico, Hawaii, the South Seas, most of the South American countries, the Caribbean Islands, and Europe.
The appearance of THE BLACK STALLION in 1941 was hailed by enthusiastic boys and girls all over the country. An avalanche of mail urged Mr. Farley to write more about Alec Ramsey and the Black. But World War II intervened. Mr. Farley went into the US Army, where he spent the next five years. Most of the time he was assigned to Yank, the army weekly magazine, and he was also trained in the Fourth Armored Division.
After the war Walter Farley resumed the adventures of Alec and the Black with THE BLACK STALLION RETURNS. This was followed by SON OF THE BLACK STALLION. Then Mr. Farley tried his hand at a story about a new boy, Steve Duncan, and a new horse, Flame, in THE ISLAND STALLION. Mr. Farley's readers were just as delighted with this book as his others.
Mr. Farley went on to write many more stories about the two stallions, and about other horses as well. Children of all ages have found Farley titles to enjoy, since many of the later stories were written for Mr. Farley's own children when they were too young to read his Stallion novels. And older readers and adults have been gripped by his fictionalized biography of America's greatest Thoroughbred, Man O'War. Walter Farley's titles reached a grand total of 34. The 21 Black Stallion and Island Stallion stories are still in print and selling steadily. His readers respond with passion, writing him thousands of letters and emails every year. In May 1949, the first Black Stallion Club was founded, in Kentucky. Mr. Farley designed a membership button for it; the button was in constant demand among his readers for years. The Black Stallion books were so popular in the late 1940s and '50s that they York Times annual list of best-selling children's books. Three nationwide Black Stallion contests were held. Walter Farley's books have been published abroad in more than 20 countries, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Israel, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaya, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as in the United States and Canada.
All his life Walter Farley remained a keen spectator of the racing scene, and he enjoyed nothing more than hobnobbing with horse trainers and other professional horsemen. It is thanks to these people that his books are so full of authentic details of raising and training horses. When not busy working or traveling, Mr. Farley liked to ride dressage and high school Lippizaner horses. He also sailed and sometimes raced his 35-foot auxiliary sloop "Circe."
Mr. Farley and his wife Rosemary, had four children: Pam, Alice, Steve, and Tim, whom they raised on a farm in Pennsylvania and in a beach house in Florida. In addit
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
March 20, 2017
Just like the first volume, I read this a looong time ago and loved it. Now that nostalgia has me gripped firmly, I'll re-read this shortly.
April 22, 2022
4 stars & 4/10 hearts. It always surprises me how I manage to enjoy these books. Farley isn’t really a good author. The writing is pretty bland and “telling,” especially during the parts that should be gripping and aren’t. And yet, somehow, he manages to keep me interested enough that I just have to keep reading.
The story began with a pretty exciting attempted horse-killing that certainly wasn’t expected. From, then, things just escalated. I finally discovered that Alec is actually like 18 or something—definitely not the 12-year-old I thought him? I really don’t care about him, yet somehow feel a passive interest in his wellbeing… perhaps it's because of the Black, whom I do really like.
I could not have been more astonished at the sudden twist that sent them to Arabia. At first I was upset, but the ending was perfectly perfect and wrapped it all up so well. The intertwining mysteries were pretty well done and although I guessed part, I appreciated how everything wasn’t revealed until the ending. And once more, the horse race had me thrilling…
The characters were really what I loved. Arabs and Bedouin life have always fascinated me, and I was delighted by how they were presented in this book, so sympathetically and with respect. They remind me a little of Scottish highlanders… Raj was my favourite, but I liked the two sheiks very much too.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I suppose I will be reading the rest of the books. It’s like eating sour candies—I don’t really like them, yet somehow I can’t not eat them…
Content: euphemisms; violence; a lot of mentions of Allah.
The story began with a pretty exciting attempted horse-killing that certainly wasn’t expected. From, then, things just escalated. I finally discovered that Alec is actually like 18 or something—definitely not the 12-year-old I thought him? I really don’t care about him, yet somehow feel a passive interest in his wellbeing… perhaps it's because of the Black, whom I do really like.
I could not have been more astonished at the sudden twist that sent them to Arabia. At first I was upset, but the ending was perfectly perfect and wrapped it all up so well. The intertwining mysteries were pretty well done and although I guessed part, I appreciated how everything wasn’t revealed until the ending. And once more, the horse race had me thrilling…
The characters were really what I loved. Arabs and Bedouin life have always fascinated me, and I was delighted by how they were presented in this book, so sympathetically and with respect. They remind me a little of Scottish highlanders… Raj was my favourite, but I liked the two sheiks very much too.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I suppose I will be reading the rest of the books. It’s like eating sour candies—I don’t really like them, yet somehow I can’t not eat them…
Content: euphemisms; violence; a lot of mentions of Allah.
May 28, 2015
The Black Stallion Returns is probably the BEST book in the Black Stallion Series. I would very much recommend this book to anyone who is a lover of the equines, or loves mystery and suspense. I think there was a movie of this book, and I know that there is a movie of the 1st book in the Black Stallion Series.
Here is a short summary of this AMAZING book:
After Alec and the Black (The Black Stallion) win the match race against Cyclone and Sunraider, Alec and The Black become VERY famous. Some people are not happy with all of this fame to this "Rags to Riches" Horse. So one night, the Black is kidnapped!!! (More like horse-napped) Will Alec ever be able to find the Black ever again?
Here is a short summary of this AMAZING book:
After Alec and the Black (The Black Stallion) win the match race against Cyclone and Sunraider, Alec and The Black become VERY famous. Some people are not happy with all of this fame to this "Rags to Riches" Horse. So one night, the Black is kidnapped!!! (More like horse-napped) Will Alec ever be able to find the Black ever again?
June 6, 2024
Only the last fifteen pages of this book prevent it from being rated two stars. The writing was awful: so many epithets in place of a character's name, so much laughably bad dialogue, just bush-league writing. But the last fifteen pages were genuinely exciting, and I loved the camaraderie between the characters. I really hope the writing gets better, because I can't suffer through seventeen more books.
March 4, 2016
The Black Stallion Returns is every bit as riveting as the first novel in the series. Here we find Alec and The Black resting on their laurels after their big win against Cyclone and Sun Raider. Their happily ever after is soon shattered, though, when The Black's rightful owner comes to the U.S. to claim him. That might have been the end of it, but Sun Raider's owner, Mr. Volence, appears to appeal one last time for a chance at the Black, only to find he has returned to the world he was stolen from. Not daunted, Mr. Volence, Henry, and Alec depart on an epic journey to reunite Alec with his horse and discover the secret behind his breeding. They travel into dangerous territory and soon find themselves embroiled in a tribal war and the race of the century.
Farley writes in such great detail about this epic journey that you feel you are there yourself. As our heroes overcome one calamity after the next, there is a palpable tension because the mystery is still not solved. This continues until the end, and keeps you riveted page after page. It is a stunning sequel and a great continuation of the saga of The Black.
Farley writes in such great detail about this epic journey that you feel you are there yourself. As our heroes overcome one calamity after the next, there is a palpable tension because the mystery is still not solved. This continues until the end, and keeps you riveted page after page. It is a stunning sequel and a great continuation of the saga of The Black.
May 30, 2025
I am enchanted by the Black Stallion series. Wonderful writing, with plenty of suspense and some twists. Well-developed characters, and the bad guy is unequivocally bad. And, also, the good guys are plenty good.
Alec follows the Black to Arabia after his rightful owner reclaims him. In the desert, gangs of bandits and blood wars abound. Danger is always just around the corner. And the Black proves again and again how special he is.
The movie deviates quite a bit from the book. Like two parallel stories, but not identical in plot. Not a problem. As long as the Black Stallion is center stage. I liked also that Alec is always respectful to those he deals with, even when emotions are high. I did notice that his family has a minor, sort of shadow role and you don't hear much about them except when seeking permission to follow the Black.
Also, keep in mind, the year this was written, as I'm certain Arabia is different in many ways today. A good read. Children, YA and up.
Alec follows the Black to Arabia after his rightful owner reclaims him. In the desert, gangs of bandits and blood wars abound. Danger is always just around the corner. And the Black proves again and again how special he is.
The movie deviates quite a bit from the book. Like two parallel stories, but not identical in plot. Not a problem. As long as the Black Stallion is center stage. I liked also that Alec is always respectful to those he deals with, even when emotions are high. I did notice that his family has a minor, sort of shadow role and you don't hear much about them except when seeking permission to follow the Black.
Also, keep in mind, the year this was written, as I'm certain Arabia is different in many ways today. A good read. Children, YA and up.
September 9, 2024
Reread for me, though it has been many years since I read it last. 3 stars, because the entire first half of the book is pure tedium. The rest is great.
January 24, 2022
I actually enjoyed this book even more than the first! This book featured high adventure, exotic locations, grand horses and a wily villain - what more could a young (or older) reader ask for?
Alec and The Black of course run another epic race, this one even more of challenge than the first. I had read this book before, but recalled for little and my heart was racing as I read the action of the race!
As a sign of the times, there is a gratuitous use of exclamation points - a point which I'm willing to forgive but never failed to notice. I also would have liked there to be more equine, and less human, drama, but it's a very slight complaint.
I recommend to fans of The Black Stallion, or those looking for a fun, light fiction read - or for young readers looking for an intro to chapter books. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
Alec and The Black of course run another epic race, this one even more of challenge than the first. I had read this book before, but recalled for little and my heart was racing as I read the action of the race!
As a sign of the times, there is a gratuitous use of exclamation points - a point which I'm willing to forgive but never failed to notice. I also would have liked there to be more equine, and less human, drama, but it's a very slight complaint.
I recommend to fans of The Black Stallion, or those looking for a fun, light fiction read - or for young readers looking for an intro to chapter books. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series.
April 13, 2021
This was another better-than-average kids book which managed to hit a lot of the same notes as the original (adventurous journey, danger, horse nerdery and a climactic race) without feeling like a copy. That said this one lacked anything equivalent to the arc of Alec developing a relationship with the Black, which was kind of the heart of the first book.
July 1, 2023
A really enjoyable sequel. It is plausible enough to be believed in with enough adventure to make it fun. We learn the truth about the Black Stallion’s origins and finish with another race between horse titans.
October 1, 2021
Read it as a child-liked the desert race. 4.5 out of 5.
January 12, 2019
A much shorter read than I would like, but still a good, fast-paced story.
December 30, 2022
The Black Stallion Returns by Walter Farley
Another great outing for Alec and the Black.
In this one, we learn the Black's origin... and his name! We meet the original owner, all in Arabia.
A mystery surrounds the Black and the people in his life. An attempt on the horse's life. A mysterious medallion. A legendary annual race.
This doesn't read like your typical young adult stories of the era. No "gosh, golly, gee! That sure is swell!" The dialog, the action and the violence is all a bit more than I've read in other similar stories of the time.
Nothing at all wrong with it , just an observation.
I really like Farley's writing. He gives the story plenty of substance and meat kids can handle. And adults@
Another great outing for Alec and the Black.
In this one, we learn the Black's origin... and his name! We meet the original owner, all in Arabia.
A mystery surrounds the Black and the people in his life. An attempt on the horse's life. A mysterious medallion. A legendary annual race.
This doesn't read like your typical young adult stories of the era. No "gosh, golly, gee! That sure is swell!" The dialog, the action and the violence is all a bit more than I've read in other similar stories of the time.
Nothing at all wrong with it , just an observation.
I really like Farley's writing. He gives the story plenty of substance and meat kids can handle. And adults@
Read
June 22, 2020I loved the Black Stallion Books as a child.
October 26, 2022
It's not that these are written so well that they should become classics, it's that they are such unique stories.
November 25, 2025
We fell in love with The Black in the first book. We were expecting this sequel to be mostly about The Black Stallion like the first one was- but we were wrong. This book was more about the government and hierarchy rankings in Arabia, sandwiched between mentions of The Black. My kids were disappointed and lost through all the names and different dialogues. I was lost myself and it was hard to help them through it.
Just stop reading after the first book. 😂
Just stop reading after the first book. 😂
November 27, 2025
When I read this as a child, it was one of the books in the series that I decided not to re-read. It was all about the journey to Arabia to try to find The Black and persuade the owner to sell him to Alec. It was page 109 before Alec's party find the home of Abu Ishak. At the time, I found the long journey somewhat dull, just wanting Alec to get there and find the horse. However reading it now I see a lot more issues than a dull storyline. I know nothing about seaplanes or travel in that era so I'll stay away from that side of it. As it was written in the 1940's, I won't comment on the obvious stereotypes and cultural issues, as books were written in a different manner back then. I will focus on the plot issues.
Alec wants to reclaim the horse from the proven rightful owner. A man who has already refused to sell a valuable breeding animal that he has travelled from Arabia to claim. He is not going to sell it cheap to a kid who keeps a horse in an old barn. He enlists the owner of Sun Raider to help buy the horse, travelling to Arabia to do so. Alec, you need to get a grip and accept that it's rude to go to this guy's house to try to emotionally blackmail this man into parting with his precious animal because you want the horse. Too often in these first two books, Alec is given everything he wants. I have to question his parents letting him go on this trip in the first place. And if the cost of the camel renting is high enough to trouble Sun Raider's owner, he is not going to meet a rich man's sale price for a horse who isn't for sale. Yet this entire trip continues regardless.
The whole story is set up that Alec somehow deserves the horse because of what they went through together, and that the owner is a bit mean for not giving the boy what he wants. When Alec sought the information about the ownership of The Black to race him, did he not work out that there could be someone out there to claim him back? Had Alec kept a low profile, Abu Ishak would have assumed his horse was dead. The horse was stolen from him so it was a bit wrong to mildly paint him as a bad guy for wanting his own property back.
Frankly to journey across the desert in the hope that you can avoid deadly raiders and dying from heat or dehydration in the hope of finding a place nobody seems to know the location of, is all a bit silly. It's not a great book in the series and many later books are much better.
Childhood rating: 2
Adult rating: 2
Alec wants to reclaim the horse from the proven rightful owner. A man who has already refused to sell a valuable breeding animal that he has travelled from Arabia to claim. He is not going to sell it cheap to a kid who keeps a horse in an old barn. He enlists the owner of Sun Raider to help buy the horse, travelling to Arabia to do so. Alec, you need to get a grip and accept that it's rude to go to this guy's house to try to emotionally blackmail this man into parting with his precious animal because you want the horse. Too often in these first two books, Alec is given everything he wants. I have to question his parents letting him go on this trip in the first place. And if the cost of the camel renting is high enough to trouble Sun Raider's owner, he is not going to meet a rich man's sale price for a horse who isn't for sale. Yet this entire trip continues regardless.
The whole story is set up that Alec somehow deserves the horse because of what they went through together, and that the owner is a bit mean for not giving the boy what he wants. When Alec sought the information about the ownership of The Black to race him, did he not work out that there could be someone out there to claim him back? Had Alec kept a low profile, Abu Ishak would have assumed his horse was dead. The horse was stolen from him so it was a bit wrong to mildly paint him as a bad guy for wanting his own property back.
Frankly to journey across the desert in the hope that you can avoid deadly raiders and dying from heat or dehydration in the hope of finding a place nobody seems to know the location of, is all a bit silly. It's not a great book in the series and many later books are much better.
Childhood rating: 2
Adult rating: 2
August 28, 2013
Some kids books I can come back to, but not this one, alas.
Seventy years on, there've been more than a few societal changes in regards how members of non-mainstream culture are portrayed. Not completely perfect, mind. Even today, sadly, I'm sure there are people who'd wonder about the propriety of offering an Arab cold ham salad. (though in fairness, Farley didn't specify the character's religion. He might not be an observant Muslim.) There's a minor character in The Black Stallion who is a missionary in pre-Partition India. I'm not sure that would fly in a modern novel, but I'm not going to twit Farley about that. We know nothing about Alec's uncle, only that Alec spent the summer with him and is returning home to Flushing, NY, as The Black Stallion begins. The Italian fruit cart owner? I can't believe no one got pissy about that, though. Accent you could cut with a knife, bambinos all over the place. (shudders)
Oddly, it's a comparatively minor error that started me giggling helplessly. In The Black Stallion Returns, Alec ends up traveling to Arabia in order to attempt to reclaim The Black from the horse's rightful owner. This involves a flight from La Guardia to northern Africa. I'll take Farley's word about the details of the flight—I'll take his word about the overgrown seaplanes Alec rides, but I know that trans-Atlantic flights did involve stopping overnight at several points along the way in the Forties. No, I was thrown completely out of the story when one of the flight attendants tells Alec that their flight the next day will depart at six a.m., last for fifteen hours, and they'll arrive...at nine p.m., having flown across the Atlantic.
Anyone notice a potential problem with that flight?
Seventy years on, there've been more than a few societal changes in regards how members of non-mainstream culture are portrayed. Not completely perfect, mind. Even today, sadly, I'm sure there are people who'd wonder about the propriety of offering an Arab cold ham salad. (though in fairness, Farley didn't specify the character's religion. He might not be an observant Muslim.) There's a minor character in The Black Stallion who is a missionary in pre-Partition India. I'm not sure that would fly in a modern novel, but I'm not going to twit Farley about that. We know nothing about Alec's uncle, only that Alec spent the summer with him and is returning home to Flushing, NY, as The Black Stallion begins. The Italian fruit cart owner? I can't believe no one got pissy about that, though. Accent you could cut with a knife, bambinos all over the place. (shudders)
Oddly, it's a comparatively minor error that started me giggling helplessly. In The Black Stallion Returns, Alec ends up traveling to Arabia in order to attempt to reclaim The Black from the horse's rightful owner. This involves a flight from La Guardia to northern Africa. I'll take Farley's word about the details of the flight—I'll take his word about the overgrown seaplanes Alec rides, but I know that trans-Atlantic flights did involve stopping overnight at several points along the way in the Forties. No, I was thrown completely out of the story when one of the flight attendants tells Alec that their flight the next day will depart at six a.m., last for fifteen hours, and they'll arrive...at nine p.m., having flown across the Atlantic.
Anyone notice a potential problem with that flight?
August 20, 2013
BRED FOR BATTLE OR FOR RACING
After a mysterious attempt on the Black's life by an unknown one-armed assassin, Alec is shocked to meet an Arab sheik who claims to be the true owner. Regretfully surrendering the horse he has trained and loves dearly, Alec expects to spend a gloomy summer before his senior year. Conveniently for all concerned racing owner, Mr. Volence, agrees to take both trainer, Henry and the devoted youth abroad to seek better bloodlines for his stables--and incidentally search for the Black in distant Arabia.
Plunged into an exotic world of desert, treachery and bloodlust Alec and his party set out for a remote mountainous region where the Sheik reigns. Alec soon learns the price of betrayal, where blood demands blood, and the great race--held every 5 years--will soon be run. Befriended by a local orphan youth named Raj, Alec's party is abandoned to their fate in the desert, then rescued by a young but suspicious chieftain. How can Alex reach the elusive Sheik and convince him to sell or gift him the magnificent Black? What will it take to end the bitter feud between rival sheiks? How can an American boy acquire the desert skills necessary to survive and win respect in a hostile environment? This sequel is every bit as exciting as the first book in the series, with hope for future stories, as it explores the wonderful and unique bond between boy and horse.
(September 10, 2011. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)Was this review helpful to you?
After a mysterious attempt on the Black's life by an unknown one-armed assassin, Alec is shocked to meet an Arab sheik who claims to be the true owner. Regretfully surrendering the horse he has trained and loves dearly, Alec expects to spend a gloomy summer before his senior year. Conveniently for all concerned racing owner, Mr. Volence, agrees to take both trainer, Henry and the devoted youth abroad to seek better bloodlines for his stables--and incidentally search for the Black in distant Arabia.
Plunged into an exotic world of desert, treachery and bloodlust Alec and his party set out for a remote mountainous region where the Sheik reigns. Alec soon learns the price of betrayal, where blood demands blood, and the great race--held every 5 years--will soon be run. Befriended by a local orphan youth named Raj, Alec's party is abandoned to their fate in the desert, then rescued by a young but suspicious chieftain. How can Alex reach the elusive Sheik and convince him to sell or gift him the magnificent Black? What will it take to end the bitter feud between rival sheiks? How can an American boy acquire the desert skills necessary to survive and win respect in a hostile environment? This sequel is every bit as exciting as the first book in the series, with hope for future stories, as it explores the wonderful and unique bond between boy and horse.
(September 10, 2011. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)Was this review helpful to you?
October 24, 2019
The black stallion returns is probably the best book in the black stallion series. I would recommend this book who is a lover of the equines, or loves mystery and suspense. I think there was a movie of this book, and I know that there is a movie of the first book in the Black stallion series. I think the book could've used more backstory about the black (Alex's black stallion). In the story they only give about a paragraph of the black stallions background story. So If they gave more info about his horse then it would've been more useful and informative in general. Overall The story was quite suspenseful and very hooking.
-Madina M.W.
-Madina M.W.
January 31, 2014
This book developed too slowly for me until 3/4 of the way through when the danger increased. Then it actually became a page turner.
Pet peeve: How many times did I have to say "Abu Ja Kub Ben Ishak"? Could this man not have an acceptable last name? A nickname? In the very beginning, it seems to be okay to call him Abu Ishak. But then every single mention is a five word name that one must pronounce in one's head...until...
Suddenly his name is shortened THREE PAGES BEFORE THE END. Painful. simply painful.
Pet peeve: How many times did I have to say "Abu Ja Kub Ben Ishak"? Could this man not have an acceptable last name? A nickname? In the very beginning, it seems to be okay to call him Abu Ishak. But then every single mention is a five word name that one must pronounce in one's head...until...
Suddenly his name is shortened THREE PAGES BEFORE THE END. Painful. simply painful.
October 13, 2017
This is the second book in The Black Stallion series. I loved the book so much, it was super suspenseful. The guys travel across the desert to find the Black's tribe. With the hardships of the desert they finally made it. They met everyone and ran into the villian of this story. He steals the Black and Alec ends up finding him. Alec ends up able to race him against some of the best Arabic riders, and Alec did end up winning. Since that happened the Chief was super impresses and happy with Alec. He ended up promising to give him Black's first baby, which is a foal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2017
This one was kind of depressing. The Black's rightful owner comes to claim him, and in the end, . Still, the other parts were pretty good. Raj was nice, and Alec taking part in the race to help out the Black's owner was good of him, and I even ended up liking the Black's owner. The action is solid and somewhat exciting, but it's all overshadowed by the depressing bits of it.
June 23, 2018
Continues the story of the Black as Alec travels to his home in the desert. This the first time I've read this since I was maybe 11 or 12, and I'd forgotten how much I learned about how people traveled (by flying boat or boat plane, then by camel caravan across the desert), about religion (details about the daily call to prayer), and about the culture of the desert nomad and the importance of their horses in their culture. Loved every minute.
February 2, 2022
I am loving this series! Even if I am nearing my late 60s! This is a typical kids adventure story with horses, IMO!
I know others who have not enjoyed this second installment, but I think perhaps I did and do enjoy such books because I am still able to 'read like a kid'! Okay, perhaps I still think like a child as well! I'm just glad I can still enjoy these books! Anxious to read more in this series!
I know others who have not enjoyed this second installment, but I think perhaps I did and do enjoy such books because I am still able to 'read like a kid'! Okay, perhaps I still think like a child as well! I'm just glad I can still enjoy these books! Anxious to read more in this series!
August 21, 2024
Once again, Alec Ramsey has taught me new lessons.
How to evade torture:
A. Pass out at the slightest bit of pain
How to survive getting lost in the desert:
1. Find distant landmark
2. Walk toward that
3. Hope you don't die of thirst before you get there
How to compete in a desert race:
i. Have giant black stallion
ii. "Call on him" about a quarter mile from the finish line
I am the wiser for reading this book.
How to evade torture:
A. Pass out at the slightest bit of pain
How to survive getting lost in the desert:
1. Find distant landmark
2. Walk toward that
3. Hope you don't die of thirst before you get there
How to compete in a desert race:
i. Have giant black stallion
ii. "Call on him" about a quarter mile from the finish line
I am the wiser for reading this book.
May 25, 2016
I think this is where I'll stop rereading this series, as it's just become much too dated and Boys' Own to be much fun. It's still a good classic horse & adventure story but all the casual sexism, racism, colonialism and assorted other -isms of the time diminish its enjoyment a lot.
March 28, 2018
I vividly remember reading this book in grade 7 and writing a book report on it. It was quite fun to revisit it again as an adult. I am left wondering what regurgitated water out of a camel would taste like? Though I guess if I was dying of thirst in a desert I probably wouldn’t much care!
March 13, 2024
English Random House Edition = 1984
I've been plagued with bad color too often lately but whatever I've said about the poor work of those titles compares nothing to the hideousness garishness of this mess.
I've been plagued with bad color too often lately but whatever I've said about the poor work of those titles compares nothing to the hideousness garishness of this mess.
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April 28, 2016Continuation of the Black and Alec's adventures.
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