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The Black Stallion #13
The Black Stallion Mystery
Someone's set a treacherous trap for Alec and his horse...
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
37 people are currently reading
1161 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 69 reviews
started-and-not-finished
September 5, 2024By way of explanation, this is undoubtedly a good enough book of its type, and would please the target audience. But I only started reading it aloud to Barb to fill in some time, since I planned to give her the next book we were really interested in reading as a present for our 44th anniversary (which is today). She'd read this one and liked it back in the 90s, when she was on something of a Walter Farley kick (but no longer remembered the plot), and it was the only book by him on our shelves at home. We started it on Aug. 24; but in the interval, we didn't get very much chance to read, so by today, neither of us were particularly invested in the tale yet. Therefore, by common consent, we decided to consign it back to the shelf, and take up the book we actually want to read. :-)
February 12, 2022
A couple of yearlings that could be related to the Black show up at an auction. Out of interest in the stallion that sired them, Henry, Alec and the Black set out to find this stallion.
At first, I was not at all pleased with this book. It seemed very strange to me that Henry and Alec would decide to fly a horse that must be worth millions by now across the Atlantic just because they suspect that the yearling's father might be the Black's father. They take him along as if he were a dog. Only when they arrive at the place where the yearlings came from, it becomes clear that the Black is needed to find his father. Because of this illogical beginning, I was on the verge of abandoning the book, but once they set out to find Black's father, I was captivated. The second part, in my opinion, had everything a good book needs. It was exciting and full of mystery that pulled me into the story.
So, if you start reading this book, don't stop with the first part, try to keep reading until you get to the main part.
At first, I was not at all pleased with this book. It seemed very strange to me that Henry and Alec would decide to fly a horse that must be worth millions by now across the Atlantic just because they suspect that the yearling's father might be the Black's father. They take him along as if he were a dog. Only when they arrive at the place where the yearlings came from, it becomes clear that the Black is needed to find his father. Because of this illogical beginning, I was on the verge of abandoning the book, but once they set out to find Black's father, I was captivated. The second part, in my opinion, had everything a good book needs. It was exciting and full of mystery that pulled me into the story.
So, if you start reading this book, don't stop with the first part, try to keep reading until you get to the main part.
July 28, 2024
Before I read this book, I was convinced that the second book in this series was the worst. The Black Stallion Returns is now the second-worst in the series, because this book is, so far, easily the worst one. It did not seem like Walter Farley cared at all about what he was writing. So many of the scenes that should have felt exciting and scary (the bull attacking Alec, for example) were written in such a nonchalant way that I was bored. It also didn't help that the phrase "the big man" was used constantly to describe Angel Gonzaléz; the fact that it showed up three times on page 57 is very much the sign of a bad editor. This was just not fun to read.
August 24, 2022
Great book
October 17, 2024
This is the second book that is part of a long series that I've read this month, the other being A Fine Red Rain by Stuart Kaminsky. There is no connection between the two books other than that they are both books in a fairly long series, and the main take-away from reading them is to be careful about reading books that are in the middle of a long series, because they are likely to assume that you already know a lot about the characters from the earlier books, and not knowing makes their behaviour inexplicable at times.
In this one the eponymous Black Stallion (who doesn't seem to have a name, but is just referred to as "The Black") is an American racehorse owned and ridden by a boy called Alec, of indeterminate age, and trained by a man called Henry. In this book they go swanning off around the globe in search of The Black's father, whom they had previously presumed to be dead.
They arrive in a kind of racehorse Shangri-La, where they are received with surface friendliness but fear sinister motives.
In this one the eponymous Black Stallion (who doesn't seem to have a name, but is just referred to as "The Black") is an American racehorse owned and ridden by a boy called Alec, of indeterminate age, and trained by a man called Henry. In this book they go swanning off around the globe in search of The Black's father, whom they had previously presumed to be dead.
They arrive in a kind of racehorse Shangri-La, where they are received with surface friendliness but fear sinister motives.
December 10, 2023
Trop de nostalgie
February 19, 2023
SO DRAMATIC haha
felt like a crossover between nancy drew & black stallion
rounding up 4.5 bc i don't have any solid reasons to round down
felt like a crossover between nancy drew & black stallion
rounding up 4.5 bc i don't have any solid reasons to round down
July 25, 2025
Love this series.
August 26, 2013
CHASING THE BLAKC:S ELUSIVE SIRE
Devoted fans of Alec Ramsay and his famous Black horse will be delighted by the mystery lurking--with increasing literary tension and menace--in this 13th in the YA series. Apparently parentless (or emancipated) by this novel, Alec is free to choose his own path-- usually in concert with his trainer/mentor, Henry. When they read about a pair of unusual Arabian yearlings in New York state they insist on viewing them in person. One look at the horses convinces them that they must meet the owner and the unnamed sire. The pair decide to make Spain the first stop on their European itinerary. Their odyssey brings them into contact with some shady two-footed characters, who take an unusual interest in the Black or demonstrate suspiciously extreme hospitality. Could this all be part of an elaborate ruse, even a Trap forf the supposedly trusting youth?
Far from naive about the world of horseflesh Henry and Alec
nevertheless become embroiled in international intrigue--lured ever deeper into unlocking the mystery of the Black's reportedly dead sire, Ziyada. Alec's persistent curiosity and desire to learn the truth will lead both his horse and himself into serious danger. Farley reintroduces a character from an earlier BLACK STALLION novel: Arabian-born Tabari, now a young married woman. Alec and Henry learn a lot about Arab hospitality, as well as the Arabian love for horses and the lust for generational revenge. Regardless of the certification of the death of Ziyadah: Who is the mysterious nocturnal rider of the legendary Firetail? Can Alec resist the final temptation to uncover this identity--and at what cost? This story grips readers early on, holding our attention until the dramatic denouement, concluding with a teaser about a possible future BS book, FLAME. (The literary hoof prints of the Black Stallion never end...)
(Sept. 4, 2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
Devoted fans of Alec Ramsay and his famous Black horse will be delighted by the mystery lurking--with increasing literary tension and menace--in this 13th in the YA series. Apparently parentless (or emancipated) by this novel, Alec is free to choose his own path-- usually in concert with his trainer/mentor, Henry. When they read about a pair of unusual Arabian yearlings in New York state they insist on viewing them in person. One look at the horses convinces them that they must meet the owner and the unnamed sire. The pair decide to make Spain the first stop on their European itinerary. Their odyssey brings them into contact with some shady two-footed characters, who take an unusual interest in the Black or demonstrate suspiciously extreme hospitality. Could this all be part of an elaborate ruse, even a Trap forf the supposedly trusting youth?
Far from naive about the world of horseflesh Henry and Alec
nevertheless become embroiled in international intrigue--lured ever deeper into unlocking the mystery of the Black's reportedly dead sire, Ziyada. Alec's persistent curiosity and desire to learn the truth will lead both his horse and himself into serious danger. Farley reintroduces a character from an earlier BLACK STALLION novel: Arabian-born Tabari, now a young married woman. Alec and Henry learn a lot about Arab hospitality, as well as the Arabian love for horses and the lust for generational revenge. Regardless of the certification of the death of Ziyadah: Who is the mysterious nocturnal rider of the legendary Firetail? Can Alec resist the final temptation to uncover this identity--and at what cost? This story grips readers early on, holding our attention until the dramatic denouement, concluding with a teaser about a possible future BS book, FLAME. (The literary hoof prints of the Black Stallion never end...)
(Sept. 4, 2010. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
July 22, 2013
The next book in the series starts of with Henry and Alec convinced that the stallion who sired the black is somehow still alive and siring a new generation of racehorses. Tracing the yearlings back to Spain, they load up the Black and off they go, finding themselves on the Spanish ranch of a crazy bullfighter. From there, it is back to Arabia and to old acquaintances, who want Alec's help in running down the ghostly stallion haunting the mountains. Alex must decide if helping his friends and solving the mystery is worth risking his life and that of the Black.
Yeah, yeah, ok, as an adult, I could poke holes the size of the moon through storyline - why would they cart the Black over to Europe, why the interlude in Spain, why the weird ways of getting their help? It is also pretty obvious who is behind it all. But as a kid's book it works - lots of action and suspense, a ghostly horse and a unknown enemy. So putting my adult eyes away and taking up my kids rose-tinted ones, I really enjoyed this.
Yeah, yeah, ok, as an adult, I could poke holes the size of the moon through storyline - why would they cart the Black over to Europe, why the interlude in Spain, why the weird ways of getting their help? It is also pretty obvious who is behind it all. But as a kid's book it works - lots of action and suspense, a ghostly horse and a unknown enemy. So putting my adult eyes away and taking up my kids rose-tinted ones, I really enjoyed this.
September 4, 2012
A little too much goes on here for it to be a straightforwardly good Black Stallion book. Farley was not afraid of over-reaching, which is certainly fun but does cause some eye-rollingly bad scenes. Secret passages? We got 'em! Kidnapping? Yup. Unknown location? Sure. Ghostly horses in the middle of the night? Check.
There's some misogynistic stuff in here that seems reflexive rather than thought-out. Not one of my favorites, for sure.
There's some misogynistic stuff in here that seems reflexive rather than thought-out. Not one of my favorites, for sure.
September 22, 2014
When I was younger I loved horses and sought out every horse story I could find. The Black Stallion series was my favorite books throughout my whole teenage years, I read them all at least twice. This book is one of my favorite because it combined The Black with a good mystery. Alec goes to Spain to track down Black's sire, whom they thought was dead, but new stock being brought to America proved otherwise. I never could put this book down, reading it cover to cover every time.
August 29, 2020
Une série jeunesse que les adultes adorent lire ou relire.
Il n'y a pas d'ordre précis pour lire cette série. Chaque livre peut être lu indépendamment des autres. Chaque histoire est distincte.
En est issue une série télévisée franco-canadienne en 78 épisodes de 26 minutes a été créée par Dawn Ritchie et Brad Wright.
Les thèmes abordés sont l'amour des chevaux - coutume sur l'hospitalité arabe - la vengeance.
Dans cet ouvrage, l'auteur réussit le pari de tenir le lecteur en haleine du début de l'histoire jusqu'au dénouement final.
Evidemment les adultes pourront trouver curieux certains traits du scénario mais l'auteur inscrit de nombreuses actions, du suspense, de la vengeance, des passages secrets, du mystère, tout cela fonctionne à merveille.
L'écriture est fluide simple aisée pour nos enfants. Je conseille grandement ce livre et tous ceux de la série.
Il n'y a pas d'ordre précis pour lire cette série. Chaque livre peut être lu indépendamment des autres. Chaque histoire est distincte.
En est issue une série télévisée franco-canadienne en 78 épisodes de 26 minutes a été créée par Dawn Ritchie et Brad Wright.
Les thèmes abordés sont l'amour des chevaux - coutume sur l'hospitalité arabe - la vengeance.
Dans cet ouvrage, l'auteur réussit le pari de tenir le lecteur en haleine du début de l'histoire jusqu'au dénouement final.
Evidemment les adultes pourront trouver curieux certains traits du scénario mais l'auteur inscrit de nombreuses actions, du suspense, de la vengeance, des passages secrets, du mystère, tout cela fonctionne à merveille.
L'écriture est fluide simple aisée pour nos enfants. Je conseille grandement ce livre et tous ceux de la série.
July 11, 2017
"The Arabian horse is the only breed with the courage to face a lion."
I read a lot of these books when I was young, got read of all of my horse books when I decided I was "too old" for them, and now, as I'm collecting them all again, I'm realizing I never read some of them. This is one of those.
What I like about these books, besides the horses, is that, if you've read The Black Stallion, you can really read any of the other books about the Black, in whatever order, because they are all self-contained stories.
This one is full of intrigue and drama and, of course - horses. One very special horse, to be exact.
It's a quick read, and another spell-binding edition of the Black Stallion series.
I read a lot of these books when I was young, got read of all of my horse books when I decided I was "too old" for them, and now, as I'm collecting them all again, I'm realizing I never read some of them. This is one of those.
What I like about these books, besides the horses, is that, if you've read The Black Stallion, you can really read any of the other books about the Black, in whatever order, because they are all self-contained stories.
This one is full of intrigue and drama and, of course - horses. One very special horse, to be exact.
It's a quick read, and another spell-binding edition of the Black Stallion series.
March 4, 2022
In this book, Alec notices some yearlings that look remarkably like The Black Stallion. He and Henry set off to find the Black's sire, who is supposedly dead. It seemed amazing to me then, and now, that they would fly a horse that was that famous and worth that much money overseas for something like this. Horses are shipped all over the world all the time for races and competitions, but generally not on quests to find supposedly dead sires. This was a pretty action packed book, in my opinion. I loved it.
August 28, 2023
4.5 stars. This was a refreshing change of pace - a Black Stallion story NOT centered on a horse race. The story and mystery were both interesting, even if I found the conclusion and wrap-up a little lackluster. The tie-in to Flame and his "adventure" was truly infuriating, as I thought the Island Stallion was no longer part of the narrative.
There were also "like a woman..." comments that were upsetting, but not entirely expected for the times.
I recommend this book to fans of the series, horse lit, and children looking for a fun read.
There were also "like a woman..." comments that were upsetting, but not entirely expected for the times.
I recommend this book to fans of the series, horse lit, and children looking for a fun read.
June 11, 2017
Although in a series, the book was complete by itself, sometimes referring to previous happenings that happened in another book, it was enough for us to carry on with this book.
Setting was well presented, with just enough to see the area, but not enough to grow weary of it.
Boys enjoyed the mystery. Also hated to stop.
Setting was well presented, with just enough to see the area, but not enough to grow weary of it.
Boys enjoyed the mystery. Also hated to stop.
August 31, 2018
A quick reread of a childhood favourite. Exciting, fast-paced, with lots of drama! Revenge! Wild horse chases through the mountains! Near-death experiences! The unshakeable bond of a boy and a horse! Good stuff! Aaaaaaand then a huge cup of racism, most of it concentrated in the final few pages. Such is the danger of rereading old faves.
July 19, 2018
It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was really good. My favorite part was when the Black survived the encounter on the mountain, even if his sire didn't. My least favortie part was when Ziyadah was accidentally shot by Tabari instead of the Black like she wanted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2017
One of the books that spurred my love of mysteries.
October 13, 2017
It's not really a mystery.
February 23, 2019
It wasn't that good. I like old fashioned books but this was quite boring.
July 1, 2019
I loved all the Black Stallion books as a kid. I am seriously considering reading them again!
September 16, 2019
This book is currently my favorite book and i loved it.
April 11, 2020
3.5 stars
A fun blast from the past - I wasn't sure if I'd read this Black Stallion book before, but I remembered it when I was about halfway through. A delightful read :)
A fun blast from the past - I wasn't sure if I'd read this Black Stallion book before, but I remembered it when I was about halfway through. A delightful read :)
August 24, 2020
This would be my favourite in the series!
May 16, 2021
good
December 27, 2021
Is the Black's sire alive or is there a ghost horse running in the mountains.
Read
July 26, 2023SKW to BHW
January 7, 2025
Read this as a kid. Found it in a little free library. Still fun to read as an adult.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews