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The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse |  | Author: Lawrence Scanlan
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Category: Book
Buy New: $32.75
as of 9/8/2010 08:21 MDT details
New (1) Used (2) from $13.91
Seller: vana11
Rating:  26 reviews
Sales Rank: 732426
Format: Bargain Price
Media: Paperback
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1
Dewey Decimal Number: 798.400929
ASIN: B003NHR8MA
Publication Date: June 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
“For anybody who loves horses, and for all of those who are thrilled by horse racing and the behind-the-scenes drama of the track, The Horse That God Built is must reading."
--Michael Korda, author of Horse People
Most of us know the legend of Secretariat, the tall, handsome chestnut racehorse whose string of honors runs long and rich: the only two-year-old ever to win Horse of the Year, in 1972; winner in 1973 of the Triple Crown, his times in all three races still unsurpassed; featured on the cover of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated; the only horse listed on ESPN’s top fifty athletes of the twentieth century (ahead of Mickey Mantle). His final race at Toronto’s Woodbine Racetrack is a touchstone memory for horse lovers everywhere. Yet while Secretariat will be remembered forever, one man, Eddie “Shorty” Sweat, who was pivotal to the great horse’s success, has been all but forgotten---until now.
In The Horse God Built, bestselling equestrian writer Lawrence Scanlan has written a tribute to an exceptional man that is also a backroads journey to a corner of the racing world rarely visited. As a young black man growing up in South Carolina, Eddie Sweat struggled at several occupations before settling on the job he was born for---groom to North America’s finest racehorses. As Secretariat’s groom, loyal friend, and protector, Eddie understood the horse far better than anyone else. A wildly generous man who could read a horse with his eyes, he shared in little of the financial success or glamour of Secretariat’s wins on the track, but won the heart of Big Red with his soft words and relentless devotion.
In Scanlan’s rich narrative, we get a groom’s-eye view of the racing world and the vantage of a man who spent every possible moment with the horse he loved, yet who often basked in the horse’s glory from the sidelines. More than anything else, The Horse God Built is a moving portrait of the powerful bond between human and horse. Praise for The Horse God Built:
“Scanlan's scope is encyclopedic…” --Publishers Weekly
"The author's tribute is heartfelt..." --Kirkus
"...detailed in all its equine awesomeness." --Maxim
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 26
 Truely moved by this book May 17, 2007
S. Whitaker (Amarillo, TX USA)
19 out of 22 found this review helpful
I just finished "The Horse God Built". I sat down on my couch with it this morning and started it. I couldn't put it down except for a few convenience breaks. I almost forgot to eat!
There have been some wonderful books written about Secretariat, and I've read all of them I could find. Mr.Scanlan goes a step further by including the most important person in Secretariat's life...Eddie (Shorty) Sweat. He did this without overlooking a moment of Secretariat's life and his wonderous accomplishments. Eddie's story only added to the beauty of Big Red's story by Mr.Scanlan and it wouldn't have been complete without it. Eddie would have been so proud.
I'm still shaken from reading this book. I sat on my couch and read until I finished all 335 pages, including the index. Those pages had me totally hypnotized. I smiled, I laughed, and I cried.
Thank you, Lawrence Scanlan for taking me back to Secretariat once again. You took me on a wonderful, exciting journey and I enjoyed the ride so much. I will cherish this book, as I will all my books, photos, prints, and clippings of this magnificient horse. You taught me things I didn't even know about BigRed. I learned things about other great Thoroughbreds along the way. Thank you, thank you!!
Suzanne Whitaker
a Texan and an ardent admirer of the horse God built.
A Story That Had To Be Told June 28, 2008
Mr. Richard D. Coreno (Berea, Ohio USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Lawrence Scanlan approaches the life & times of Secretariat and covers a wealth of angles in an industry that has yet to live up to the legendary accomplishments of this iconic champion.
From the shooting-star fame of Big Red's groom, Eddie Sweat, the final minutes in the life of the champion - who apparently was treated like a pauper and not comforted like a king - to the destruction through neglect of the farm that was Secretariat's home and the plight of the runners who never perform at the highest levels of the sport, Scanlan covers much turf, but does it with style and class.
There are more straight-forward biographies of Secretariat, but none roar down the stretch to bring the legend to life - and uncover the missed potential in "The Sport of Kings" - the way Scanlan's poignant reporting and timely tackling of current issues ultimately accomplishes through several strong surges to the wire, many lengths in front of the pack.
The Horse God Built August 2, 2007
P. Stoltzfus (PA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I would recommend this book to any horse lover or Secretariat enthusiast. My interest in this subject is relatively new. I learned quite a bit from reading this book. Horse racing often seems cold hearted. I enjoyed reading about the relationship between Eddie and Secretariat.
I could not put this book down, it was fabulous! December 6, 2007
Donna Melendez
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Mr. Scanlon's book was one of the best books written about the Thorougbred racing industry and it's key players, the horses and the people behind the scenes. It was so touching to hear stories I have never heard of about Secretariat ( and I have read every book written on him) and the heart wrenching love his beloved groom, Eddie Sweat had for him. I could not put the book down and was sad when it ended. There is so much lore to the racing world and the grooms that put their charges first before themselves will touch your heart!
Secretariat November 29, 2007
Lisa M. Koch (waterloo, wi usa)
AMAZING Book!!!! I would recommend it to anyone that wants to read about Secretariat! The bond between Eddie and Secretariat is so touching and real! So far best book I have read about a famous horses life, very real!!!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 26
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