Seabiscuit: An American LegendSeabiscuit: An American Legend
Score Modern
What it's about
Seabiscuit was an undersized, knobby-kneed racehorse who seemed lazy and was given up on by his first trainers. In the 1930s he was bought by Charles Howard, a car salesman who had become rich, and trained by Tom Smith, a quiet former mustang breaker. With Red Pollard, a half-blind jockey, Seabiscuit became the most famous athlete in Depression-era America, culminating in a 1938 match race against the Triple Crown winner War Admiral.
Why it's worth reading
It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and became an Oscar-nominated film. Hillenbrand makes horse racing as gripping as any thriller, even if you've never cared about horses.
You'll love it if you liked
Moneyball
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBIGood to know
Hillenbrand wrote it while living with severe chronic fatigue syndrome. You don't need to know anything about racing.
By the numbers
- Readers85 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #60 of the 198 history books we rank
- #68 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #169 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #336 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Laura Hillenbrand
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Quick answers
Is Seabiscuit: An American Legend worth reading?
Yes. It was a #1 New York Times bestseller and became an Oscar-nominated film. It ranks #336 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Seabiscuit: An American Legend about?
Seabiscuit was an undersized, knobby-kneed racehorse who seemed lazy and was given up on by his first trainers. In the 1930s he was bought by Charles Howard, a car salesman who had become rich, and trained by Tom Smith, a quiet former mustang breaker. With Red Pollard, a half-blind jockey, Seabiscuit became the most famous athlete in Depression-era America, culminating in a 1938 match race against the Triple Crown winner War Admiral.
How long does it take to read Seabiscuit: An American Legend?
About 10 hours (400 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Seabiscuit: An American Legend?
If you liked it, try Moneyball by Michael Lewis, The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann or Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.