Hillenbrand laura biography of william shakespeare
Seabiscuit: An American Legend
Even though I have always loved horses, I had avoided reading Seabiscuit. I just couldn't believe that all the hype was real. So many times I had picked up a non-fiction book on a topic that I was really curious about, and either put it down unfinished or forced myself to slog through it. Despite my interest in the subject matter, the writing would drive me crazy - too technical, too boring, too text-book like. In fact, as one of those over-achieving students who always completed college reading assignments, I would have to say that many textbooks were actually better reads than the average non-fiction offering on store shelves.
Seabiscuit, I was happy to find, was a complete surprise. The hype was real. No wonder it had sold so many copies. It really does read like a novel, and yet it is so deep - Ms. Hillenbrand has really explored her topic thoroughly and passes on all the details to us. There is a section where she describes the jockeys' experience of riding in a race that is one of the best pieces of prose I have ever, and will ever, read. I read it over and over. It's so visceral, she really puts you in the saddle, plus the prose is beautiful in and of itself. Another reason for the success of this novel is her success at placing the events in their historical context. She not only puts you in the saddle, she takes you back in time.
This was one of the universally best-received choices we've read in book club. Everyone loved it, whether or not they cared at all about horses or sports. And ever since then, I've given non-fiction more chances, and with better luck, than ever before. Sometimes I still put one down unfinished, but now that I know how they can be, I try more oft
Leading on the backstretch
by Amy Blumenthal
If you haven't yet heard of Laura Hillenbrand, you will. Her recently published book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend (Random House, 2001; see "Books" in this issue) swiftly rose to the number-one spot on the New York Times bestseller list within three weeks of appearing in stores. National media from the Washington Post to NBC News with Tom Brokaw to National Public Radio, in addition to lavishing praise on her book, have focused attention on Hillenbrand herself. For not only has she written the engrossing and dramatic tale of America's most famous racehorse set against the background of the American Depression, but she has done so while battling pain and illness.
Hillenbrand, who matriculated with the Class of 1989, left Kenyon after two years due to the sudden onset of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Over the last fourteen years, the incurable disease has expressed itself not only in debilitating exhaustion, at times bordering on near paralysis, but also as crippling vertigo. The book, which took four years' labor to complete, represents the astonishing feat of a determined intelligence refusing to be beaten by circumstance and random bad luck.
In the late 1930s, the racehorse Seabiscuit was more famous than any movie star in America. In 1938, the thoroughbred dominated more inches of newsprint than either Franklin Roosevelt or Adolph Hitler. In that year, the small, crooked-legged, funny-looking horse with the spirit of a champion stole the hearts of Americans by defeating Triple Crown winner War Admiral. The story of Seabiscuit scaling such glorious heights, after his misunderstood and undistinguished youth, is inextricably linked with the stories of the three men-owner, trainer, and jockey-who championed him. Hillenbrand makes clear that, like Seabiscuit, each of these men lived an archetypically American life, rising from obscurity against all odds to achieve a kind of greatnes Laura Hillenbrand (born May 15, 1967) is an American author of books and magazine articles. Her two best-selling nonfiction books, Seabiscuit: An American Legend and Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption have sold over 10 million copies, and each was adapted for film. Her writing style is considered to differ from the New Journalism style, dropping verbal pyrotechnics in favor of a stronger focus on the story itself. Both books were written after she fell ill in college, barring her from completing her degree. She told that story in an award-winning essay, A Sudden Illness, which was published in The New Yorker in 2003. She was 28 years with Borden Flanagan, from whom she separated by 2014. Hillenbrand's first book was the acclaimed Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001), a nonfiction account of the career of the great racehorse Seabiscuit, for which she won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2001. She says she was compelled to tell the story because she "found fascinating people living a story that was improbable, breathtaking and ultimately more satisfying than any story [she'd] ever come across. She first told the story through an essay, "Four Good Legs Between Us", that was published in American Heritage magazine,[2] and the feedback was positive, so she decided to proceed with a full-length book. The book received positive reviews for the storytelling and research.[3][4] It was made into the Academy Award nominated film Seabiscuit (2003). .Laura Hillenbrand (1967-)