Book(ies)

I thought I'd bring a little culture to the blog and give a literary review of some of the best and worst horseracing books around.
Let's get the crap out of the way first and by far the worst book I have read is 'Arise Sir Frankie Dettori' by Marcus Stead. This book is so full of inaccuracies, it makes the author look like he doesn't have a clue about racing. Every horse, no matter what sex, is called 'her' and the horses 'ride' in races. What annoys me most though is how much Stead sucks up to Dettori like he is trying to earn brownie points; every time there is a controversial issue in the book, Stead either ignores the matter or comes to his subject's defense. If you want to read about Frankie's life, get the autobiography and ignore this rubbish. Another howler is Richard Johnson's autobiography 'Out of the Shadows'. He was still in his twenties when this was written and he hadn't really had much of a life - the book just goes on and on 'I rode this horse and then I rode this horse...' Boring. Also avoid the 5 book Jenny Pitman series which begins with 'On the Edge' which charts the troubles of woman trainer Jan Hardy. It is predictable and soppy rather like a the failure of a programme that was 'Rough Diamond'.
Cast these pieces of excrement aside and read some real literary gems. Top of the bunch is Dick Francis' 'Field of Thirteen' - a compilation of 13 short stories which always come with an unexpected twist. If you want to read a Francis novel, read 'Whip Hand'. Once you've read one of his books, you've read them all. Forget the film, 'Seabiscuit' the book by Laura Hillenbrand is a masterpiece. Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, the story is brilliantly and accurately told. Hillenbrand paints the picture of the time perfectly and puts you in the centre of the action. A couple of decent autobiographies are 'Obsessed' by Richard Dunwoody and 'The Wayward Lad' by Graham Bradley. Both talk with honesty and intimacy which in the end makes you respect the men themselves. And finally. another jockey (but not an autobiography). John Francome is starting to churn out some decent stories which are never the same. 'Stone Cold' - the struggle of a young lady jockey to become a success - is one of the best whilst 'Stalking Horse' is not far behind with it's tale of a top jockey coming to terms with retirement and a stalker.