Mr. Darley's Arabian: High Life, Low Life, Sporting Life: A History of Racing in Twenty-Five Horses

Nonfiction, Sports, History
Cover of the book Mr. Darley's Arabian: High Life, Low Life, Sporting Life: A History of Racing in Twenty-Five Horses by Christopher McGrath, Pegasus Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Christopher McGrath ISBN: 9781681773902
Publisher: Pegasus Books Publication: March 7, 2017
Imprint: Pegasus Books Language: English
Author: Christopher McGrath
ISBN: 9781681773902
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Publication: March 7, 2017
Imprint: Pegasus Books
Language: English

The audacious and inspired history of horse racing told through the bloodline of twenty-five exceptional Arabian steeds.

In 1704 a bankrupt English merchant sent home the colt he had bought from Bedouin tribesmen near the ruins of Palmyra. Thomas Darley hoped this horse might be the ticket to a new life back in Yorkshire. But he turned out to be far more than that, and although Mr. Darley's Arabian never ran a race, 95% of all thoroughbreds in the world today are descended from him. In this book, for the first time, award-winning racing writer Christopher McGrath traces this extraordinary bloodline through twenty-five generations to our greatest modern racehorse, Frankel.

The story of racing is about man's relationship with horses, and Mr. Darley's Arabian also celebrates the men and women who owned, trained and traded the stallions that extended the dynasty. The great Eclipse, for instance, was bred by the Duke who foiled Bonnie Prince Charlie's invasion (with militia gathered from Wakefield races) and went on to lead the Jockey Club. But he only became a success once bought and raced by a card-sharp and brothel-keeper - the racecourse has always brought high and low life together.

McGrath expertly guides us through three centuries of scandals, adventures and fortunes won and lost: our sporting life offers a fascinating view into our history. With a canvas that extends from the diamond mines of South Africa to the trenches of the Great War, and a cast ranging from Smithfield meat salesmen to the inspiration for Mr Toad, and from legendary jockeys to not one, but two disreputable Princes of Wales (and a very unamused Queen Victoria), Mr. Darley's Arabian shows us the many faces of the sport of kings.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The audacious and inspired history of horse racing told through the bloodline of twenty-five exceptional Arabian steeds.

In 1704 a bankrupt English merchant sent home the colt he had bought from Bedouin tribesmen near the ruins of Palmyra. Thomas Darley hoped this horse might be the ticket to a new life back in Yorkshire. But he turned out to be far more than that, and although Mr. Darley's Arabian never ran a race, 95% of all thoroughbreds in the world today are descended from him. In this book, for the first time, award-winning racing writer Christopher McGrath traces this extraordinary bloodline through twenty-five generations to our greatest modern racehorse, Frankel.

The story of racing is about man's relationship with horses, and Mr. Darley's Arabian also celebrates the men and women who owned, trained and traded the stallions that extended the dynasty. The great Eclipse, for instance, was bred by the Duke who foiled Bonnie Prince Charlie's invasion (with militia gathered from Wakefield races) and went on to lead the Jockey Club. But he only became a success once bought and raced by a card-sharp and brothel-keeper - the racecourse has always brought high and low life together.

McGrath expertly guides us through three centuries of scandals, adventures and fortunes won and lost: our sporting life offers a fascinating view into our history. With a canvas that extends from the diamond mines of South Africa to the trenches of the Great War, and a cast ranging from Smithfield meat salesmen to the inspiration for Mr Toad, and from legendary jockeys to not one, but two disreputable Princes of Wales (and a very unamused Queen Victoria), Mr. Darley's Arabian shows us the many faces of the sport of kings.

More books from Pegasus Books

Cover of the book The Phantom Killer: Unlocking the Mystery of the Texarkana Serial Murders: The Story of a Town in Terror by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book Atomic Accidents by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book Diet Cults: The Surprising Fallacy at the Core of Nutrition Fads and a Guide to Healthy Eating for the Rest of Us by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book Revolutionary Science: Transformation and Turmoil in the Age of the Guillotine by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book The University by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book The Sleep Room by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book Incident At Jonesborough by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book A Fever of the Blood: A Novel by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book The Edge of the World: A Cultural History of the North Sea and the Transformation of Europe by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book The Pierre Hotel Affair: How Eight Gentleman Thieves Orchestrated the Largest Jewel Heist in History by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book Rudyard Kipling's Tales of Horror and Fantasy by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book How the Zebra Got Its Stripes: Darwinian Stories Told Through Evolutionary Biology by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book The Empress of Art: Catherine the Great and the Transformation of Russia by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book Leap In: A Woman, Some Waves, and the Will to Swim by Christopher McGrath
Cover of the book The Wrath of Cochise by Christopher McGrath
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy