Steeplechasing Books

Found this book in our library and was excited about learning more of Dick Francis. I did get lost at times when he wrote about the race courses, but it was a thrill to get to know him. It is not a mystery, but there are some questions he still does not know the answer to. He writes a book a year, and I could read 4 or 5 of his books a year if he could write them that fast! Nice read.

This book is a must have for any Dick Francis or horse racing fan. This was the first book of his that i have read and now i have all of his so far. What i was looking for was a book to tell me about this little known sport. Now i know a great deal about it. I'm hoping for a newer version to tell about what has happened since the book waas written. I read the older 1950's or 1960's print with the pictures of Devon Loch in the Grand National. That was what most intrigued me about the story and what made him fall like that. Like i said this is an excellent book and very informative!

My passion for horses and horse racing was apparent even when I was a child. Dick Francis' books allowed me the experiences I dreamed of through his words. I learned more through his books than I could have anywhere else in the United States. It is said that truth is stranger than fiction, and Mr. Francis' autobiography is testimony to that! I now own a 5 year old (retired) Thoroughbred, and Mr. Francis' adventures are in my thoughts!

This book was originally written shortly after Francis' retirement from racing. It chronicles his life in detail up to that point (1957), and all fans of his mystery novels will enjoy seeing the germs of his books in the events of his life. I won't give the really surprising ones away here, but an example is the story in the autobiography of Francis' experience flying during WWII. Readers will understand where he got the knowledge to create several heroes who are pilots. The only reason I don't give this book a 10 is that it is very early Francis--his first book, as near as I can tell, and the quality of the writing as a bit uneven. The edition I read (1982) had no photos--a terrific disappointment, but there were apparently photos in other editions, as Francis refers to them once or twice in the text of the book. Try for a different year! The end of the book is an addendum bringing fans up to date on his life between 1957 and 1981; I've ordered the 1995 edition hoping for a little more added material. If you love horseracing or Dick Francis' books, read this!

I found the book to be a well written, informative and an enjoyable read. She did a beautiful job of capturing the spirit of the sport in both the compilation of photos and in the written word.

A great book with many new, unpublished pictures. McCausland chronicled 100 years of Maryland timber racing in a accurate and interesting way. Great present!

Steeplechasing is the alternative to flat racing in Ireland (where it was invented) and Britain, but has not generally flourished elsewhere. France, Australia, New Zealand and America are among other countries where it takes place, although the format is sometimes different. Hence, this book is mostly about British racing.

It is divided into three main sections - for the races, the people and the horses. The section on the races covers the Grand National at Aintree, the very first steeplechase in Ireland and chapters on hurdling, point to point races, military races and timber races. Timber races are the American equivalent, so that chapter discusses the Maryland Hunt Cup and attempts to introduce such races into England with a race called the Marlborough Cup. Since the book was published, this race has never been run again.

The section on people covers the Queen Mother, Vincent O'Brien (best remembered for his flat racing triumphs but an incredible trainer of steeplechasers in the fifties), Martin Pipe and a few other important trainers. The section on horses covers Arkle, Golden Miller, Red Rum, Dawn Run and Desert Orchid among others.

The book is lavishly illustrated but it is certainly not comprehensive - there is no mention anywhere of Tingle Creek, one of the most popular steeplechasers ever. There is no statistics section either, though there are plenty of books full of who won what race in what year.

The book's title (A celebration) indicates its contents, and as a celebration of steeplechasing, it works well, but anybody wanting to study its history in depth should look elsewhere.

I do think this book is great, but I've read better(like Samantha's Pride). I love how playful Sierra is,(although Sierra is a girls name) and how much trouble he causes. But I know from previous books that that is not how Mike acts. He's always a lot nicer. And I don't like how the author casts Pride aside to put Sierra in the spotlight. Overall, it's a pretty good book.

This book was OK.Not the greatest book I've read.Not much excitement.I was surprised they didn't have Sierra win the race.Usually they always have the main horse win.But still it's a great book.Sierra is always funny. I always wonder what stunt he'll pull next.The race is breath taking!!!!!!HAPPY READING!!!!!!!!!!!!

This book was nothing but a waste of time. Samantha is annoying and I don't care about Sierra. So he won a steeplechase, big deal. I like racing better, not steeplechasing. More of the T.B. Series should be about racing, not stupid eventing or steeplechasing. And another thing, isn't Sierra a GIRL name? And Sierra is a BOY! So if you haven't read this book, don't read it.

I think this was a great book. I like how they have steeplechaser. It adds something new to the series. I also like how Sammy got to ride him. It was great. I love that Charlie didn't like the idea at first. That's just like him. It was a great book.

This book was pretty good. There was still racing in it but I dont really apericate jumping. But in Sierras Steeplechase, Samantha McKlean and Tor Nelson, Samanthas good friend find that a horse named Sierra, a chestnut colt has jumped the paddock fence and on the Whitebrook trails. Tor and his father own a jumping stable so he knows his jumpers and sees that Sierra has the potitenal to jump. Since Sierra was bored and wont run on the flat surface of a track, Tor believes Sierra can steeplechase over bush jumpes to the finish. But they got to think guick, Mike Reesse, Ashleighs long time boyfriend and owner of Whitebrook, the famous racing and breeding stable for thoroughbreds. Mike wants to sell Sierra since he wont run on the tack. But Samantha wont give up. One day when Samantha and Tor rode on the trail, Samanthas horse, Sierra bolts and runs for a 5 feet fallen tree. Samantha cant stop Sierra in time so there is only one choice, hold on. But Sierra did more than that, the rebellious colt jumped the fallen tree and still running away with Samantha. Then Samantha and Tor are sure Sierra can be a Steeplechaser. Tor gets permission from Mike to train Sierra ar his fathers jumping stable. Finally after all there hard work has paid off. Sierra is a true Steeplechaser. Finally, Mike gives them permission to enter Sierra in his first Steeplechase. But Tor cant ride cauz he broke his arm and cant ride Sierra in his race. Will Samantha ride Sierra or will they have to scratch him and Mike will sell him?Find out for yourself. If u want an answer or just want to talk, u can find me at Blades60@aol.com

Dick Francis books read as if they came directly from the pages of the racing review. This book especially must be considered one of his best in both storyline and character. One reviewer said there was no mystery here, maybe so maybe not, but there certainly is suspense.

To bolt: that is what a horse can do when throwing its rider; that is what Kit Fielding's girlfriend is in the process of doing, and a bolt is what has been used to kill 3 prime racing steeds.

We learn from this book that a horse's brain is about the size of a person's fist, and that to kill one quickly one needs only draw a line from the right ear to the left eye and from the left ear to the right eye and where the X meets is the exact point to shoot the bolt. If true to aim, the horse will go down immediately with no loss of blood, it will just die. Grim business this book.

In BOLT Dick Francis has included just about as much racing action as any other of his books that I can recall. Several stories are taking place at various times throughout this novel and the reader's attention is captivated throughout. Racing injuries are mentioned too with some racing lore and strategy spread about also. This book has the feel of the track taking the reader along.

Starting on page 160 we receive several pages of information on the internation gun traffic with types of guns mentioned, especially the new plastic type that can go undetected through airports. And this background ties directly to the main plot of the story. Granted this information is dated by the book being published in 1987, but much of these statements would yet today hold truth.

On page 169 Kit Fielding sums up his thoughts on today's justice: "The law doesn't always deliver justice. The victim mostly loses. Too often the law can only punish, it can't put things right." Great statement Mr. Francis and alas only too true.

To go on and on would make this review longer than my arm, however, suffice it to say that this is one of more interesting and thought provoking Dick Francis books I've read. It ranks up there with the best. Read it and see if you don't agree.

Semper Fi.

I a Francis fan. He took on a hard subject and he did a good job. How can a story fail when it has a three generation family feud, a French villian, a princess, and last but not least, horses?

Do not read this sequel until you've read BREAK IN. Francis continues the story of the hate obsessed Maynard Allardeck vendetta against Kit Fielding who destroyed his chances of knighthood. Many readers may not understand the revenge motif that drives the villein without having the background of the earlier book. BOLT and BREAK IN are companions, which can stand alone, but are much more savory together.
Kit has more problems as he may lose his new love to a young prince from her own world "who doesn't have the courtesy to be bad looking."
The killer is always known in this story, but proving who is killing Kit's best rides is another question.
Enjoy, Bolt is anything but humane.
Nash Black, author of SINS OF THE FATHERS and QUALIFYING LAPS.

In Bolt, Dick Francis continues the misadventures of Kit Fielding, jockey and all-round good guy. Francis' heroes are nearly always good and honest and brave, but never boring. They're the sort of men women would love to love and men should want to be like.

This time, however, Kit seems on the verge of losing, Danielle, his fiance and the love of his life. As he wrestles with these feelings, he is struck with the murder of the Princess' horses, first one, then two, then one more. Henri Nonterre is out to make the Princess and her husband turn to gun manufacturing, but Kit will do anything in his power to keep that from happening, as long as the family chooses to resist.

Meantime, Kit's old enemy, Maynard Allerdeck, looms in the background with renewed malice. What can possibly have increased his hatred for this particular Fielding? Fully occupied in helping the Princess and her family (which includes Danielle)avoid Nonterre's machinations, Kit merely tries to avoid any adverse contact with Maynard. But that may not be possible.

In typically honest, straight forward fashion, Kit strives to protect his employers and friends, and the horses he loves so much. In the meantime, he waits for Danielle to make up her mind about whether she wants to spend the rest of her life with him. A first rate story and most pleasant narrator.

I have to say that out of all of the Dick Francis books that I've read this one really made an impact on me. I enjoyed the plot so much in Break In, which featured Kit Fielding, that I immediately picked up a copy of this book which once again had him as the main character.

Kit Fielding is a steeplechase jockey, who's a little too tall and a little too old to continue racing, but he has his own agenda. Kit's friend, Princess Cassilia, has always been there for him and she's very much involved with the racing world as an owner of a very large horse farm. When she's threatened and her racehorses begin turning up dead, Kit takes it on himself to investigate, even with her personal life in turmoil. As he investigates, it seems as if everyone in the wealthy class of racing is a suspect and this puts Kit in danger himself.

Stretching the boundaries of his writing style, Francis has written a great "who dun it" and created a variety of possible villains along the way. There is the unknown enemy who is determined to ruin Kit's family, a rival in the romantic arena, a weapons dealer who is the King of the underworld black market, and then the horse murderer who uses a bolt to kill horses.

For those who have little knowledge of horses, a bolt is a weapon that is similar to a gun, but instead of a bullet being fired, it shoots a heavy metal slide (bolt) against the horse's head which immediately kills it. I'm told that this is a humane way to put down horses and usually administered by a veterinarian in extreme cases. Just the thought of such a weapon left chills up and down my spine, and leave it to Francis to use such a weapon in one of his books.

Bolt left me feeling uneasy about the method in which these horses were destroyed, but I guess murder of any kind should never be viewed with complacency! The character of Kit Fielding is one with which many can easily identify and the action is non-stop until the last page. There are even a few twists and turns along the way, just so you don't get over confident that you have figured out the murderer's true identity.

Bolt is definitely not for the faint of heart, but an excellent mystery with lots of adventure and wonderful descriptions of the English countryside.

Steeplechase jockey Phil Nicholas is making a whale of a comeback after a fall that nearly killed him. He's married to a beautiful woman and he's riding a winner in Snowflake, a thirty-three to one long shot. One would think his comeback is complete when he passes January King to get to the winner's circle once again, but then there is Keith Jefferies, a nuttier that a fruitcake man sitting alone in front of his television who had bet the bank on January King, what he saw as a sure thing. Now Phil and Snowflake have snatched his money away.

This is a well plotted story that he me biting my nails as I read through it. There is plenty of steeplechase racing detail to satisfy the racing buff, there is a psycho killer to supply lots of chills, there is Julia, the beautiful wife who's a little loony (she talks to horses) and there is jump jockey Phil who is just a great protagonist. This is a suspense thriller that you won't be able to put down.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

Three years ago, the brother of champion steeplechase jockey Phil Nicholas died in a show-jumping accident. That shook Phil, but he continued to perform as a top competitor until a few months ago when his steed May Queen leaped early; the horse walked way, but Phil suffered severe injuries to nerves in his back and three fractures on his left arm. Worse he still relives the nightmarish spill and as he is about to ride May Queen again now that he is physically healed, he wonders if he lost his nerve as mentally he still hurts. His fear costs him the victory as he hesitates just enough and worries if he does not find his courage will he lose his beloved wife Julie who treasures the sport as much as he once did.

Phil begins seeing a psychiatrist who "Jules" thinks is his lover until he explains his post traumatic stress syndrome problem. Suddenly Phil's racing troubles seem shallow when someone terrorizes the participants claiming wide spread cheating by jockeys and trainers. This villain starts off with assaulting people, but soon turns to kidnapping and murder. When Julia becomes a victim, a frightened outraged Phil knows he must find his courage to save the woman he loves.

Phil and his Jules make the tale as he struggles with his seemingly lost courage by seeing a psychiatrist while on the other hand the culprit comes out of the villain handbook as a stereotyped psycho. Still the steeplechase descriptions are clears wins that Dick Francis would appreciate and Phil's efforts to save Jules is fun to follow as John Francome provides anther INSIDE TRACK thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Dead Weight examines the exotic world of horse racing from two basic perspectives, those of the rider and the fan.

The rider is Phil Nicholas, returning to racing mere months after a fall almost ended his career. To the casual observer, Phil exudes confidence. Despite his brave façade, however, Phil can't get the accident out of his head. Although few can sense the doubts inhibiting his performance, Phil realizes that he must purge himself of fear to continue racing.

The fan is Keith Jeffries. Abused as a child, Keith has grown into a dangerous young man who struggles with his darker side. Unfortunately for all concerned, that dark side, which Keith calls, "The Beast", has now emerged, intent on wreaking havoc to those in the racing world it perceives as having done him wrong. As his anger increases, so does the intensity of his attacks.

The buildup to a fateful meeting between the two forms the backbone of this fine book, as Francome provides his audience with telling insights into both his characters and the life of the stables and the track. Assembling a wide and varied cast from the world of horse racing, Francome provides telling glimpses into their personalities and pysches; readers will enjoy watching the cast being pushed to the limits of their mental and physical endurance as they struggle to cope with a world suddenly thrown out of kilter. Expertly paced to squeeze every drop of tension from its plot, Dead Weight's action and pathos make it a clear favorite.

I discovered the Francis series years ago and have now read all of the books. I have to admit that the very early books were much better, but SILKS delivers a typical Francis read.

I tried this one on audio. The reader did an excellent job. If you are a Francis...and now son, fan, you will enjoy this book. If you are just starting the series go back to the originals and try them. Prime stuff.

This is a typical Francis story with excitement and some violence. Geoffrey Mason , a barrister and an amatuer jockey, takes on the defense of a professional jockey accused of murder. He is instructed by an unknown adversay to take the xase and lose and the threats are lethal and frightening. Mason is called Perry by his jockey friends and the court actions are bery much like the Perry Mason of old. It's edge of the chair anticipation and thrills.

the product wss received very timely. i have used it in it's first application on my Christmas cactus which i have had for two years. last year it did NOT bloom at all. i googled it and found it needed 0-10-10 fertilizer which proved very hard to find until i went to good ole trusty amazon.com.

whether or not this will do the trick - i'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed.

as to the prompt delivery of the product - that's definitely worth 5 stars. if it actually works - that would be worth 10 stars.

In Dead Heat, Dick and Felix Francis combine their talents to resurrect the elder Francis' formula writing style. This is not a complaint, since I appreciate the twisting plots, the in-depth discussions of horse racing, and the real human protagonists that Francis delivers. The partnership worked with Dead Heat. Will it work again?

In Silk, lawyer Geoffrey Mason, who uses his profession to support his hobby as an amateur steeplechase jockey, gets threatened with physical harm if he doesn't lose a murder case against a fellow jockey. He gets a taste of this harm just outside his office, in the form of a baseball bat connecting to his body.

He decides not to tell the police, fearing retribution to his father and his emerging romantic interest. To protect those he loves, he must win the case for his client, and find the true killer.

To be frank, the book starts off slowly, and the reader may find it difficult to be sympathetic to Geoffrey Mason. Yes, he lost his wife and his unborn son seven years earlier. Yes, he lives for steeplechasing. But he initially does not demonstrate the courage to report the assault and the threats, which seems out of character. Is he brave and fearless, or not? This weakness almost had me put the book aside; I depend on Dick Francis to develop believable characters. However, I'm glad I stuck with the story, because Geoffrey Mason's character and courage continued to build up through the book.

So does son Felix plan to inherit and use the Dick Francis formula? We'll have to wait for the next installment. In the meantime, "Ride on!"

I've read every novel Dick Francis has written and I look forward to each new one that comes out.
Silks is good, vintage Dick Francis -- a mystery with a sympathetic hero, a despicable villain (or two), a couple of violent murders and violent confrontations, twists and surprises, clues and withheld information, a building tension and a satisfactory conclusion. It goes beyond the typical Francis mystery in its further exploration and development of the hero-heroine relationship and gives us an ending that goes farther, as well ..., perhaps Felix's contributions?
But, above all, this story is a courtroom procedural, a step-by-step explanation of the processes of a criminal case under British Law, spread across the months that such a case takes, from act to arrest and arraignment to trial and verdict, and a bit beyond. The tension is between the Law as a social system of nonviolent dispute resolution and the violent outlaw.
It's a good Dick Francis read and it's a thoughtful education into the workings of the legal system, as well.