Added 9/8/16. Published July 31st 2014 by Jonathan Cape The group Constant Reader will start reading H is for Hawk on Thursday, September 15, 2016.
AuAdded 9/8/16. Published July 31st 2014 by Jonathan Cape The group Constant Reader will start reading H is for Hawk on Thursday, September 15, 2016.
Author, "Helen Macdonald, is a writer, poet, historian, illustrator and naturalist. She's worked as a Research Fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge, as a professional falconer, and in raptor research and conservation projects across Eurasia. She is an affiliate of the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge. She lives in Suffolk, UK." https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Literary Awards: Costa Book Award for Biography (2014) National Book Critics Circle Award Nominee for Autobiography (2015) Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction (2014) Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Nonfiction (2016) Kirkus Prize Nominee for Nonfiction (Finalist) (2015) Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2015) Waterstones Book of the Year Nominee (2014), Costa Book of the Year (2014) ...more
Also see NY TIMES article by the author at: TITLE OF ARTICLE: "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage" http://wADDED 3/25/16 (first published 2006)
Also see NY TIMES article by the author at: TITLE OF ARTICLE: "What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage" http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/25/fas... QUOTE FROM THE ARTICLE LINKED ABOVE: "The central lesson I learned from exotic animal trainers is that I should reward behavior I like and ignore behavior I don't. After all, you don't get a sea lion to balance a ball on the end of its nose by nagging. The same goes for the American husband."
MY OPINION: This may work on husbands but not on animals. I'm sure Jim of KY (at my GR group) would agree! LOL (He has trained his own pets, including horses, goats and dogs!)...more
I won the audio version of this book in a drawing. I learned about the drawing via Goodreads Audiobooks Group. The drawing was held by thAdded 7/13/11
I won the audio version of this book in a drawing. I learned about the drawing via Goodreads Audiobooks Group. The drawing was held by the reader/narrator of the audio book, Karen White.
In the GR description of this book, it says: "This book is as close as you can get to knowing about dogs without being a dog yourself." I'm finding that to be true. I'm enjoying listening....more
Secretariat: The Making of a Champion by William Nack Published 2002 by Da Capo Press (first published 1975) Original title: Big Red of Meadow Stable ASecretariat: The Making of a Champion by William Nack Published 2002 by Da Capo Press (first published 1975) Original title: Big Red of Meadow Stable Added 5/5/11. I did not read this book, but I saw the movie: MOVIE: "Secretariat" (2010) Stars: Diane Lane, John Malkovich and Margo Martindale http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1028576/ http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Secre... "Penny Chenery Tweedy and colleagues guide her long-shot but precocious stallion to set, in 1973, the unbeaten record for winning the Triple Crown." "The film explores Chenery's bond with "Big Red" and depicts her rise to greatness as the 'first lady of racing.'"
FACTS ABOUT THE TRIPLE CROWN: Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973. In the United States, the three races that compose the Triple Crown are: 1. Kentucky Derby - at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky; 2. Preakness Stakes - at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland 3. Belmont Stakes - at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. "The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing ...consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse." Lists of past Triple Crown winners can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_C...
FACTS ABOUT SECRETARIAT: "Secretariat's genetic legacy may be linked in part to the likelihood that he carried the "x-factor", a trait linked to a large heart, carried only on the x-chromosome, and thus, a trait that Secretariat could only pass on via his daughters. "[After Secretariat's death in 1989, at the age of 19] a necropsy [i.e., autopsy] revealed that his heart was significantly larger than that of an ordinary horse. ... [It was] estimated that Secretariat's heart probably weighed 22 pounds or about two-and-a-half times as large as that of the average horse." FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretar...
RE: _The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore_ I read about this book of fiction in a 2/4/11 NY Times Book Review at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/boo... SRE: _The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore_ I read about this book of fiction in a 2/4/11 NY Times Book Review at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/boo... Sounds interesting.
The Google eBook description starts out with: ======================================================== "Bruno Littlemore is quite unlike any chimpanzee in the world. Precocious, self-conscious and preternaturally gifted, young Bruno, born and raised in a habitat at the local zoo, falls under the care of a university primatologist named Lydia Littlemore. Learning of Bruno's ability to speak, Lydia takes Bruno into her home to oversee his education and nurture his passion for painting." ... FROM: http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=oe8... ========================================================
I'm going to read the sample pages which I have stored at My Google eBook page. I like the way the eBook pages are formatted on my computer screen via my Web browser....more
Re: _The Black Stallion_ Below are my comments about this story, as posted at my group. (I watched the film which was adapted from the book. I have notRe: _The Black Stallion_ Below are my comments about this story, as posted at my group. (I watched the film which was adapted from the book. I have not read the book yet.)
Today I streamed the following film from Netflix: "The Black Stallion" (1979) (adapted from The Black Stallion by Walter Farley): http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The... Netflix says: "...this exquisitely filmed animal-lovers' treat follows a boy named Alec from shipwreck to winner's circle with the stunning horse that befriends him. ... Mickey Rooney was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as a trainer..."
This film had so many exciting moments that I had to take a break in the middle. It's almost 2 hours long. It held my attention throughout.
The horse who plays the Black Stallion truly has a majestic bearing. I enjoyed watching him.
[image]
This was an outstanding film. The background music was inspired, very unusual and fitting. There were many beautiful scenes. I gave the film 5 stars out of 5.
The following web page has a detailed article about the making of the movie (which is amazing by itself! Mind boggling, in fact): http://theblackstallion.com/web/?page... Excerpt (about the horses involved): ========================================================== Producers ... spent months searching for the appropriate Arabian stallion, traveling to England, Morocco, Egypt and throughout the United States. At last they found their “star” in San Antonio, Texas — CASS OLE’, one of the most honored Arabian show horses in the United States... He was the Black Stallion. His rare beauty would thoroughly captivate an audience, and he had the willingness and intelligence to perform the demanding stunts required of the role. Realizing from the start that no one horse could have the full range of attitude and expression necessary for the Black Stallion’s transition from terrifying wild stallion to beloved companion, three other horses were trained with CASS OLE’ for the production. FAE-JUR, an Arabian stallion ... was chosen ... for his unique liveliness, and two horses owned by stunt coordinator Glen Randall, Jr. were trained more specifically for the fighting and running stunts." =========================================================== The detailed article also says: "THE BLACK STALLION is certainly the toughest horse film ever undertaken. Thousands of miles were traversed to find the right locations necessary for the film, which ranged from period sets resembling Flushing, N. Y. of 1947, to a barren, uninhabited island in the Mediterranean."...more
I watched a film adapted from this book, _Emergence_. Below is a copy of my comment (at my group) concerning the film: =================================I watched a film adapted from this book, _Emergence_. Below is a copy of my comment (at my group) concerning the film: =============================================================== I just finished watching the Netflix DVD of "Temple Grandin". I gave it 5 stars out of 5. It won many Emmy Awards. I found it amazing. "Temple Grandin" (2010) http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Temple_G... "Claire Danes stars as Temple Grandin, a brilliant young woman coping with the stigma of autism ..."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278469/p... "A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry."
The film, "Temple Grandin", was adapted from the following books written by Temple Grandin:
From Wiki: =================================================== "During Temple's college years, she conceptualized the squeeze machine, which was designed for herself because she had a sensory integration dysfunction and disliked physical affection by people. The machine hugs both sides of her to calm her down, as she controls the pressure, and it makes her relaxed whenever she becomes tense." FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_G... ====================================================...more
Added 2/1/11. (first published 1948) Below are the comments I made about _King of the Wind_ at my GR group:
I recently listened to the audio version ofAdded 2/1/11. (first published 1948) Below are the comments I made about _King of the Wind_ at my GR group:
I recently listened to the audio version of King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian (first published 1948) by Marguerite Henry. It won the 1949 Newbery Medal, an award given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
This fictionalized story is based on fact. The Godolphin Arabian is the ancestor of the finest thoroughbred horses. The story tells about a swift and spirited Arabian horse named "Sham" who is sent by the Sultan of Morocco as a gift to Louis XV of France. Sham eventually sires a colt which is the beginning of the Goldolphin Arabian breed.
Although this is a book for young readers, it's an interesting, touching, well-told tale which appeals to older readers as well. A customer review at Amazon says: ================================ "Marguerite Henry's fictionalized biography of the Goldolphin Arabian, one of the three founding thoroughbred sires, follows the horse Sham and his mute groom Agba from the stables of the Sultan of Morocco through hardship in France and England to celebrated triumph at stud. ... Agba, who never speaks a word, is one of the most absorbing characters in children's fiction. ... it's a must for horse lovers." ================================
ADDENDUM - 3/22/16 I just discovered that there is a film adaptation of this book, King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian. FILM: "King of the Wind" (1990) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097668/?... ============================== TWO SUMMARIES FROM ABOVE-LINKED IMDb page: "In 1727, an Arab colt is born with the signs of the wheat ear and the white spot on his heel: evil and good. And thus begins the life of Sham. He is a gift to the King of France, through a series of adventures with his faithful stable boy, Agba, he becomes the Godolphin Arabian, the founder of one of the greatest thoroughbred racing lines of all time."
"Based on author Marguerite Henry's popular children's novel, winner of the Newbery Medal in 1949, King of the Wind is a fictionalized account of the emergence of Sham, the renowned Godolphin Arabian who fathered a long line of outstanding race horses. The ancestries of Man o' War and Seabiscuit can be traced back to the Godolphin Arabian." =============================== Our public library has the DVD! Good news all around!...more
2/25/14 - I plan to get this book soon as an audio book from audible.com. A short audio sample can be heard here: http://www.audible.com/pdAdded 1/27/09
Although I haven't read the book about Misty, I did watch the film based on the book and enjoyed it very much. Here is a link to a Netflix descriptionAlthough I haven't read the book about Misty, I did watch the film based on the book and enjoyed it very much. Here is a link to a Netflix description of the film: "Misty" (1961): http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Mis... It was interesting to see what Chincoteague Island and Assateague Island are like. The story was sweet. I enjoyed watching the ponies....more
Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2001) by Laura Hillenbrand Added 4/6/08. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the book, _Seabiscuit_, immensely, evenSeabiscuit: An American Legend (2001) by Laura Hillenbrand Added 4/6/08. I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the book, _Seabiscuit_, immensely, even though I'm not usually drawn to non-fiction. I read it as part of a neighborhood book group. I'm so glad I did! I found that I had great empathy for Seabiscuit's jockey, his trainer, and his owner, as well as for Seabiscuit himself. Seabiscuit's story was amazing!
I'm sure I also watched the film, "Seabiscuit" after I read the book, but I don't know when or where. :) "Seabiscuit" (2003): http://movies.netflix.com/Movie/Seabi...
(Although I added the book to my GR shelves in 2008, I'm sure I read the book before that, but can't say exactly when. It was probably around 2001 when it was first published. So I'll estimate that I read the book in 2002.)
Below is a comment I wrote at my GR group about the book: ===================================== "The book made me appreciate what goes into creating a winning horse and it also made me feel a lot of empathy for the horse, his owner, his trainer, and his jockey (the 3 main characters in the book). I also developed an affection for Seabiscuit himself.
"As for the movie, it was interesting, but the book had a greater effect on me." ==============================================
5/5/11 EDIT: I just watched the movie _Secretariat_, about another champion horse. While Seabiscuit became famous during the 1930s and 1940s, Secretariat became famous in the 1970s. Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973. See my review at: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
NOTE ABOUT SEABISCUIT: In 1937 (?), Seabiscuit finished "the year with a second place at Pimlico." "In 1937, Seabiscuit won eleven of his fifteen races and was the year's leading money winner in the United States. However, it was War Admiral, having won the Triple Crown that season, who was voted the most prestigious honor, the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year." FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seabiscuit
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_...
"The American Award for Horse of the Year [a category of the Eclipse Award] is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding." FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_......more
Loading...
