Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. First Edition . Hardcover. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾"- 9¾" tall. Fine first printing of this fascinating tale of one of America's first public sports spectacles, an 1823 race between the North and South's greatest racehorses. Wonderful copy. This is unusual in that it has laid in a publicity letter from Houghton Mifflin, inviting the recipient to stop by the Houghton Mifflin booth at the 2006 ABA convention. The idea was to watch the Preakness and "Find out if Barbaro has a shot at the Triple Crown". Sadly, he did not--he suffered a gruesome injury during the race and was later put down.

Synopsis

History meets horse racing in this grand, galloping story about what happened when the greatest horse from the North met the greatest horse from the South. In the early 1800s, the notion of sport was still quite new to America, unless you counted cockfighting, chasing foxes, or hunting stags. But on a bright afternoon in May 1823 a horse race held at the Union Course on Long Island changed everything. Astonishingly, sixty thousand people attended -- a number equal to roughly half the population of New York City at the time. Two horses -- the best from the North and the best from the South -- battled it out in three grueling heats, the equivalent of nine Kentucky Derbys, in only a couple of hours. And the whole thing was based on an outrageous dare. In a fast-paced narrative -- colorful, rich, and full of record-setting performances and towering personalities -- John Eisenberg chronicles the story of the year in which two horses were seen as embodying a nation racing inevitably toward civil war. Eclipse was the majestic champion representing the North’s evolving industrial machine, and Henry was an equine arriviste embodying southern perceptions of superiority. Their thrilling match race would come to represent a watershed moment in American history, crystallizing the differences that so fundamentally divided North and South. Along the way, we come to know millionaire industrialists, broken-down jockeys, tobacco planters, politicians, and slaves -- not to mention two amazing horses. A unique blend of horse racing, history, and good old-fashioned storytelling, The Great Match Race provides a telling glimpse of a nation dividing, some forty years before the Civil War; a fascinating look at the early heritage of the American thoroughbred; and the first example of the sports spectacle as we know it.

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Details

Bookseller: Books, Interesting and Odd & Sleepyside Books (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #: 003277
Title: The Great Match Race
Author: Eisenberg, John
Format/Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Used - Fine
Jacket Condition: Fine
Quantity Available: 1
Edition: First Edition
ISBN 10: 0618556125
ISBN 13: 9780618556120
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Place of Publication: Boston
Date Published: 2006
Size: 8vo - over 7¾"- 9&fr
Bookseller catalogs: History; Sports;
X weight: 0 lbs

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About Books, Interesting and Odd & Sleepyside Books

Sleepyside Books specializes in Modern First Editions, Rare Children's titles and Juvenile Series. It is run by two long-time collectors who place great importance on quality, value and condition. We have much inventory that has not yet been cataloged (especially the juvenile series books) so please call or email if you're looking for something special!

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First Edition: In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
ABA: The usage of this acronym depends entirely on the location of the bookseller. It can be any of these: American Booksellers...
Fine: A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...