The story of Seabiscuit as told so eloquently by Laura Hillenbrand in her bestseller Seabiscuit: An American Legend dominated the book scene for two years. Now comes another gift. In 1975, Barbara Howard received from her great aunt Marcela Howard a box of letters from fans written to Seabiscuit and Charles Howard, Marcela's husband and Seabiscuit's owner.

Jack the Bookman August 2003.

Seabiscuit: The Saga of a Great Champion is the first complete story of the legendary thoroughbred who captured the heart of a nation. Noted track writer B. K. Beckwith called Seabiscuit’s career a saga because, like a Greek myth or beloved fairy tale, it is the tale of a forgotten, abused animal who was rescued, fought his way to the top of horse racing, stumbled, and then returned for a spectacular victory. First published in 1940, when Seabiscuit and all the major characters were alive, its pages sparkle with stories about the great horse: the moment when trainer Tom Smith noticed the emaciated bay in a cheap claims race at Saratoga Springs, the events that led Charles Howard to take a chance and buy the “raced-out” three-year old colt with bad legs, and the exhilarating accounts from jockeys Red Pollard and George “Iceman’ Woolf of Seabiscuit’s trademark bursts of speed. Under Smith s training and care, Seabiscuit would defeat the Triple Crown champion, War Admiral, by four lengths in the most famous match race in history. Featuring period photographs and specially commissioned artwork by Howard Brodie, Seabiscuit: The Saga of a Great Champion follows the thoroughbred’s illustrious career, from his humble birth in Kentucky to his remarkable string of races across the country from 1936 to 1940, and culminating in his stunning victory at Santa Anita, a moment that confirmed Seabiscuit as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. “His courage, honesty, and physical prowess definitely place him among the thoroughbred immortals of turf history. He has intelligence and understanding almost spiritual in quality, and all of us who are close to ‘Biscuit’ naturally have the deepest affection for him.”—Charles S. Howard, Owner “Seabiscuit is the greatest horse I ever rode.”—George Woolf, Hall of Fame Jockey

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more. In boyhood, Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when World War II began, the athlete became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to a doomed flight on a May afternoon in 1943. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived, adrift on a foundering life raft. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will. Appearing in paperback for the first time—with twenty arresting new photos and an extensive Q&A with the author—Unbroken is an unforgettable testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit, brought vividly to life by Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand. Hailed as the top nonfiction book of the year by Time magazine • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography and the Indies Choice Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year award “Extraordinarily moving . . . a powerfully drawn survival epic.”—The Wall Street Journal “[A] one-in-a-billion story . . . designed to wrench from self-respecting critics all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoid: It is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring.”—New York “Staggering . . . mesmerizing . . . Hillenbrand’s writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don’t dare take your eyes off the page.”—People “A meticulous, soaring and beautifully written account of an extraordinary life.”—The Washington Post “Ambitious and powerful . . . a startling narrative and an inspirational book.”—The New York Times Book Review “Magnificent . . . incredible . . . [Hillenbrand] has crafted another masterful blend of sports, history and overcoming terrific odds; this is biography taken to the nth degree, a chronicle of a remarkable life lived through extraordinary times.”—The Dallas Morning News “An astonishing testament to the superhuman power of tenacity.”—Entertainment Weekly “A tale of triumph and redemption . . . astonishingly detailed.”—O: The Oprah Magazine “[A] masterfully told true story . . . nothing less than a marvel.”—Washingtonian “[Hillenbrand tells this] story with cool elegance but at a thrilling sprinter’s pace.”—Time “Hillenbrand [is] one of our best writers of narrative history. You don’t have to be a sports fan or a war-history buff to devour this book—you just have to love great storytelling.”—Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Books. Love. Friendship. Second chances. All can be found at the Printed Letter Bookshop in the small, charming town of Winsome. One of Madeline Cullen’s happiest childhood memories is of working with her Aunt Maddie in the quaint and cozy Printed Letter Bookshop. But by the time Madeline inherits the shop nearly twenty years later, family troubles and her own bitter losses have hardened Madeline’s heart toward her once-treasured aunt—and the now struggling bookshop left in her care. While Madeline intends to sell the shop as quickly as possible, the Printed Letter’s two employees have other ideas. Reeling from a recent divorce, Janet finds sanctuary within the books and the decadent window displays she creates. Claire, though quieter than her outspoken colleague, feels equally drawn to the daily rhythms of the shop and has found a renewed sense of purpose within its walls. When Madeline’s professional life falls apart, and a handsome gardener upends her life, she questions her plans and her future. Has she been too quick to dismiss her aunt’s beloved shop? And even if she has, the women’s best efforts to save it may be too little, too late. Sweet contemporary romance for book lovers Stand-alone novel Book length: 98,000 words Includes discussion questions and a recommended reading list from the author

In a monumental and important work for the Thoroughbred industry, author and pedigree researcher Avalyn Hunter provides extensive pedigree analysis of every American classic race winner from 1914 through 2002.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of the runaway phenomenon Unbroken comes a universal underdog story about the horse who came out of nowhere to become a legend. Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes: Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon. BONUS: This edition contains a Seabiscuit discussion guide and an excerpt from Unbroken. Praise for Seabiscuit “Fascinating . . . Vivid . . . A first-rate piece of storytelling, leaving us not only with a vivid portrait of a horse but a fascinating slice of American history as well.”—The New York Times “Engrossing . . . Fast-moving . . . More than just a horse’s tale, because the humans who owned, trained, and rode Seabiscuit are equally fascinating. . . . [Laura Hillenbrand] shows an extraordinary talent for describing a horse race so vividly that the reader feels like the rider.”—Sports Illustrated “REMARKABLE . . . MEMORABLE . . . JUST AS COMPELLING TODAY AS IT WAS IN 1938.”—The Washington Post

Award-winning nonfiction picture book creator Meghan McCarthy tells the story of how an undersized, crooked-legged horse became one of the greatest racing champions of all time. In the late 1930s, times were tough. The United States was in the middle of the Great Depression, and people were desperate for something to believe in. They found their inspiration in Seabiscuit, a rags-to-riches, crooked-legged, overweight horse who ran more like a duck than a champion. Seabiscuit was the descendent of Man O’ War, one of the greatest racing horses in history but he had yet to win a single race. How did this downtrodden horse come to rise through the ranks and face off against Triple Crown champion, War Admiral? In her trademark easy-to-follow narrative voice, Meghan McCarthy brings the ultimate underdog story to life in this fact-filled picture book.

For fans of Seabiscuit and The Eighty-Dollar Champion, Eliza McGraw tells the story of how a gangling, long-shot Kentucky Derby winner named Exterminator became one of the most beloved racehorses of all time. The father of the Kentucky Derby called him “the greatest all-around Thoroughbred in American racing history.” Sportswriter Grantland Rice simply called him “the greatest racehorse.” Here Comes Exterminator! draws readers into the golden age of racing, with all its ups and downs, the ever-involving interplay of horses and people, and the beauty, grace, fear, and hope that are a daily part of life at the track. Caught between his hotheaded millionaire owner and his knowledgeable trainer, Exterminator captured fans’ affection with his personality, consistency, athleticism, and heart. Exterminator’s staggering success would dramatically change the world of horse-racing. He challenged the notion that American horses would never live up to Europe’s meticulously charted bloodlines and became a patriotic icon of the country after World War I. And his longevity established him as one of the public’s most beloved athletes, paving the way for equine celebrities like Seabiscuit and showing Americans they could claim—and love—a famous racehorse as their own.

The remarkable true saga of an exceptional animal—and the no less exceptional man who led him to greatness: “Seabiscuit had nothing on Beautiful Jim Key.” —Sacramento Bee Beautiful Jim Key—the onetime ugly duckling of a scrub colt who became one of the most beloved heroes of the turn of the twentieth century—was adored not for his beauty and speed but rather for his remarkable abilities to read, write, spell, do mathematics, even debate politics. Trained with patience and kindness by one of the most renowned horse whisperers of his day—former slave, Civil War veteran, and self-taught veterinarian Dr. William Key—Jim performed in expositions across the country to wildly receptive crowds for nine glorious years, smashing box office records, clearing towering hurdles of skepticism and prejudice, and earning the respect and admiration of some of the most influential figures of the era, from Booker T. Washington to President William McKinley. “Wonderful . . . a fascinating and touching book.” —Winston-Salem Journal “If Beautiful Jim Key were alive today, he’d have a movie deal.” —People “A classic. . . . a window into a lost world.” —Nashville Scene “Chronicles the adventures of a great horse and the men who loved him . . . engaging.” —Entertainment Weekly “Compelling . . . a vivid slice of Americana.” —Parade “Captivating.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)