Epsom Downs, 3rd May, 1769: a chestnut with a white blaze scorches across the turf towards the finishing post. His four rivals are so far behind him that, in racing terms, they are 'nowhere'.
Watching Eclipse is the man who wants to buy him. An adventurer who has made his money through roguery and gambling, Dennis O'Kelly is also the companion of the madam of one of London's most notorious brothels.
While O'Kelly is destined to remain an outcast to the racing establishment, his horse will go on to become the undisputed, undefeated champion of his sport.
Eclipse's male-line descendants will include Desert Orchid, Arkel and all but three of the Derby winners of the past fifty years. And his astonishing life will be matched only by that of the rogue who owned him.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
A ripping yarn expertly told: part Flashman at the Races; part Seabiscuit without the schmaltz * Observer * Clee combines the story of Eclipse's racing and breeding career with the lives of those who bred and owned him, a crowd who were racy in every conceivable sense * Daily Telegraph * Clee knows how to tell a gripping story: he weaves the halves together into a well-written narrative of social change... fascinating * Independent * This splendid book... This is a read bursting with life, and Clee has the balance and worldliness to weigh all his material with sense and perspective. No racing home should be without it * The Times * It brings to life a horse that has left behind a matchless legacy. For the casual reader, it is an enjoyable romp through a period knee-deep in fops, fools and fraudsters * Independent on Sunday * Nicholas Clee has taken one of the greatest of all racing stories and brought it wonderfully back to life -- BROUGH SCOTT A compelling and brilliantly researched reflection of the era which featured one of racing's most renowned equine heroes - Eclipse -- SIR PETER O'SULLEVAN Clee does a brilliant job of conjuring up the rollicking Georgian London inhabited by Dennis O'Kelly and his brothel-keeping mistress * Seven, Daily Telegraph * A colourful romp through Georgian London and its scoundrels and chancers * Daily Mail *
Sprache
Verlagsort
Verlagsgruppe
Transworld Publishers Ltd
Illustrationen
Dateigröße
ISBN-13
978-1-4090-8078-7 (9781409080787)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Klassifikation
Nicholas Clee is a journalist, cookery writer, and racing enthusiast. He lives in north London with his wife (also an author) and two daughters.
