Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Horse:
Because without them, we’d have to walk. Like suckers.
Quick synopsis:
The story of the horse. Yes, the whole story.
Fact for Non-History People:
99.99 percent of all species that have ever existed are extinct.
Fact for History Nerds:
Horses have been used in war for over 5,000 years.
My Take on The Horse:
A kingdom for a horse….book? Listen, I didn’t see myself reading a book called The Horse by Timothy Winegard. Yet here we are, and I enjoyed it!
Winegard looks at the entirety of the existence of the horse and I mean all of its existence. Winegard begins with what would be considered the first horse or at least a horse ancestor and then examines the evolutionary mechanics which brought us to today’s wonderful animal. The book is strongest in parts like this one. When the full attention is on the horse, Winegard’s book is truly riveting and makes you wonder just how much we take the horse for granted as humans. Did you know horses were used to make vaccines? Yeah, me either!
My critique of the narrative would be the times where the horse falls to the background. Winegard is an excellent writer so when he digs into a famous battle, it’s never a bad time. However, I found myself wanting the spotlight back on the title of the book or to at least make a more concerted effort to break down how vital horses were during specific battles. Also, at over 450 pages it feels like a good amount could be cut to make this a slimmer tome. That said, it’s still a good time and I recommend it.
(This book was provided as an advanced copy by the publisher.)
Verdict:
Long but good! Buy it here!
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