Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of the World's Smartest Horse

The author does a superb job with this wonderful true story.You feel like your right there as things are happening. Youleave the 21st century and go back in time during the late1800's absorbing each moment in time. If you want to escapeour present time, buy this book, and learn about kindness,history and our early south during the slave days. A BIG YES!!!

I gave this to my sister who loved books like "Seabiscuit" and "The Eighty-Dollar Champion" and she said she liked this book very much. There is the history of the owner and the amazing feats of the horse that made it interesting and inspirational.

This is an amazing True Story of a wonderful horse and the man who loved him and taught him through Kindness. Above all, they were the best of friends. The story goes all the way from when Dr. Key was a slave as a boy, into the civil war, and beyond. It's so inspiring that I immediately started reading it over again, and wished it was a movie or documentary. Apparently, there were plans to make a movie, but now I can't find anymore about it. What's incredible to me is how a horse and trainer who were so famous at the turn of the 20th century completely disappeared from history. So glad that this story is now being told. btw, I purchased the print book first, but the type was very small, so I also purchased the Kindle version. It's good to have both versions because the printed book contains some wonderful photos. I highly recommend this read.

This is an informative and well-researched read filled with fascinating history about both animal and man. I greatly enjoyed reading it and learning all about Jim Key and his loving owner Dr. Key who trains Jim key with patience and kindness. It was fun to read about Jim Key’s talents and learn about Dr.Key’s achievements in his personal life and training Jim Key. Their story is really an inspiring and remarkable part of history.I ended up giving it four stars because the author has a tendency to get off track with topics and sometimes leap into other unrelated information within chapters. Other than that, I really loved this book. If you’re an animal lover, horse fanatic, or a history fan I highly recommend reading it

This is the 3rd copy I have purchased of this wonderful book, the last 2 being for gifts for fellow animal lovers. An important and moving story which deserves to be more widely known.

Love..love..love this book!!! Beautifully written!!!! A piece of history lost now found that the author brought to life in these pages. A relationship between a horse and its owner is story of love and kindness between the two. I was so engrossed in the story, I highlighted certain pages and read them to my family. This horse...Jim Key was taught to read, count, spell,. The owner, a slave, who in the most difficult times became a hotel owner, a veterinarian by trade, a blacksmith, and was worth 100,000 by the age of 21! Dr. Key was a gracious and hard working man who lived by God and treated everoney with respect. I recommend this book to everyone. Please read this book. A movie may be the process by 2018. If and when it comes out..I'll be the first in line!!

A well written combination of personal story of an extraordinary man and his horse, their history through the Civil War and beyond. "Jim Key" was born a disabled horse who thrived under the gentle, wise teaching, to become an individual in his own right. William Key met the challenges of his life with a deep grace and stood firm in his trust in goodness and kindness. It served him well. He became wealthy without becoming greedy. He became successful without becoming arrogant. He was dignified and proud of his Black heritage, served the cause by being steadfastly himself, and somehow imparted this to a horse. No trickery was necessary. The horse could manage just fine, even when his owner wasn't present. I swear the horse had a sense of humor. Read one page and try to put this book down. I dare you.

This story is fun and enjoyable to read. This man who just happened to be black taught this intelligent horse to do so many astonishing things that a horse has never proven it could do until this horse. They were quite an act together. I gave it to my daughter who owns horses and she and her daughter, another horse lover loved it.

My wife has enjoyed this book immensely and I look forward to reading it when she has finished.Tales of a bygone era based on fact. Worth every penny.Rumours of a film but unsure if this is still on the cards. It should be.This is really a review by my wife so I dare not disagree.

The story is wonderful and the author does a good job putting the events in context. It is a very enjoyable read.

Bin einfach begeistert von dem Buch. Es gibt so viele Einblicke in das Leben im 19. Jahrhundert. Interessantes über den Bürgerkrieg. Einblicke über das Leben der Sklaven. Wie Tiere und Menschen behandelt wurden. Das man z. B. in New York beim Überqueren der Strßen auch auf Wildschweine achten musste. Ich hab es erst zur Hälfte durch und freue mich auf den Rest.

I had never heard of this book, very interesting, both historicly and regarding animal behaviour!

Great inspirational book, stretches the understating of other species and the talent left hidden at the time of no internet. Recommended. .