Laura Hillenbrand Biography

Writer

Laura Hillenbrand's 2001 book Seabiscuit: An American Legend told the true-life story of heroic 1930s racehorse Seabiscuit and the men who handled him. The book was a surprise best-seller and won critical acclaim, including being named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Hillenbrand wrote the book despite suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and vertigo, illnesses which began after she suffered a case of food poisoning while a sophomore at Kenyon College in 1987. A specialist in thoroughbred history, she has written for Equus, Turf, American Heritage and many other publications.

Extra credit: Hillenbrand's book was the basis for the 2003 Universal movie Seabiscuit, starring Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges.

In an interview for the paperback edition of Seabiscuit, Hillenbrand names as some of her favorite authors Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway.