In the following interview with Publishers Weekly, author Hillenbrand discusses the appeal of Seabiscuit and the people who helped the horse become a part of history.

Source: Lynn Andriani, "PW Talks with Laura Hillenbrand," in Publisher's Weekly, Vol. 248, January 1, 2001, pp. 3-15.

PW: Your book Seabiscuit is about a legendary racehorse. What makes Seabiscuit's story so special?

LH: He's unique because of the time he was in. It was the Depression, and people were trying to find ways to escape, and this "rags to riches" horse answered their yearning for something like that. Seabiscuit was the single biggest news-maker of 1938, and that was a really momentous year. During that time, even people who didn't give a damn about horse racing were following him.

PW: Why had, no one yet written this book?

LH: In the 1930s, journalism was a lot less personal; journalists tended not to say very...