Royal Blood: Fifty Years of Classic Thoroughbreds
Those who love thoroughbreds and art will also love this magnificent book. The individual thoroughbreds, realistically and accurately depicted against lush, impressionistic backgrounds, convey a sense of power and beauty inextricably entwined. Another perfect marriage is that of the artist Reeves with author Bolus, whose knowledgeable accounts of the careers of the fifty champions or near-champions painted by Reeves over a span of five decades, from Man O'ÿ20War to Tabasco Cat, provide an ideal complement to the art. Each portrait is also accompanied by the artist's account of the circumstances under which he worked, and by a three-generation pedigree of the horse. A four-generation pedigree would have been better, but that's quibbling when the book is otherwise so successful.Dennis Dodge