King of the Wind

By: Marguerite Henry

Narrated by: David McCallum

He was named "Sham" for the sun, this golden red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco's stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of misfortune. Although he was as swift as the desert winds, Sham's proud pedigree would be scorned all his life by cruel masters and owners.

This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France and, finally, to the green pastures and stately homes of England. For Sham was the renowned "Godolphin Arabian" whose blood flows through the veins of almost every superior Thoroughbred. Sham's speed - like his story - has become legendary.

©2008 Marguerite Henry (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

one of the very first horse books i ever read.

This was one of the very first horse books i ever read. It single handedly has been responsible for my love of horses and racing and moorish art. i have owned MANY horses in my life, and i always try to link them back to Sham in someway.

A Book for a Lifetime...

"King of the Wind" is Margarite Henry's finest work. I've loved it for over 50 years, and I was thrilled to find it here in Audible. It was a total pleasure to listen to one of my most treasured stories of all time being told by David McCallum, one of my favorite actors. He seemed to be into the story, and read it with such ease that it was obvious that he had invested time in practice.
I have given a 5-star rating because all categories deserve it.

Childhood Classic!

This is a wonderful story by a favorite childhood author. I enjoyed listening to it with my daughter. The narration is outstanding. This audio performance was one of the best I have heard. I will be looking for other books read by David McCallum. One feature I especially like is that unlike some audio books, this book is divided into chapters that match the paperback copy I have. It can be so annoying if you want to switch between a hard copy and audio and the chapters do not match. I usually read aloud at home, but enjoy listening while in the car.

Wonderful story

Wonderful story of love between a boy and his horse. Henry is a master storyteller.

Wonderful Audio Version

Where does King of the Wind rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would say that this audiobook ranks among the top five I have listened to in the last few weeks. There are some musical accompaniment to the story but it never intrudes --- "Post Time" is played at the beginning of the book, which starts out with the match race between Man o'War and Sir Barton.

What did you like best about this story?

I have loved this book, along with Marguerite Henry's other horse stories, since childhood and I am now a grandmother. I read this book to my son when he was a little boy -- it is a great book for children and adults who love horses or horse racing.

Have you listened to any of David McCallum’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first one I have listen to and Mr McCallum is excellent. He has the ability to mimic various accents and his female characters do not sound like women portrayed by a man. I will be seeking out other books read by him..

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Not sure I want it made into a movie -- perfect as it is.

Any additional comments?

Unabridged and reasonably priced with the Kindle version...

Favorite of my 5 year old horse lover.

Loved it over and over again. narrator is excellent. We were so intriguex we could not stop it.

Timeless

I used to read this book when I was in elementary-middle school. To me, this book is a timeless classic, something you can listen to or read over and over again and never get tired of it. Marguerite Henry is by far one of the best horse book writers out there.

Good book

Amazing book! I really liked it. I would recommend this book to 12 year olds.
:)

My favorite book as a child

Brought back by a brilliant narrator. I may have actually memorized the book over the years. Wonderful to hear it again.

Beautifully narration, touching story

A well read performance of a moving tale. Unabridged text makes it easy to follow along with the original text, if desired, and thoughtfully placed background music enhances the sense of place. Highly recommended.