The Horse

A Galloping History of Humanity

By: Timothy C. Winegard

Narrated by: Sean Patrick Hopkins

THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER

One of The Economist's Best Books of the Year

An Amazon Best Book of the Month

A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read Book

From New York Times bestselling author of The Mosquito, the incredible story of how the horse shaped human history

Timothy C. Winegard’s The Horse is an epic history unlike any other. Its story begins more than 5,500 years ago on the windswept grasslands of the Eurasian Steppe; when one human tamed one horse, an unbreakable bond was forged and the future of humanity was instantly rewritten, placing the reins of destiny firmly in human hands.

Since that pivotal day, the horse has carried the history of civilizations on its powerful back. For millennia it was the primary mode of transportation, an essential farming machine, a steadfast companion, and a formidable weapon of war. Possessing a unique combination of size, speed, strength, and stamina, the horse dominated every facet of human life and shaped the very scope of human ambition. And we still live among its galloping shadows.

Horses revolutionized the way we hunted, traded, traveled, farmed, fought, worshipped, and interacted. They fundamentally reshaped the human genome and the world’s linguistic map. They determined international borders, molded cultures, fueled economies, and built global superpowers. They decided the destinies of conquerors and empires. And they were vectors of lethal disease and contributed to lifesaving medical innovations. Horses even inspired architecture, invention, furniture, and fashion. From the thundering cavalry charges of Alexander the Great to the streets of New York during the Great Manure Crisis of 1894 and beyond, horses have shaped both the grand arc of history and our everyday lives.

Driven by fascinating revelations and fast-paced storytelling, The Horse is a riveting narrative of this noble animal’s unrivaled and enduring reign across human history. To know the horse is to understand the world.

©2024 Timothy C. Winegard (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"In this epic saga of the horse and human history, Winegard has researched deeply, written vividly, and made new connections about trade, agricultural production, transportation, and war. The horse has been integral to every point in civilization, and this grand narrative blazes new trails for experts and readers."—Tim Cook, bestselling author of Vimy: The Battle and the Legend, The Fight for History, and The Good Allies

“They say that dogs are humankind’s best friend, but as Timothy Winegard makes clear in this sweeping book, it’s the horse that truly deserves that title—and not just that one. Horses were revolutionary political allies, tireless explorers, and our deadliest weapons of war as well. And if we've come so far, it’s only because the horse has carried us here, and this book masterfully maps each stage in that 5500-year epic journey.”—Sam Kean, author of The Icepick Surgeon and The Disappearing Spoon

"Sprawling and instructive...ambitious and entertaining."—The Wall Street Journal

Almost as good as the Mosquito

I learned a lot about history and about how the horse played a huge part.
Hard to imagine the big cities with all those horses.

History of the horse.

The book is a little slow to start because of the world history but it is necessary. Then the book picks up speed and discusses events that the reader can relate to. Very interesting even if you don’t own or admire horses.

The hero of the human story.

A journey from the evolution of the horse to the predominately entertainment value the horse has in 21st century.

Great global history of one mankind's best friends.

very splendid overview of how humans and horses have worked with one another to bring us to the world we live in today.

Wonderful, expansive and up-to-date.

This book was an instant re-listen (rare for me). The approach is not restrictive but thorough. Surprisingly, the book is also an up-to-date review of modern theories about the Indo-Europeans and the development of pan-Asian civilization. I have read many of the books and authors quoted in this volume and was pleased to find that their usage was correct and properly contextualized.

The field of human evolution (and evolution in general) is changing so fast that wonderful works like "The Horse, the Wheel, and Language" are surprisingly out-of-date just a few years after publication. This book brings recent genetic studies to bear on the data in that work, and is surprising in its clarity. I suspect some professionals might quibble with a few of the author's bolder assertions, but I found it refreshing that he made such complex information so accessible.

The overwhelming scope of the horses impact on humanity.

Provides an informative and engaging overview of the evolution of the horse, its near extinction, and the fascinating and essential, unrecognized and often misunderstood relationship between man and horse over the last several thousand years. A fascinating “read”.

Great boom

I’ll beg to differ with Mr Weingard that the first person to lure in and tame the horse, was most likely a young girl,
This is a wonderful read, thx billions!

A remarkable thing insight

A fascinating history. It was one surprise after another regarding the incredible impact of the horse on the evolution of multiple society and civilizations.

The horses relationship with the history of the world

Excellent delivery in a chronological order. of the horses relationship to humans has the world develops

Invaluable horse

So enlightening about the critical role horse played in development and victories of countries and peoples