Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World [Hardcover]

Mim Eichler Rivas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2005

For close to a century, a majestic chapter of American history has been buried in an obscure grave in Shelbyville, Tennessee. BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY, the onetime ugly duckling of a scrub colt that became one of the most heralded and beloved heroes of his day, was famous neither for his beauty nor his speed but instead for his exceptional intelligence. Said to have an I.Q. equivalent to that of a human sixth-grader, Jim exploded on to the national scene in 1897 by demonstrating inexplicable abilities to read, write, spell, do mathematics, tell time, sort mail, cite biblical passages, and debate politics.

For the next nine years, Jim performed in nationwide expositions and world's fairs to wildly receptive crowds, smashing box-office records, overcoming hurdles of prejudice and skepticism, all the while winning rapturous praise from the press and leaders such as President McKinley, Booker T. Washington, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth.

In this breathtaking saga, Jim's astonishing journey is coupled with that of his trainer and best friend, Dr. William Key, a self-taught veterinarian, former slave, Civil War veteran, prominent African-American entrepreneur, and one of the most renowned horse whisperers of his time -- a man who shunned all force in the training of horses, instead relying on kindness and patience.

Masterful storyteller and bestselling author Mim Eichler Rivas at long last gives two cultural icons their due, not only unraveling the mystery of their disappearance but examining how, thanks to the rare and intimate relationship between horse and man that was championed by promoter and humane activist Albert R. Rogers, a dramatic shift took place in the public mind that made kindness to animals a cornerstone of modern civilization and helped launch the animal rights movement. Unveiled against the backdrop of American history, BEAUTIFUL JIM KEY is their incredible tale.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An inspirational tale that was nearly buried beneath the detritus of time (namely floods and fires), Beautiful Jim Key recalls the remarkable life of a remarkable horse at the turn of the previous century. Revered not for his speed on the track, Beautiful Jim Key was instead a cerebral celebrity who electrified fairgoers from St. Louis to Boston with apparent feats of mathematics, reading, and writing, even making change for a dollar. But as might be expected, author Mim Eichler Rivas's story is about much more than a horse from Tennessee imbued with a staggering intellect. It's also about Jim Key's equally remarkable trainer, Dr. William Key, a black man and onetime slave who narrowly survived the American Civil War, prospered against all odds, and emerged as a wealthy inventor, self-trained veterinarian, and community pillar. Dr. Key's use of kindness and patience to train Jim, rather than the de rigueur tactics of beatings and intimidation, gave way to fresh thinking about animal husbandry at a time when animals were considered virtually inanimate. And then some: "The horse and the man from Tennessee had not only helped pioneer the humane movement but had, over the past seven years, in direct and indirect ways, changed the face of popular entertainment. [Suddenly], the big-budgeted theatrical productions began adding nonhuman cast members to their shows." The author provides ample scene-setting color, especially when describing the various exhibitions Jim Key headlined, and does a reasonably good job of footnoting her various claims about Jim's mental prowess, though occasionally the reader wonders how, exactly, she decoded the horse's thought process. Her writing style is also somewhat tepid, but still, there is no doubt that Jim Key was an exceptional horse in an exceptional era guided by an exceptional man. Thanks to Rivas, Seabiscuit must now share a posthumous marquee along with Beautiful Jim Key. --Kim Hughes

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In the days before television, movies and even radio, World's Fairs and other annual expositions were among America's most popular forms of mass entertainment. From 1897 to 1912, one of their largest draws—attracting tens of thousands of wildly enthusiastic fans daily—was a horse. Beautiful Jim Key, whose owner, Dr. William Key, "taught [him] by kindness," could, according to awed contemporary accounts unearthed by longtime ghostwriter/collaborator Rivas (Finding Fish), add, subtract, spell, cite Bible passages and pluck silver dollars from the bottom of a barrel without drinking the water. Impressive as those feats were, though, they're just one part of this captivating, if occasionally fussy, literary excavation of lost Americana. There is the remarkable life of Dr. Key: born a slave, he was a Union sympathizer in the Civil War even as he saved the lives of his owner's Confederate sons. He was a self-taught veterinarian of great renown, a polished peddler of patent medicine and the man who transformed a bay stallion crippled at birth into "the smartest horse who ever lived." Rivas shows how the intimate bond between horse and man prompted hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren to pledge "always to be kind to animals" and propelled the growth of animal-rights and anti-cruelty groups. The world was smaller at the turn of the 20th century; this book's compelling claim that one horse and one man changed it is not, in context, overly brazen. 16 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; First edition (February 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060567031
• ISBN-13: 978-0060567033
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,229 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Raised in iconoclastic East Tennessee town of Oak Ridge, a merger of nuclear physicists, artsy bohemians and hillbillies. Went to Sarah Lawrence College to pursue an acting career and studied writing with E.L. Doctorow. Came to the West Coast and got a job in the shoe business, a mispelling because I actually wanted to be in show business. Worked briefly as an actress and did comedy improv where I met my future husband, actor/athlete/author/activist Victor Rivers (www.victorrivers.com) before turning to writing. As a co-author and ghostwriter, I've written over 14 books, with Beautiful Jim Key marking my debut as a sole author.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A little-known wrinkle of history, well-told, February 6, 2005

By 

John I. Carney (Shelbyville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World (Hardcover)

First, the disclosures: I'm a newspaper reporter from Shelbyville, Tennessee, the small town where Dr. William Key and his amazing horse lived. I interviewed Mim Rivas in spring 2004 and again the day before the book was released, and found her charming. So if I gush, you'll forgive me.

But I really like this book. The story naturally draws together various themes and issues -- the Civil War, race relations, the true nature of animal intelligence, and the history of "World's Fair"-style expositions at their peak. Mim Rivas touches on all of these, but the story flows naturally, and you want to keep reading to find out exactly what happens to the three major characters (two men and a horse). Her affection for her subjects is apparent, but it's also contagious.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A horse book that's even better than "Seabiscuit", February 7, 2005

By 

Francis Fryer (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World (Hardcover)

"Beautiful Jim Key : The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World"
is a fascinating (and true) yarn beautifully related by author Mim Eichler Rivas. The book follows the almost impossibly dramatic odyssey of Dr William Key from slavery to wealthy veterinarian/ famous performer / savvy entrepreneur. It also tells the story of Jim Key, a sickly, spindly colt who grew to be one of post Civil War America's most beloved public figures, "the most wonderful horse in the world" (as he was often billed in his countless appearances).

Rivas richly evokes the tragic and tumultuous conditions in East Tennessee during the Civil War and the subsequent Reconstruction. In addition, she includes intriguing material on the lineage of the Tennessee Walking Horse, and more significantly, we view the birth of movements and organizations like Humane Society and SPCA.

In a time when America was trying to heal from the most devastating divisions, Dr Key and his wonderful horse were true uniters regardless of race or party --or even species.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A remarkable story well-told and to be cherished..., March 15, 2005

By 

Tuffy (Kentucky, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World (Hardcover)

Kudos to the author for bringing to national attention a most remarkable story! This book can be read on so many levels. Obviously, it can be read simply as an amazing and uplifting story in its own right. The reader will fall in love with Jim Key and the people and the little dog surrounding him. However, the book can be read on even deeper levels. It provides insight into an era when people looked to fairs and travelling shows to provide entertainment and is a great historical read. The book provides an important chronicle of the evolution of the humane movement in the United States. It also provides a forum in which to consider race and equality for people as well, both symbolically through Jim Key and directly inasmuch as Dr. Key was an accomplished black man. The book can be viewed from an educator's standpoint. Most importantly, it can and should be read for the remarkable story of the possibilities open to us in our relationships with animals. What a tragedy it would have been had this story been lost! I finished the book today desiring to know even more about this remarkable phenomenon, and I found myself caring deeply about Jim, Monk, Dr. Key, the Davises, and Albert. To evoke that reaction in a reader, the author should consider her work a success.