Rating: 
Summary: How controversy can bring you down...
Review: Being assigned this book in my English 102 class, I have come to the realization that not only do book reading and movie going come to my mind in a whole other perspective, but it has further forced me to come to a more realistic view of this book reading process, and the fact that, if one is going to write something, they better darn well be telling the truth! Besides the controversy and other thoughts, I thought this book was actually pretty good. I'm not too much of a heavy book reader, but I did thoroughly enjoy reading of Frank Hopkins' journeys and adventures. Having found possible evidence of fraudulent writing through the O'Reilly's and Long Riders' Guild Research, it was quite hard for me to rate the deserved 4* of the book itself. If only it weren't for those words..."Based on a TRUE story..."
Rating: 
Summary: From a Long Distance Runner to Lond Distance Riders
Review: First, we have to clarify that the O'Reillys are not winning anything by publishing this book. In fact, they are spending their money to bring out something that people fear to say, the truth.
I have to admit that before reading the book I saw the movie and thought that the O'Reillys were the bad guys. Later I learned that they themselves are Endurance Riders and in the Long Riders' Guild they have members in 31 countries that are Endurance Riders as well. They have all the rights to defend what they love, horses. They are not attacking the mustang breed nor any other horse, just Frank Hopkins' dreams. Yeah, he was a dreamer like most of us. I am a runner and many times I have imagined myself winning the Olympic medal in the marathon, but I am not going to publish a book that says that I actually did that. In other words, I would make sure that someone else, not my wife (I don't have one) or relative, would be there to document it.
I am not trying to trash the book. No, no. It's an amazing book, the stories, the ideas that conveys, and I guess some real facts about the Old West. Frank Hopkins also knows some about horses since he did work for the Ringling Brothers Circus taking care of horses but not to the point where he can self-appraise of knowing everything. You can tell this in chapter 4 "Gentling" where the LRG have no notes on it. The chapter is somewhat boring so I will not bother re-reading it. One of the things that I really didn't like was that some stories were repetitive.
My conclusion is that the O'Reillys are only defending their love. Don't get me wrong, again, the book is great for motivation and all that good stuff but how would you feel if someone uses your passion to gain fame. For example, as a runner, I train hard everyday of the year and if someone comes up to me and says that he has run a faster 10k when he was my age, 18, I want not only to know how he did it but also how and where. Was he an Olympiad or is he just trying to praise himself. Then some I can tell just when they start talking running terms such as PRs, ATs, Tempos, and other stuff.
Good Job O'Reillys from the Mexican Runner
Rating:
Summary: From a Long Distance Runner to Lond Distance Riders
Review: First, we have to clarify that the O'Reillys are not winning anything by publishing this book. In fact, they are spending their money to bring out something that people fear to say, the truth.
I have to admit that before reading the book I saw the movie and thought that the O'Reillys were the bad guys. Later I learned that they themselves are Endurance Riders and in the Long Riders' Guild they have members in 31 countries that are Endurance Riders as well. They have all the rights to defend what they love, horses. They are not attacking the mustang breed nor any other horse, just Frank Hopkins' dreams. Yeah, he was a dreamer like most of us. I am a runner and many times I have imagined myself winning the Olympic medal in the marathon, but I am not going to publish a book that says that I actually did that. In other words, I would make sure that someone else, not my wife (I don't have one) or relative, would be there to document it.
I am not trying to trash the book. No, no. It's an amazing book, the stories, the ideas that conveys, and I guess some real facts about the Old West. Frank Hopkins also knows some about horses since he did work for the Ringling Brothers Circus taking care of horses but not to the point where he can self-appraise of knowing everything. You can tell this in chapter 4 "Gentling" where the LRG have no notes on it. The chapter is somewhat boring so I will not bother re-reading it. One of the things that I really didn't like was that some stories were repetitive.
My conclusion is that the O'Reillys are only defending their love. Don't get me wrong, again, the book is great for motivation and all that good stuff but how would you feel if someone uses your passion to gain fame. For example, as a runner, I train hard everyday of the year and if someone comes up to me and says that he has run a faster 10k when he was my age, 18, I want not only to know how he did it but also how and where. Was he an Olympiad or is he just trying to praise himself. Then some I can tell just when they start talking running terms such as PRs, ATs, Tempos, and other stuff.
Good Job O'Reillys from the Mexican Runner
Rating: 
Summary: What's the deal?
Review: Frank T. Hopkins may have been charlatan, like so many others of his time and ours, who attempts to mold their personal history to their own advantage. However the question arises who are the debunkers? Why do they care? The legend of Hidalgo is inspirational. Hopkins' thoughts on conservation and horse care and training were ahead of their time. So what if he repeated what he heard. It's what he chose to repeat that is worth noting. It's the thought that an old man could create a false biography that still endures fifty years after his death that makes it great. Was he real man or legend? In another fifty years will it matter? I much prefer the west of legend over the west of fact. Enjoy the legend, savor it, don't fall prey, to whiny self styled western historians who obviously have a bone to pick. Enjoy Hopkins writings and skip the rest. What great western legend could survive a thorough investigation of their lives done 100 years after the fact?
Rating: 
Summary: The children are safe - it's the experts that weren't
Review: From the start, any person who uses thinking ability must look at BOTH sides of a controversy, and if they want honesty, then they must look without prejudice or partiality. At first I was extremely disappointed to read that Frank T. Hopkins was a charlatan, but I wanted to have a basis for putting trust in the words of the Long Riders' Guild and others. Once I began to do my own research, the issue completely opened up for me and my questions vanished.
I started with finding simple facts, and when I saw for myself a wide variety of photos of Frank Hopkins on many different horses, I began to wonder at the credibility of the "experts." It turns out that they are the ones with all the 'proclamations' that are completely unfounded. Not only do they quote many vocations and accomplishments that Frank Hopkins never claimed in the first place, they completely blind themselves to the FACT that he was an outspoken activist for the mustang all his life, many of his speeches are written down as historical documents; also do they overlook the unique knowledge he had of indian horses, something which he could not possibly have possessed if he really was an "equestrian charlatan." I find it a little ironic that in some of the other closed-minded reviews, many actually admit that they know nothing about horses. Don't you want to find out a little bit more for yourself before you state your opinion as if it was already fact?
The most unforgivable thing that the Long Riders' Guild have done though, and perhaps the most important part of history of all that they have ignored, are the first-hand accounts of the Native Americans, their oral traditions, their TRUTH. And when I found out this, the underlying reason for the Guild's writings came to me. I thought, why would the Long Riders' Guild and others want to slander this man's reputation, to try to cover over his extraordinary accomplishments? It all comes down to the same-old, age-old issues of politics and prejudice.
There are those prejudiced men and women who will never want to acknowledge this man's accomplishments because he was part Native American and thus a true horseman from his roots. He spoke out for the mustang when these same men and women would have been content to let the breed become extinct out of greed. He was at one with horses and could accomplish incredible feats BECAUSE he had Native American blood in him, but there will always be those who are racist who either want to ignore this heritage or claim it has nothing to do with any accomplishments. Finally, those who are politically prejudiced will never want to admit the guilt of the U.S. in the massacre of the Native Americans. Perhaps they don't like that the movie Hidalgo exposes the hypocrisy involved, when after U.S. soldiers brutally massacred innocent men, women and children, they called it a "battle" in which they had been victorious.
Obviously I could never know the true motives from the hearts of all these people involved in this controversy; these are simply the conclusions I have reached, and it is true that it fills me with disgust to see the prejudice and racism that consumes people and causes them to deceive others. All I want to try and say to those who are reading this is not to blindly follow others along and put your trust in their every word, but to build a store of knowledge for yourself, so that you may always have a basis for finding truth, real justice and a faith of your own.
Rating: 
Summary: A VERY interesting read
Review: I bought this book because I am interested in the Old West, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.Frank Hopkins' writings read like a dime-store novel, and are entertaining in a highly implausible way. The footnotes are really interesting, and demonstrate without a shadow of a doubt that what Hopkins didn't make up, he took from books and other publications of his day. I am surprised to see some of the other reviews, which seem to be muddying the waters by telling everyone what fantastic horses Mustangs are! Maybe they are - they certainly have a great reputation for hardiness - but that has nothing to do with whether or not Hopkins wrote the truth. I take great exception to the Walt Disney company telling us their movie is "based on a true story" when it is so clearly based on one man's ridiculous fantasies. Shame on you, Disney - we used to be able to trust you with our children!
Rating:
Summary: Saw movie, love Mustangs more is that so wrong?
Review: I do wish the movie had explained this was a tall tale. I didn't realize it really was mostly fiction, but I did figure that most of the historically famous people and even the outcome of the race was put in for effect. Thought that was the Disney touch we've come to expect over the years. Knowing the extent of the fiction involved would have really hurt my strong feelings after seeing the movie Hidalgo. I am truly disappointed a Mustang didn't win such a fantastic race. Don't be fooled by the book, horse-lovers, I think the movie very accurately presented a picture of how extremely harsh and devastating such a trip would be to a horse and its health. Having cleaned just a few hooves, I really thought that halfway through the trip, Hidalgo--in real life, would have been lame for quite a while and unable to finish the race. I think most people who have been around horses even a little bit would understand that. The movie tells a love for a wonderful horse and presents the kind of trusting relationship we would all like to have. It demonstrates the power of persistence, not giving up, even when it seems like you're finished. I think that's the real message worth taking home from this movie. I hope that's what one could take away from the book. And I love mustangs more than ever. I truly love "Hidalgo" and if I were fortunate enough to be able to own a horse, I would choose a mustang.
Rating:
Summary: This Book is the greatest Forgery of the Century!
Review: I have an "Original" copy of Frank T Hopkins' Autobiography. The book "Edited" by the O'Reillys is nothing but a "Forgery" to suit their own purpose, which is to "slander" a deceased Old West Heroe. I am an Endurance Rider, who breeds Spanish Mustangs. I have competed with my Mustangs on the endurance circuit for over 22 years. The truth is: Spanish Mustangs are, truly the greatest, "Ultra-Marathon" endurance horses! Although only 1% recorded, to compete in today's endurance circuit, they claimed Top National Awards! I was 2nd in the Nation, in 1990, with my Spanish Mustang, Montana, at the Multi-Day Ride Championship. (250 miles in 5 consecutive days, running against fresh Arabs each day!)Since the year 2000, a Spanish Mustang Stallion, by the name of Geronimo's Warrior, set an unprecedented record in the history of the AERC. (American Endurance Riders Conference). Geronimo received the following Awards for 4 consecutive years: National Mileage Champion, National Endurance Stallion, (Jim Jones Award), Mid-west heavyweight Champion, and Pioneer Award in Heavyweight division of the Multi-day ride championship! So in Lieu of all of the above, Mr. Hopkins is not the one who is lying! It is the O'Reillys. Frank Hopkins championed the legendary Endurance of the Spanish mustangs and his claim stands TRUE even today! Anybody who sinks so low, as to "Edit" a book to serve their own purpose, is to be condemned! I have found everything Mr. Hopkins advocated regarding the endurance of the Spanish Mustang to be TRUE, and verified by my personal experience during my 22 years of endurance riding. The O'Reilly, "version" of Hidalgo is a waste of money! AM.Pinter, Georgetown.Ca.
Rating:
Summary: Just a story
Review: I have just recently finished reading Hidalgo and Other Stories and found it to be quite interesting. I believe that the book is well represented when it says that it is based on the writings of Frank Hopkins rather than the true story or life story of Frank Hopkins. I found the many editor notes and inserts to be amazingly helpful. I am not very familiar with horses, and occasionally I wouldn't know the difference from the truth or not when Hopkins made reference to something or someone which wasn't true or which was plagiarized had it not been pointed out. I think that it is great that the Long Riders' Guild spent so much time and energy into this book. It is remarkable to think about all the people they contacted and worked with for this book, it benefits the reader so much. The story is a good story, but that's all it is, a story.
Rating:
Summary: Just a story
Review: I have just recently finished reading Hidalgo and Other Stories and found it to be quite interesting. I believe that the book is well represented when it says that it is based on the writings of Frank Hopkins rather than the true story or life story of Frank Hopkins. I found the many editor notes and inserts to be amazingly helpful. I am not very familiar with horses, and occasionally I wouldn't know the difference from the truth or not when Hopkins made reference to something or someone which wasn't true or which was plagiarized had it not been pointed out. I think that it is great that the Long Riders' Guild spent so much time and energy into this book. It is remarkable to think about all the people they contacted and worked with for this book, it benefits the reader so much. The story is a good story, but that's all it is, a story.
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