Dick Francis passes on.

[wilf]

Remarkable storyteller Dick Francis died at his home in the Cayman Islands aged 89. What a life he had from growing up in Pembrokeshire in Wales to being a Champion Steeplechase Jockey in Britain and riding for the Royal Family then selling over 60 million books as a fiction writer. Not bad !

[Shammy Davis]

Very sad. He was an extraordinary individual.

[dublino]

More here........

http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/news ... ancis.html

RIP

[drewsbadboy]

That's very sad....He was remarkable...loved his books. RIP

[Maureen]

I have read everybook that he wrote, and I think I actually have a copy of most of then. I loved his books. Wouldn't get any work done for two days when there was a new release!

[Fair Play]

I have read everybook that he wrote, and I think I actually have a copy of most of then. I loved his books. Wouldn't get any work done for two days when there was a new release!

Me too. I picked up the first as a hard cover that caught my eye, "Sport of Queens", and collected all the others. He didn't waste words.

[erins isle]

Yes, I also have all his books. His biography of Lester Piggott is worth reading.
My favorite: Banker, because I love to read about bloodstock.

What is your favorite?

[horsenuts]

An old trainer introduced me to his books about 30 years ago and I was hooked! Some great stuff for those who like to read about racing intrigue while on the edge throughout. His books are fast reads as they are hard to put down.

[tbrace]

The man wrote basically the same book 60 times, but I read them all and enjoyed them. May he rest in peace.

[Aug27]

I've read ALL his books.
My favorite: whichever one I was reading at that time!
He made a great contribution, and will be sorely missed.

[majxmom]

I have all of his books in hardback, and enjoyed most of them immensely. It did seem to me that in his last few books, he might have run out of ideas, because so many of the plots involved disturbing animal cruelty--lopping off yearling's feet, infecting horses with tick disease, etc.

My favorite: Rat Race. Love the self-effacing, strong, silent type.
Second Favorite: Straight. What an opening paragraph that book has, something like: "I inherited my brother's life. I inherited his home, his business, his cars, his money, and his mistress. I inherited my brother's life, and it almost killed me."