The Story of Your Life by James Lambie

James Lambie artfully pieced together excerpts from 139 years of racing coverage excellence and added writing of his own, to tell the story of British racing and sports in general, and a fitting tribute to the newspaper he loved. Fans of racing history will learn so much from this publication, about the great horses and people that make the sport great, and how the sport gradually evolved in so many ways, from the mid 19th century to the present. Unfortunately the legendary paper shut down in 1998. This is truly an enjoyable, entertaining read and an excellent reference book for racing fans anywhere in the world.

Like Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News for American sports fans, The Sporting Life served the same purpose in England through a 139-year run, covering many different sports. But unlike its American counterparts, The Life focused on horse racing rather than team sports. Well-known racing fan Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother famously said in 1987, "Of course I read The Sporting Life!" James Lambie, who served as the Life's chief northern correspondent from 1982 until the paper's demise, writes a very fitting tribute to this storied publication, complete with excerpts and photographs.

In 611 pages, Lambie compiles excerpts in chronological order, adding writing of his own to tell the story of 139 years of both newspaper and sports history. The reader will learn that as early as 1900, there was already talk of illegal drugs used in American racing. In response the Jockey Clubs in European countries moved quickly to ban and test for them, and to this day medications are still illegal in most of the world. There have been many stories about "ringers" but there was even a phony race meeting, an entire card of racing at a course that does not exist, but bookies managed to fool the editors to publish results and payoffs. During the two World Wars racing was curtailed due to wartime travel restrictions and fuel rationing, but important races like the Derby were run at alternate locations. In 1961, betting shops were finally legalized after a prolonged political battle. John McCririck, loved and hated on TV and in print, uncovered a Tote scandal in 1979 after observing unusually low payouts on dual forecasts (exactas) given the odds of the horses, a situation reminiscent of the "Fix Six". Racing in England is year-round, with flat racing dominating the summer months and National Hunt (jumps) taking place primarily in the winter, and the reader will learn about greats both human and equine from both camps. Editor Monty Court frequently wrote negatively about American racing's use of Lasix, writing "the fact the almighty dollar has caused U.S. racing to swallow its principles should not mean that (drugs should also be allowed in England)."

The Sporting Life is not like the Daily Racing Form in America which covers horse racing only. It also covered other popular sports in England such as rugby, cricket, and football (soccer). An entire chapter of the book covers the very first heavyweight boxing championship fight, a bare-knuckle bout between American John Heenan and Englishman Tom Sayers in 1860. Boxing was an outlaw sport, with the location of the fight not made known until hours before it took place. After 41 grueling rounds of indefinite length (ending only when a knockdown has occurred), the fight ended in a draw when police arrived and spectators panicked.

The final chapters cover the takeover by the Racing Post and the lawsuits that ultimately led to the demise of the historic paper, its final issue dated May 12, 1998.