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John Dizikes
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Yankee Doodle Dandy: The Life and Times of Tod Sloan Paperback – April 1, 2004

by John Dizikes (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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In the 1890s the world of racing was turned on its ear by a young American who rode horses as no professional jockey had ever ridden: Tod Sloan hitched up his stirrups and thrust his weight far forward. Traditionalists laughed at first and dismissed him as a novelty, but as he came to dominate racing on both sides of the Atlantic, his style of riding became widely imitated, and his famous “forward seat” remains universally practiced to this day. Sloan’s place in racing lore and popular culture was cemented in 1904 when George M. Cohan wrote and starred in Little Johnny Jones, a Broadway musical based on Sloan’s rise and fall in England.

John Dizikes’s portrait of Sloan (1874–1933) shows a small-town, hard-luck, midwestern boy who became an overnight sensation and an international celebrity in a world of breeders, bookmakers, gamblers, hustlers, bluebloods, and princes. As the King of Jockeys in the sport of kings, Sloan lived in high style, until he was banned from British racing and forced to eke out a living on the margins of the sport for thirty years.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    225 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Bison Books
  4. Publication date
    April 1, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    5.3 x 0.51 x 8.12 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0803266413
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0803266414
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A beautifully crafted work, even-handed in its evaluation of a controversial figure, artfully set against the colorful Gay Nineties and richly spiced with tidbits of racing lore.”—Wall Street Journal

“Historical investigative reporting at its finest, . . . A story of gambling, sport, and scandal from the Wild West to Victorian England.”—Thoroughbred Times

“You will not forget Tod Sloan.”—New York Times Book Review

From the Inside Flap

"You will not forget Tod Sloan." New York Times Book Review.

In the 1890s the world of racing was turned on its ear by a young American who rode horses as no professional jockey had ever ridden: Tod Sloan hitched up his stirrups and thrust his weight far forward. Traditionalists laughed at first and dismissed him as a novelty, but as he came to dominate racing on both sides of the Atlantic, his style of riding became widely imitated, and his famous "forward seat" remains universally practiced to this day. Sloan s place in racing lore and popular culture was cemented in 1904 when George M. Cohan wrote and starred in Little Johnny Jones, a Broadway musical based on Sloan s rise and fall in England.

John Dizikes s portrait of Sloan (1874 1933) shows a small-town, hard-luck, midwestern boy who became an overnight sensation and an international celebrity in a world of breeders, bookmakers, gamblers, hustlers, bluebloods, and princes. As the King of Jockeys in the sport of kings, Sloan lived in high style, until he was banned from British racing and forced to eke out a living on the margins of the sport for thirty years.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bison Books (April 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 225 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0803266413
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0803266414
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.3 x 0.51 x 8.12 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

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John Dizikes

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
9 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

f0xldy
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2019
Verified Purchase
Looks like and in interesting read...will enjoy it.
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Larry Sharp
5.0 out of 5 stars If you're a horse racing fan the book gives you ...
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2015
Verified Purchase
If you're a horse racing fan the book gives you a lot of history about the game.
Well worth the price and a read.
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Rob Hardy
5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionizing Riding
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2000
You may not know who Tod Sloan was, but after reading _Yankee Doodle Dandy: The Life and Times of Tod Sloan_ (Yale University Press) by John Dizikes, you will understand that Sloan was as important to his sport as Babe Ruth was to his. You don't have to be a racing fan to enjoy this book; it is full of racing, but it is full of history and many Gilded Age politicos and capitalists wander through its pages. It covers the rise and fall of Sloan, who introduced the way we all have seen jockeys riding their mounts, forward on the saddles, almost hugging their necks. Before Sloan invented this position, all rode back in the saddle and upright. Sloan introduced the "forward seat," and he won with it, causing a revolution in racing. Many didn't like the new style, but took to it when it won. Many didn't like Sloan. He became a crowd pleaser, and his dandified dress in miniature, his constantly smoking a cigar "as big as a policeman's club," his inability to let others take the tab, and his eagerness with women made him a star of the sport.
Sloan's success was not just due to his gimmick. He was a skilled jockey. He was known for quick starts and blazing finishes. His judgement of pace was unequalled. Horses that had not performed well would succeed under his control. They knew his voice; a trainer said, "When Sloan enters the paddock, horses that he has ridden recognize his voice and turn to look at him."
But Sloan made such a spectacle of himself that he was resented by some members of the British racing establishment, even though he had occasionally been tapped by the Prince of Wales to ride royal mounts. A minor betting incident, not a big deal at the time, led to his being exiled from the sport he had revolutionized. Sadly, his drinking and gambling ruined his two marriages and any business prospects, and he would up as a ticket taker at a race track in Tijuana.
Dizikes's readable book is a beguiling history of racing as it used to be, illuminating a good deal about the history of racing, and the attempts to regulate it, and make it fair. It also is a little parable about what can happen to revolutionaries.
4 people found this helpful
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Peter-S
5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Winner, A True Thoroughbred
Reviewed in the United States on February 16, 2001
A marvelous miniature, Yankee Doodle Dandy tells what at first blush is the story of Tod Sloan, an American jockey, who revolutionized horse racing by changing the way a jockey sat on the horse. (Prior to Sloan, riders sat comfortably on the horses back, ramrod straight. Sloan leaned forward over the horses withers, leaned over the horses neck.) His innovation initially met with jeers and scoffing from the traditional race crowd, but within less than 5 years, nearly every jockey had adopted the technique. There was no arguing with Sloan's success. Winning two, three, four and even five races at tracks featuring an average of seven races daily, Sloan's new technique, coupled with his remarkable sense of pace and often brilliant strategies, was unstoppable.
By following Tod Sloan's career we are given a vivid tour of the U.S. and England in the latter 19th century, from the life of the lowliest stableboy, to glimpses of the English royalty. We also witness the last gasp of British "imperialism" in its Jockey Club barring Sloan from ever applying for his license again. His infraction, suspected gambling, had never been cause for such a stringent punishment before. But, as Dizikes points out, there had never been anyone quite like Sloan before either. A brash American sportsman, spendthrift, ladies man, vaudevillian (briefly), he was the first sports superstar.
A short, masterful evocation of a uniquely American life, Yankee Doodle Dandy is a great ride!
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Graham oliver
3.0 out of 5 stars Yankee Doodle Dandy disappointing
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 27, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book seemed to lack detail. I read it because I love horse racing. However there is not much written about Sloan's big race wins, and particularly the horses that he rode. A bibliography at the back detailing his major wins both in the USA and UK would have been instructive.

Although an interesting book the impression I was left with is that the author is not a true horse racing fan, although he does indicate that he can be found on racecourses occasionally.

A good subject for a book, but could have been better by another author.

Never mind, still worth reading, if a tad disappointing
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advocaat
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2019
Verified Purchase
Good read but maybe a little light on real detail of the accusations levelled against him which eventually led to his banishment from the UK racing scene.
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