Robert Baker

What if Phar Lap had kept a diary? What would he have written about? Well, this book provides the answers to those questions.

Beginning in August 1929, when Phar Lap was a three-year-old, the diary traces his life right up until his death in April 1932. We read of the harshness of his training regime, the love and ‘mateship’ he experienced from his stablehand Tommy Woodcock, the thrill and excitement of winning a race, and his curiosity about the world beyond his stable. From his unparalleled success on the track to the death threats and actual attempts on his life, Phar Lap’s career rivalled that of any film star for intrigue and drama. Even the cause of his death has been a source of controversy for decades. This diary will take you into his world and show you how events unfolded as he saw them. Phar Lap emerges as a horse with a heart of gold, a champion’s will to win, and a larrikin’s sense of humour.

Released on the 75th anniversary of his death, The Diary of Phar Lap is a fitting tribute to a horse who united a country and became a legend in the process.

Read an extract >>

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Baker is the eldest child of Jack Baker who, as a young apprentice jockey in Sydney just turned eighteen, rode Phar Lap to his maiden win at Rosehill on 27 April 1929. As a result, Rob grew up surrounded by ‘the legend of Phar Lap’, giving birth to a fascination that has culminated in this book. In his professional life, Rob taught Latin, Greek and Ancient History for over 35 years in the universities of Tasmania and New England, Australia, retiring from the latter as Associate Professor in 2001. He is presently an Honorary Fellow in the School of Classics, History and Religion there.

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Reviews

‘... thoroughly endearing, this engrossing diary takes one into his world, unfolding events as he saw them.’ Toowoomba Chronicle

Click here for Paul Smith’s review of kiwiboomers.co.nz >>

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SPECIFICATIONS
Size: 165 x 125mm
Format: Cased
Extent: 152 pages
Weight: 250 gms
Publication date: March 2007
ISBN: 978 0 908988 18 1