"Nicholson has done a very fine job of placing the unique role of Never Say Die in perspective within the specific confines of Thoroughbred racing history, while at the same time explaining how this horse was touched by a vivid array of characters in other social and historical contexts. Who would have imagined that a racehorse would link such diverse institutions as the Singer sewing machine company, the Epsom Derby, and the Beatles?"―Edward L. Bowen, author of nineteen books on Thoroughbred racing
"As a reader, I was left with a clear understanding of how the breeding industry has gone global, and importantly, how it will always follow the money. Racing enthusiasts will enjoy how the author sews together this unusual patchwork of characters into a narrative."―John Eisenberg, author of The Great Match Race: When North Met South in America's First Sports Spectacle
"Enlightening and entertaining. . . Nicholson's tale of close connections and global links is a yarn worth following."―Wall Street Journal
"Nicholson tells Never Say Die's story by placing him at the center of a sprawling web of connections. By tracing that web, Nicholson is able to explain not only how the heart of the Thoroughbred racing industry moved from England to Kentucky, but also charts the evolution of the post-war world; American industrialists, Saudi sheikhs and The Beatles all factor into [the] narrative. ...Intriguing."―Thoroughbred Daily News
"Explores the transformation of the thoroughbred industry with the upset victory of Never Say Die, a Kentucky-born colt, in England's Derby Stakes on June 2, 1954."―The Chronicle of Higher Education
"Begin with the main ingredient of a Kentucky-born colt, Never Say Die. . .Sprinkle in the Beatles, several Aga Khans, the best jockey in contemporary British turf history, a Bluegrass horse breeder from a prominent Pittsburgh industrial family whose fortunes went south, two founders of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. . . This eclectic mix is a recipe for a fascinating historical journey."―Bill Shanklin, Horse Racing Business
"Never Say Die . . . chronicles the history of an extraordinary colt, the Epsom Derby and the rise of the modern Thoroughbred industry. . . Nicholson also tells the stories of the influential individuals brought together by the horse and his victory, from the heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune to the Aga Khan."―Kentucky Alumni
"This book should definitely be of interest to racehorse enthusiasts and documents the capricious nature of history. . . the seemingly overwhelming love of Kentuckians for horses, and some popular history of this Commonwealth."―Carlton Jackson, Park City Daily News
"In Never Say Die: A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry, author and attorney Nicholson relates more than a simple memoir of a racehorse that made history. . . . Relying on meticulous research, the author takes on the difficult task of showing how seemingly unrelated entities such as The Beatles, the Singer Sewing Machine Company, the Sultan Mohammed Shah and Queen Victoria created a sure but circuitous path that led to central Kentucky's near universal designation as 'Horse Capital of the World.'"―Steve Flairty, Kentucky Monthly
"Nicholson once again delivers a solid work that, like The Kentucky Derby, is both entertaining and a significant contribution to the equine literature."―Ohio Valley History
James C. Nicholson is the author of numerous books including The Kentucky Derby: How the Run for the Roses Became America's Premier Sporting Event,The Notorious John Morrissey: How a Bare-Knuckle Brawler Became a Congressman and Founded Saratoga Race Course, and Racing for America: The Horse Race of the Century and the Redemption of a Sport. He lives in Versailles, Kentucky.
