Farley, Walter (1915-1989), an American children’s author, became known for his Black Stallion series of novels. The series began with The Black Stallion (1941). In this book, a teenager named Alec Ramsey rescues and tames the Black Stallion, a half-wild Arabian horse. The series of 21 novels also featured the Black Stallion’s offspring as well as Ramsey’s friend Steve Duncan and horse trainer Henry Dailey, a retired jockey. In addition, it included Man o’ War (1962), a fictionalized biography of the great American race horse.
Farley wrote his last book, The Young Black Stallion (1989), with his son Steven. The series has been praised for its authentic information about horses, exciting adventures, and rich character portraits. In addition to the Black Stallion series, Farley wrote several books for younger readers, including a series about a pony, with such titles as Little Black, a Pony (1961) and The Little Black Pony Races (1968).
Walter Lorimer Farley was born on June 26, 1915, in Syracuse, New York. He began writing the story that would become The Black Stallion in high school. He bred Arabian horses from 1946 to 1965. Farley died on Oct. 16, 1989. Steven Farley continued the Black Stallion series after his father’s death.
