"This is a perceptively written, generously illustrated chronicle of the founding and development of a unique and vibrant community that has served as the cultural and economic center of Kentucky's famed Bluegrass region for more than 200 years. This rich tapestry of people, architecture, dates, facts, figures, and anecdotes covers every facet of Lexington's history."

See how military conflicts influence history in unexpected and surprising ways.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A vivid portrait of America’s greatest stallion, the larger-than-life men who raced and bred him, and the dramatic times in which they lived.”—Geraldine Brooks, author of Horse The powerful true story of the champion Thoroughbred racehorse who gained international fame in the tumultuous Civil War–era South, and became the most successful sire in American racing history The early days of American horse racing were grueling. Four-mile races, run two or three times in succession, were the norm, rewarding horses who brandished the ideal combination of stamina and speed. The stallion Lexington, named after the city in Kentucky where he was born, possessed these winning qualities, which pioneering Americans prized. Lexington shattered the world speed record for a four-mile race, showing a war-torn nation that the extraordinary was possible even in those perilous times. He would continue his winning career until deteriorating eyesight forced his retirement in 1855. But once his groundbreaking achievements as a racehorse ended, his role as a sire began. Horses from his bloodline won more money than the offspring of any other Thoroughbred—an annual success that led Lexington to be named America’s leading sire an unprecedented sixteen times. Yet with the Civil War raging, Lexington’s years at a Kentucky stud farm were far from idyllic. Confederate soldiers ran amok, looting freely and kidnapping horses from the top stables. They soon focused on the prized Lexington and his valuable progeny. Kim Wickens, a lawyer and dressage rider, became fascinated by this legendary horse when she learned that twelve of Thoroughbred racing's thirteen Triple Crown winners descended from Lexington. Wickens spent years meticulously researching the horse and his legacy—and with Lexington, she presents an absorbing, exciting account that transports readers back to the raucous beginning of American horse racing and introduces them to the stallion at its heart.

A quiet colonial town forever changed by the shot heard round the world on April 19, 1775, Lexington evolved from its famous roots and adapted to the ever-changing culture of the nation it helped create. Over the centuries, an influx of immigrants and new ideas helped shape the town from farming community to booming rail suburb and into todays diverse city that treasures its rich heritage while striving toward a dynamic future.

" The product of original research in newspapers, manuscripts, and secondary sources, Carden's history of music in early Lexington describes an unexplored aspect of the city's cultural heritage."

A history of the city located in the heart of central Kentucky Bluegrass country traces Lexington's long, proud past which reaches far back before the “Horse Capital of the World” reared its first thoroughbred, claiming the first college, newspaper, and millionaire west of the Alleghenies--among many other firsts. Original.

Explains the Battles of Lexington and Concord and how these events led to the start of the Revolutionary War.