History Literature / KingOfTheWind

* VagueAge: Agba is said to be around the same age as Louis XV of France, who would have been about sixteen at the time (assuming Sham, like the real Godolphin Arabian, was foaled in 1724). However, he doesn't begin to reach manhood until Regulus (foaled in 1739) is a two-year-old. The author tries to avert this by [[ComicBookTime never giving exact dates in the story]], but it's still distracting to readers who are aware of the history.

* SocietyMarchesOn: In 1948, Henry had to sell her audience on the idea that a horse retiring to stud is only the beginning of his greatness. Nowadays, no one would be surprised by a good stallion prospect retiring, as Man o'War did, after his third year: there's a lot more money to be made in the breeding shed, and it's less risky than racing.

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* SocietyMarchesOn: In 1948, Henry had to sell her audience on the idea that a horse retiring to stud is only the beginning of his greatness. Nowadays, a good stallion prospect is hustled off to the breeding shed as soon as he proves himself, since there's a lot more money to be made that way, plus it's safer than racing.

* TheAllegedSteed: Sham is treated as this from the moment he arrives in Europe, where he's seen as a scrawny runt compared to the larger, sturdier European horses.[[note]]His size is typical for Arabs as they were bred to be [[PintSizedPowerhouse Pint Sized Powerhouses]] for desert survival. True Arabs are among the toughest, hardiest, most intelligent horses in existence.[[/note]] Even the exceptionally high crest of his neck -- also a good thing for an Arabian -- is considered a deformity. He's also extremely sensitive and has quite the temper, further contributing to his being undesirable.

* BeautyEqualsGoodness: Agba can't bring himself to hate Lady Roxana because she's beautiful. Conversely, the established sire Hobgoblin is large and heavy, and thus evil.

* TheAllegedSteed: Sham is treated as this from the moment he arrives in Europe, where he's seen as a scrawny runt compared to the larger, sturdier European horses.[[note]]His size is typical for Arabs as they were bred to be small like that for desert survival. True Arabs are among the toughest, hardiest, most intelligent horses in existence.[[/note]] Even the exceptionally high crest of his neck -- also a good thing for an Arabian -- is considered a deformity. He's also extremely sensitive and has quite the temper, further contributing to his being undesirable.

* HappilyEverBefore: The main plot ends with Sham retiring to a happy life as one of the Thoroughbred foundation sires, though the book does mention that he eventually died and Agba had to return to his life of slavery.

* VagueAge: Agba is said to be around the same age as Louis XV of France, who would have been about sixteen at the time (assuming Sham, like the real Godolphin Arabian, was foaled in 1724). However, he doesn't begin to reach manhood until Regulus (foaled in 1739) is a two-year-old. The author tries to avert this by [[ComicBookTime never giving exact dates in the story]], but it's still distracting to readers who are aware of the history.

As the title states, the book is a fictionalized biography of the Godolphin Arabian, one of the three foundation sires of the Thoroughbred horse breed.

* TheAllegedSteed: Sham is treated as this from the moment he arrives in Europe, where he's seen as a scrawny runt compared to the larger, sturdier European horses. Even the exceptionally high crest of his neck -- a good thing for an Arabian -- is considered a deformity.

%% * ABoyAndHisX: A boy and his horse. %% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
%%* AHeroIsBorn: Chapter Three is even titled "A Foal Is Born".

* CuteMute: Agba is gentle and sweet, and eternally loyal to Sham, but does not speak (it's never specified why).
%%* FatBastard: Agba views Hobgoblin as this.

* MeaningfulName: Agba comes from "father" and Sham means "sun" (his bay coat explicitly has as gold sheen to it).

%%* MoodyMount

* AHeroIsBorn: Chapter Three is even titled "A Foal Is Born".

* DeathByNewberyMedal: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] - While the epilogue does mention Sham's death, it only comes after he's lived a long, comfortable life and sired many offspring. Since the Godolphin Arabian was a real horse, this could be seen as a ForegoneConclusion.
* FatBastard: Agba views Hobgoblin as this.

* FriendToAllLivingThings: Actually [[AvertedTrope averted]] with Agba. He gets along with ''most'' animals (even befriending a wild crow), but hates the horse Hobgoblin out of pure resentment, and is fully prepared to hate Roxana too.

* HorsingAround[=/=]MoodyMount: Sham is hot-tempered, disobedient, and prone to throwing any rider who isn't Agba, which doesn't help the view of him as TheAllegedSteed.

* ABoyAndHisX: A boy and his horse.

[[caption-width-right:300:some caption text]]

'''''King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian''''' is a Newbery Medal-winning 1948 novel by Marguerite Henry, best known as the author of ''Misty of Chincoteague''.

* FramingDevice: The book begins in 1920 with Man o' War's match race against Sir Barton and Samuel Riddle's decision to retire Man o' War. When questioned about his decision, Riddle begins to tell the story of the Godolphin Arabian, starting off the story proper.

* KickTheDog: A number of Sham's owners do this, though the cruel woodcarter is easily the worst. The Sultan forcing his horses to endure the fast of Ramadan could also count, since it leads to the death of Sham's mother.

* TheAllegedSteed: Sham is treated as this from the moment he arrives in Europe, where he's seen as a scrawny runt compared to the larger, sturdier European horses.

* CoolHorse: Sham and his descendants, especially Man o' War (for who this was definitely TruthInTelevision).
* CuteMute: Agba, who is gentle and sweet, and physically incapable of speech.

%%* EarnYourHappyEnding

* HorsingAround / MoodyMount: Sham is hot-tempered, disobedient, and prone to throwing any rider who isn't Agba, which doesn't help the view of him as TheAllegedSteed.

* SparedByTheAdaptation: The mare Lady Roxana, who in RealLife [[DeathByChildbirth died after foaling Cade]]. The novel doesn't mention her fate, but Cade's birth is treated as a happy event, which wouldn't fit with the death of his mother.
* VagueAge: Agba is said to be around the same age as Louis XV of France, who would have been about sixteen at the time (assuming Sham, like the real Godolphin Arabian, was foaled in 1724). However, he doesn't begin to reach manhood until Regulus (foaled in 1739) is a two-year-old. The author tries to avert this by [[ComicBookTime never giving exact dates in the story]], but it's still distracting to readers who are aware of the history.

* EarnYourHappyEnding

* HorseRacing

* KickTheDog: A number of Sham's owners do this, though the cruel woodcarter is easily the worst.

* HorsingAround/MoodyMount: Sham is hot-tempered, disobedient, and prone to throwing any rider who isn't Agba, which doesn't help the view of him as TheAllegedSteed.

* HorsingAround: Sham is hot-tempered, disobedient, and prone to throwing any rider who isn't Agba, which doesn't help the view of him as TheAllegedSteed.

* BabiesEverAfter: A variation -

!!Tropes: