Children love horses and the story of noble Black Beauty is one of the most popular children's books of all time. In this sensitive abridgement Beauty movingly describes the friends people and places good and bad he encounters in the course of his dramatic life.Anna Sewell wrote her book in the late 19th century as an attempt to improve the conditions of the working horse. It remains a unique document of a time when horses were the main means of transport and a heartfelt message against cruelty to animals. In this edition illustrations transport readers to the heart of each scene. Beauty's narrative is complemented by hundreds of photographs paintings and facts about cab horses and carriage horses in town and country and the practicalities of their treatment and ill-treatment. This powerful book and its fascinating context can be enjoyed and understood by a new generation of animal lovers.