Home > Facts > Authors Facts > Walter Farley Facts

Walter Farley Facts

Walter Farley Facts
Walter Farley was an American writer best known for his series The Black Stallion, born out of his love of horses. He was born Walter Lorimer Farley on June 26th, 1915 in Syracuse, New York, to Walter Patrick Farley, and Isabelle "Belle" Farley. Walter's uncle, a professional horseman, taught him about horses and various training methods. Walter was a student at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn when he began to write The Black Stallion. Walter also studied at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, and was a student at Columbia College of Columbia University when The Black Stallion was published.
Interesting Walter Farley Facts:
As a young child, Walter Farley often played with a black toy horse.
In Walter's Black Stallion novels, the character Alec Ramsey often rode his horse at the Belmont Racetrack, where Walter often visited when he was growing up. Much of Walter's own experiences as a horse lover were woven into his stories.
Walter spent a great deal of time as a child at the stables where his uncle worked as a professional horseman.
After the success of the first Black Stallion book Walter was set to write additional adventures but the beginning of World War II diverted his horse series and he worked at the US Army magazine Yank for the next five years.
When World War II ended Walter Farley went back to writing his horse series. He published The Black Stallion Returns (1945), Son of the Black Stallion (1947), The Island Stallion (1948), and The Black Stallion and Satan (1949) before the end of the decade.
In the 1950s Walter continued the series with The Black Stallion's Blood Bay Colt (1950), The Island Stallion's Fury (1951), The Island Stallion's Filly (1952), The Black Stallion Revolts (1953), The Black Stallion's Sulky Coat (1954), The Island Stallion Races (1955), The Black Stallion's Courage (1956), The Black Stallion's Mystery (1957), and The Horse-Tamer (1958).
In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s Walter Farley wrote five more in the Black Stallion series including The Black Stallion and Flame (1960), The Black Stallion Challenged (1964), The Black Stallion's Ghost (1969), The Black Stallion and the Girl (1971), and The Black Stallion Legend (1983).
Walter Farley married a woman named Rosemary and they had four children together. They raised their children on a Pennsylvania farm.
Other books written by Walter Farley include Man o' War, Big Black Horse, Little Black, A Pony, Little Black Goes to the Circus, The Little Black Pony Races, The Horse That Swam Away, Great Dane Thor, and Walter Farley's How to Stay Out of Trouble with Your Horse.
The Black Stallion and the Girl was written in honor of Walter's daughter Pam, who died in a car crash in Europe. She was only 20, and the book was meant to memorialize her free spirit and her own love of horses.
In 1989 The Adventures of the Black Stallion, a television series starring Mickey Rooney began production. It began to air on TV a year later, in 1990, after Walter had passed away.
In 1989 The Young Black Stallion was published, shortly after Walter Farley died.
The Black Stallion series has been translated into many different languages and is sold in more than 20 countries around the world.


Related Links:
Facts
Authors Facts
Animals Facts
Literature
Literature Summary
Literature Quizzes