'Black Beauty' is the absorbing tale of a fine, spirited colt who begins life with a sympathetic owner in an idyllic country setting. Told from the point of view of the horse itself, the book follows the life of Black Beauty as he is sold to various masters, some of whom are indifferent to animal suffering. Anna Sewell's genius lies in making the world of the horse, with its own joys, jealousies, hopes and anxieties, as real to us as that of any human. Although now famed as a children's classic, Sewell originally wrote the book as a reaction to the inhuman treatment meted out to horses in Victorian England. In this she was very successful - from its first publication in 1877 'Black Beauty' has had a huge impact, altering public perceptions of animal welfare and spurring legislation to protect both horses and donkeys.