Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;The Pawprints of Historyandlt;/Bandgt; shines a new light on a favorite subject -- the relationship between humans and their four-legged best friends. Stanley Coren, a renowned expert on dog-human interactions, has combed the annals of history and found captivating stories of how dogs have lent a helping paw and influenced the actions, decisions, and fates of well-known figures from every era and throughout the world. andlt;BRandgt; As history's great figures strut across the stage, Coren guides us from the wings, adoringly picking out the canine cameos and giving every dog of distinction its day. In this unparalleled chronicle, we see how Florence Nightingale's chance encounter with a wounded dog changed her life by leading her to the vocation of nursing. We learn why Dr. Freud's Chow Chow attended all of his therapy sessions and how the life of the Fifth Dalai Lama was saved by a dog who shared his bed. Dogs have even found their way to the battlefield -- great military leaders such as Robert the Bruce and Omar Bradley have shared their lives, exploits, and gunfire with dogs. From Wagner, who admitted that one of the arias in the opera Siegfried was "written" by one of his dogs, to the dogs that inspired and lived with Presidents Lincoln, Roosevelt, Johnson, and Clinton, these loving canines do double duty as loyal pets and creative muses. andlt;BRandgt; From war to art, across the spectrum of human endeavor and achievement, there often stands, not only at his side but leading the way, man's beloved "best friend." For those who believe that behind every great person is a good dog, the uplifting stories in The Pawprints of History will be a lasting delight.
Review
"These engaging, even touching stories will be a real treat for dog lovers, history buffs, and trivia addicts." Booklist
Review
"If the author had adopted a lighter tone and confined himself to amusing stories, odd coincidences, and the little-known obsessions for dogs...this volume might have been mildly entertaining. Instead, we get solemn pronouncements such as: 'Dogs do have a way of weaving their influence through human events and subtly altering the course of history.'" Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
The Pawprints of History shines a new light on a favorite subject -- the relationship between humans and their four-legged best friends. Stanley Coren, a renowned expert on dog-human interactions, has combed the annals of history and found fascinating examples of the impact of dogs on the actions, decisions, and fates of well-known figures from every era and throughout the world. There's the tale, for instance, of the wounded dog that inspired Florence Nightingale to become a nurse; of the spaniel that precipitated the excommunication of Henry VIII, and the dog that Alexander Graham Bell taught to speak.
Creative geniuses have fallen under the irresistible influence of dogs, such as Wagner who admitted that one of the arias in the opera Siegfried was "written" by one of his dogs. Great military leaders, from Robert the Bruce to Omar Bradley, have shared their lives and exploits with dogs. The role of dogs as political symbols and instruments of public relations is here, too, ranging from the dog that played an important role in Charles I's loss of the British Revolution, to the many dogs that have occupied the White House beside presidents Lincoln, Roosevelt, Johnson, and Clinton. This collection sheds light on the human history that has been influenced by the relationships people have had with their dogs.
About the Author
Stanley Coren is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of
The Left-Hander Syndrome, The Intelligence of Dogs, Sleep Thieves, What Do Dogs Know?, Why We Love the Dogs We Do, and
How to Speak Dog. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The book has been illustrated with lighthearted drawings by the highly talented artist, animator, and animation director Andy Bartlett, who also lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Contentsandlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;PREFACEandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;PROLOGUEandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 1andlt;/Iandgt; Sentinels and Symbolsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 2andlt;/Iandgt; The Saint and the Irish Dogsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 3andlt;/Iandgt; The Angry Prince and the Welsh Dogandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 4andlt;/Iandgt; The Devil Dog of the English Civil Warandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 5andlt;/Iandgt; The Companions of the Prussian Emperorandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 6andlt;/Iandgt; The Conquistador's Dogsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 7andlt;/Iandgt; The Dogs of the Scottish Writerandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 8andlt;/Iandgt; Dogs in the Opera Houseandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 9andlt;/Iandgt; The Talking Dogandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 10andlt;/Iandgt; The Dog on the Therapist's Couchandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 11andlt;/Iandgt; For the Love of Dogs and Other Beastsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 12andlt;/Iandgt; The Dog Shogunandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 13andlt;/Iandgt; The Dog Law and the Mary Ellen Caseandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 14andlt;/Iandgt; The Emperor and His Dogs of Misfortuneandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 15andlt;/Iandgt; Conversations with Dogsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 16andlt;/Iandgt; The Lion Dogs of the Forbidden Cityandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 17andlt;/Iandgt; The Indian Fighter's Dogs andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 18andlt;/Iandgt; The Virginia Farmer's Foxhoundsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 19andlt;/Iandgt; The Dogs in the Oval Officeandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;CHAPTER 20andlt;/Iandgt; The Counter-factual History of Dogsandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;ENDNOTESandlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;INDEX