From the mysterious healing dogs of ancient Rome to the canine conquistadors who helped claim the New World to the American doggie paratroopers of WWII, dogs have been our best friends and helpers from the Pliocene to the present day. Anthropologist Mary Elizabeth Thurston draws on ancient artifacts, documents, and contemporary photographs to dramatize the evolution of the human-dog relationship throughout the ages photos …. More >>
The Lost History of the Canine Race: Our 15,000-Year Love Affair With Dogs
My uncle bought me this book when I was younger when I was literally obsessed with animals. Nothing much has changed and I only now recently picked it up to reread it. I am positively intrigued about the history of dogs in relation to human beings. It is a very definitive and placidly argumentative book pointed towards the notorious connection between humans and their dogs.
It’s interesting how the author takes a perspective of human history in relation to how we have viewed our pets and how intertwined our thoughts have become with the canine race. Even if somebody is mildly interested in dogs and their evolution through the centuries in relation to humans they should pick up this book. Opinion is left at the curbside and fact is presented in an easy to read format that is not only truly realistic but also down right fascinating for any curious reader.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is an important book, the kind you keep and don’t loan out for fear it won’t be returned. Most books about dogs are mostly pablum: descriptions of what each breed what developed for, a few heartwarming stories. This book describes a lot of the dark side of the human-dog relationship. I was stunned at descriptions of the way the Spaniards used vicious dogs against the Indians of South America, the endless work loads of “turnspits” and cart dogs, and much more. This has the best description I have seen of how social class has affected the lives of dogs. I never realized how many kinds of dogs have been allowed to die out because they were considered lower class. A must read!
Rating: 5 / 5
After getting past the very unpleasant history of Man and Dog…, well it wes never truly finished. But the book is an excellent read and has a place on your book shelf. She presents some interesting modern potential actions that us dog people can take, too. Last chapter and the one on war-dogs was the best.
Rating: 5 / 5
this is a wonderful book about dog orgins, i read it several years ago, and bought my own copy, a delightful read with lots of information.
Rating: 5 / 5
I’m a dog lover and thought I knew everything canine. Apparently not! This book is chuckfull of information and trivia. I especially enjoyed the chapter on US Army dogs and how unfair the US government has been to them. A must read!
Rating: 5 / 5