Customer Reviews

Saluki: The Desert Hound and the English Travelers Who Brought It to the West

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I have had many and plan on having many Salukis, as well as other related - type of dogs. Mr. Duggan has captured why I always come back to Salukis, as so many in the past have. I am not certain as to who domesticated whom, when regarding the breed, but will fully acknowledge that he has followed the recent history of the breed with a studious fidelity that gives credit to his hard work in tracking source material, both written and in interview.
There are no stupid Salukis -- those died in the desert 7000 years ago.

Great book! I am still reading but I am convinced this book is a real treasure! Thank you for bringing this history to life!

Yes, this book is about Salukis, but it is about so much more than that. It is a snapshot into the lives of people during the late Victorian and Edwardian era. I found the lives of each individual instrumental with bringing Salukis to the Western world riveting. Their personal comments on their adventures while in the Middle East really brought that time and place to life for me.

Brian Duggan's research is wonderful in its thoroughness and his ability to bring history to life is priceless. This is a book any dog fancier will enjoy... not just saluki fanciers.

What a wonderful book! It is a well researched and well written history of a great breed. This is not a sterile book about faceless names and boring statistics, but a story that brings the people and dogs to life. By the end, I felt I knew them personally. What better way to learn a piece of history on an amazing breed.

SALUKI: THE DESERT HOUND AND THE ENGLISH TRAVELERS WHO BROUGHT IT TO THE WEST covers one of the oldest breeds of domesticated dogs who traveled throughout the Middle East with desert tribes and valued them for their ability to hunt gazelles. The story of those who brought the Saluki to the West and those who fell in love with the breed over the decades makes for an outstanding history and reference for any library strong in animal books and dog breed specifics.

I just finished reading this book and didn't want it to end. So many interesting characters, it speaks of a time and of places that the world will never again know.

And those marvelous salukis, those incredible and durable hunters, having known them personally, am almost as captivated as the Honorable Florence Amherst who would end up devoting her life to recognizing and establishing this extraordinary breed.

This book was a long time in process, and the amount of research time spent on it is reflected in the content. Not only does Mr. Duggan dig deep into the history of the Saluki from the view of the English who went to the Middle East and brought these amazing hounds back with them, he presents his research in an engaging, very readable manner. While scholarly, there is nothing dry about this book. If you are interested in Salukis and their history, this book is a necessary addition to your library.

At the Dog Writers Association of America's 2010 Awards Dinner, in New York, The Saluki won the coveted Maxwell award for a book devoted to a single breed. Kudos and a big Bow-Wow!

I got my first saluki in 1970 and I've read almost everything published about the breed ever since. The research in this book is absolutely amazing. I thank you, Brian, for your great work in filling in the holes in other people's research. You've done a great service to the breed that we both love.