When Cats Reigned Like Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats (Hardcover)

by Georgie Anne Geyer (Author) "There was no reason to go out that hot, sticky July morning in 1975..." (more)
Key Phrases: Cat Fancy, American Shorthair, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Veteran foreign reporter Geyer (Guerrilla Prince: The Untold Story of Fidel Castro; Buying the Night Flight: The Autobiography of a Woman Correspondent) brings her profiling skills to a more lighthearted but still complex topic—"the true history, legends, and sagas of the cats who served the human need for symbols of the spirit and of sacredness and royalty"—in this charming blend of reportage and personal history. Inspired by her first feline, Pasha, Geyer travels to Egypt to investigate a number of cat "mysteries" at the Egyptian Museum and the ruins of the cat temple Tell Basta at Bubastis. Later, inspired by Nikko, her Japanese Bobtail, she travels through Burma, Bangkok, Siam and Tokyo to explore why their ancient societies revered "cats, and cats alone." Geyer keeps a light, playful tone through most of the book; Pasha’s regal bearing makes her realize that "although I had met many males who thought they were gods, I was for the first time sleeping with one." A later section offers impressively concise descriptions of more than 30 breeds, and both this and her chapters about her travels easily support her belief that "all cats are beautiful and... share in that sacred and royal spirit that they exemplify in themselves and inspire in us humans." Photos.
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Product Description
Chasing an irresistible mystery across the globe, journalist Georgie Anne Geyer conducted exhaustive research into the little-known puzzle of how cats came to occupy their unique position in the lives of humans. Treated with the tenacity, resourcefulness, and narrative instinct of a seasoned foreign correspondent, the investigation yielded unepected answers - and posed tantalizing new questions. The result is a remarkable book, bound to delight and amaze cat fanciers and adventure seekers. It was Geyer's curiosity about her own cats that inspired her to study the history of human-feline relations and especially cats' exalted status among the ancients as royal or sacred beings. Her quest spanned the earth. In Egypt, Geyer learned of the cat-goddess Bastet and of the cat's role in the transmigration of souls. In Myanmar she saw Leonardo DiCaprio, Ricky Martin, and the other incongrusously named cats of the Nga Phe Kyaung monastery, trained by the monks to jump through hoops. She even met a family who dutifully guards the heritage of the Japanese bobtail, cultivating the line in - of all places - rural Virginia. Richly illustrated with photos of Geyer's journeys and historical cat images, When Cats Reigned Like Kings also presents a Family of Cat section that describes the origins and characteristics of the 38-40 recognized modern cat breeds, including photos of each.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing (October 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740746979
• ISBN-13: 978-0740746970
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #450,043 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating read! , January 19, 2005

By	DawnStorm "dawnstorm" (Wheaton MD) - See all my reviews

Back in November, I read an excerpt of this book in Geyer's column and thought: I've got to get this!!
This book is well-written, and hooked me right from the beginning. Geyer's interest in the human-cat relationship takes her and you the reader to Egypt, Burma, Japan, and Thailand, plus her descriptions of the main cat breeds is helpful and informative. There are two sections of pictures, one section showing her own two cats the late great Pasha and her current cat, Nikko, as well as photos from her various travels. The second set shows the breeds of cats discussed in part two and all have a high 'aawwww' factor. Plus there is an appendix chronicling the evolution of the human-cat relationship throughout the world. All in all a great read!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When Cats Reigned Line Kings: On the Trail of the Sacred Cats, August 2, 2005

By	LeDean Massey "GranDee" (Lebanon, TN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I do not know if it was because I am a cat lover, but I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history. Ms. Geyer is an interesting author and has written a real page-turner. I thank her for making information which could have been dull bright and interesting. I now know more about the origins of my own beloved cats.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars When Cats reigned like kings, February 24, 2006

By	Christine "cyclone" - See all my reviews

I very much enjoyed reading this book since I am very much a cat person. I have a special interest in cats since I work at an egyptian museum and have done quite a bit of research on cats especially the Egyptian cat goddess, Bastet. I love the way Georgie Geyer humanized the cat and the research she put into the book. Not to mention the wonderful humor and the warmth in which she portrayed the cats. I loved seeing the cats in a different perspective and traveling with the author to unusual places that I probably will never see.