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Mary Elizabeth Thurston
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The Lost History of the Canine Race: Our 15,000-Year Love Affair With Dogs Paperback – January 1, 1997

4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 29 ratings
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From the mysterious healing dogs of the Roman Empire to the American doggie paratroopers of World War II, an engaging and accessible historical account draws on artifacts, engravings, archival documents, and photos to illustrate the evolution of the human-dog relationship. Reprint.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    301 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Avon Books
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1997
  5. Dimensions
    6.25 x 0.75 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0380730499
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0380730490
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Avon Books (January 1, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 301 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0380730499
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0380730490
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.75 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

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Mary Elizabeth Thurston

Mary Elizabeth Thurston

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
4 out of 5
29 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Susanne Sandidge
5.0 out of 5 stars best dog book ever
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2009
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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!
6 people found this helpful
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Elaine O. Chaika
5.0 out of 5 stars A New Look at Dogs
Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2015
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A very interesting narrative about how dogs were treated and used through the ages. Since she cites not only the expected European and American sources, but also many third world peoples, like tribes in South America and other places, you probably aren't aware of what she recounts. I know I certainly was surprised and I read about dogs constantly, In fact, my newest book "Humans, Dogs, and Civilization" is on Amazon now, with all 5 star ratings.
One person found this helpful
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Verified
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for the cynologist
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2019
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Excellent book on the history of the dog. This book coupled with a few others like that of M.B. Wynn and David Hancocks book will give anyone a thorough indepth look at canine history. I have no complaints.
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Charles Dayton
5.0 out of 5 stars If you love dogs, it's a great way to deepen your ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2015
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If you love dogs, it's a great way to deepen your understanding of this special relationship between canine and human. It's not academic in it's approach, so it is an easy read. Yet it is full of information about our furry friends.
One person found this helpful
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Art Shapiro
4.0 out of 5 stars She barked up the wrong tree--too many Agrippas
Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2021
In 1977 my wife and I were living in Cali, Colombia during a rabies scare. Licensed and vaccinated dogs were issued easily-identified collars and tags. Any unlicensed-unvaccinated-untagged dog on the street could be shot on sight by the police. People kept their dogs on the roof so they would not be picked off. Years later I found myself in a small town in western Argentina where there was a breeder of Pharaoh Hounds. I had seen about 3 of these rare dogs in my life until I was in this place, where it seemed all the dogs were Pharaoh Hounds.
Anecdotes like these would fit nicely into this enjoyable omnium-gatherum of stuff about dogs. It's too old to have any of the recent flood of behavioral research (mainly emanating from Hungary) or genetic and paleo research on dog origins (much of which is contradictory). But any dog person would enjoy it. Among other delights, it puts the infamous Tricki-Wu, the pekingese in the James Herriott "vet books," into a context, explaining the origin of the breed and its hyped reception in Europe and especially Britain (p.113 ff), but it's better developed in "Dog" by Susan McHugh.
There is a single unexplained reference to Greyfriar's Bobby, again better explained by McHugh.
There is one bizarre error in this book that must be explained. On p.210 we read the story of the Roman statesman Marcus Agrippa (63-12 BC) and his Satanic dog "Monsieur." On its face this is impossible, since "Monsieur" is a French word and French, which is derivative from the Latin of Marcus Agrippa's time, did not exist. The Satanic dog "Monsieur" belonged to the scholar Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535) and was the subject of rumors in and after his lifetime. You can read the story in book two of "De Praestigitis Daemonium" by Agrippa's student Johann Wier (sometimes spelled Weyer). Or you can take my word for it.
One person found this helpful
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Irish Lover
5.0 out of 5 stars Great seller and great book .
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2019
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Great seller. Great book . If you love dogs this book is for you.
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Yolanda S. Bean
4.0 out of 5 stars Historical overview of the relationship between humans and dogs
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2010
Obviously as a dog owner, I am the prime audience for this book and i did enjoy it. Though I was a bit disappointed, to be honest. I thought there would have been more about the domestication of dogs and I was surprised by the lack. But this was a good book that functions more of a historical overview on the relationship between humans and dogs. Sections of it were downright heartbreaking (particularly the chapter on war dogs), but it really was just an overview, lacking in a lot of details. And some of that lack was explained since archaeologists and historians have typically tended to focus on humanity and even many war records were destroyed regarding dogs. I was surprised that the entire continent of Australia was mentioned, with their dingoes, only in passing. Still, it was a fast read and it did have enlightening sections. I guess my only real complaint was that I wanted more information!
3 people found this helpful
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Michael A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2016
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Love the book. Very insightful. Anyone with a best canine friend will like it.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Prairy Earth
5.0 out of 5 stars Good review of the history of dogs
Reviewed in Canada on September 10, 2018
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I love dogs. I love everything about dogs. I was looking for a good book on the history of dogs to get some understanding of how they evolved. After reading several reviews, I stumbled upon this book. The book was written by an archeologist and provides a detailed history of dogs from the time they evolved from wolves. It's a well researched, and well-written book. Some of the material may be dated since the book was written in the '90s, but if you're looking for a good book on the history of dogs, this one is worth a read.
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Ruth McKeage
1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
Reviewed in Canada on December 26, 2014
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Very disappointed; old and yellow --so old; It was a gift for Christmas, but I cannot give it.
Ruth
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