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Piers Brendon

Churchill’s Bestiary

His Life Through Animals

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Details

Imprint: O'Mara Books

Publication date: 25/10/2018

ISBN: 9781789290509

Subject: Non-Fiction

Category: Biographies

Binding: Hardback

Size: 234 x 153 mm

Extent: 320 pages

Illustration: line drawings and b/w photos throughout

Territorial Rights: World (All Languages)

Edition Status: Out of Print

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Summary:

'From beak to tail feather and from flipper to fin, this is a book that will long be known, read and savoured.' – James W. Muller, Chairman of the Board of Academic Advisers of the International Churchill Society

Winston Churchill was known for his great love for and admiration of animals. In fact, one of Churchill’s key characteristics was his fascination with the animal kingdom – creatures of all sorts were a crucial element in his existence. He was amused, intrigued and enchanted by, sometimes even besotted with a vast menagerie, from his pet budgerigar, dogs, cats, fish, butterflies, to his own lion, leopard and white kangaroos kept at London Zoo, and even more unusual species. Dwelling and walking amid flora and fauna was Churchill’s ideal form of existence – ‘The world would be better off if it were inhabited only by animals’ – and he signed his letters home as a boy ‘The Pussy Cat’.

In this fascinating biography, Dr Piers Brendon looks deeper into Churchill’s love of the animal kingdom, and at how animals played such a large part in his everyday life. We encounter the paradox of the animal-loving-hunter: he hunts foxes yet keeps them as pets, he likes fishing but loves fish; along with the man who used analogies to animals time and time again in his speeches and writings. The picture that emerges shows another side to the great man, showcasing his wit, wisdom and wayward genius from a different perspective and shedding new and fascinating light on the man voted The Greatest Briton.

Reviews:

From beak to tail feather and from flipper to fin, this is a book that will long be known, read and savoured.

James W. Muller, Chairman of the Board of Academic Advisers of the International Churchill Society

Scholarly, original and beautifully written [...Brendon] casts fresh light on an important and underestimated side of Churchill's protean character [...] a delightful book.

John Campbell, Finest Hour

Sales points:

  • Sheds new light on Churchill’s life through the animals he loved

  • Drawing on original material and written by a Churchill expert, this highly entertaining book paints a rich and intriguing portrait

  • Includes rarely-seen images from the Churchill Archives

  • From the publishers of The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill, which has sold over 194,000 copies in the UK, with rights sold in 16 international territories

  • The author is a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge and was Keeper of the Churchill Archives Centre from 1995 to 2001. He is available for PR

  • Praise for his previous titles: - ‘Excellent. This book – neither hagiography nor critique, just a portrait, warts, wit and all – is a refreshing antidote to the vast tomes on Churchill.’ – Guardian on Churchill: A Brief Life - ‘The best history book I’ve read since Orlando Figes’ A People’s Tragedy … Wonderful and enthralling.’ – Ruth Rendell on The Dark Valley, in the Daily Telegraph – ‘A delight to read, a literary triumph sparkling with moments of real humour and compassion.’ – Richard Overy on The Dark Valley, in the Sunday Telegraph – ‘Brilliant … A masterpiece of historical narrative. No review can hope to do justice to the depth of Brendon’s research, the balance and originality of his conclusions, or the quality and humour of his prose. Our imperial story has been crying out for a top-flight historian who can write. Now it has one.’ – Literary Review on The Decline and Fall of the British Empire

About the Author:

Piers Brendon

Dr Piers Brendon is the author of over a dozen books, including The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s, Winston Churchill: A Brief Life and The Decline and Fall of the British Empire. He writes for the national press and frequently appears on television. He is a former Keeper of the Churchill Archives Centre, a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.