Churchill's Menagerie: Winston Churchill and the Animal Kingdom (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781643131368)

In this unique narrative, Piers Brendon looks deeply into Churchill's admiration of the animal kingdom--and how animals played such a large part in his everyday life.

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 throughout his life. He was amused, intrigued, enchanted by, and sometimes even besotted with, a vast menagerie, from his pet budgerigar, dogs, cats, fish, and butterflies, to his own lion, leopard, and white kangaroos kept at London Zoo, and even more unusual species. Dwelling 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 boyhood letters home "The Pussy Cat."

In this fascinating book, 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, who hunts foxes yet keeps them as pets, who 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 of the great man, showcasing his wit, wisdom, and wayward genius from a different perspective and shedding new and fascinating light on his love of the animal kingdom.

Author: Piers Brendon
ISBN-10: 1643131362
ISBN-13: 9781643131368
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Language: English
Published: 06/04/2019
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.30w x 1.20d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 03/18/2019
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2019
Choice 10/01/2019