Animals in the Great War

Author: Lucinda Moore
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1473862132
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 267

Book Description
Tails from the Great War throws a spot light on the experience of creatures great and small during the First World War, vividly telling their stories through the incredible archival images of the Mary Evans Picture Library. The enduring public interest in Michael Morpurgos tale of the war horse reveals an enthusiasm for the animal perspective on war, but what of the untold stories of the war dog, the trench rat or even the ships pig? Through unrivaled access to rarely seen illustrated wartime magazines, books and postcards, discover the sea lions who were trained to detect submarines, and witness the carcass of the 61ft mine-destroying wonder whale. Meet the dog that brought a sailor back from the brink of death, and inspired a Hollywood legend. See how depictions of animals were powerfully manipulated by the propaganda machine on both sides, and how the presence of animals could bring much needed and even lifesaving companionship and cheer amid the carnage of war. As the centenary of the Great War is commemorated all over the world, take a timely journey via the lens of Mary Evans wartime images, and marvel at the often overlooked but significant contribution and experience of animals at war. By turns astonishing, heart-warming and occasionally downright bizarre, Tails from the Great War champions the little-known story of the bison, the chameleon, the canary et al in wartime.

Innocent Heroes

Author: Sigmund Brouwer
Publisher: Tundra Books
ISBN: 1101918462
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Book Description
A unique celebration of the important role animals play in war, and an insightful look at the taking of Vimy Ridge from the perspective of 3 men in a Canadian platoon. Never before have the stories of animal war heroes been collected in such a special way. This book consists of eight connected fictional stories about a Canadian platoon in WW1. The Storming Normans have help from some very memorable animals: we meet a dog who warns soldiers in the trench of a gas attack, a donkey whose stubbornness saves the day, a cat who saves soldiers from rat bites, and many more. Each story is followed by nonfiction sections that tell the true story of these animals from around the world and of the Canadian soldiers who took Vimy Ridge. Through the friendship that grows between three of these soldiers in particular, we get a close-up look at life in the trenches, the taking of Vimy Ridge, the bonds between soldiers and their animals and what it meant to be Canadian in WW1.

Animals in the First World War

Author: Peter Street
Publisher: Pitkin
ISBN: 9781841656885
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Most people are familiar with the use of horses and their often-heroic actions in the First World War, but what about camels, monkeys and the mighty elephant? In this wonderfully illustrated title, learn about how animals were trained and used, the role pets had to play in the war, and the plight of animals on the farm, down the mine and in the street. Although animals were used heavily on the front line and in major battles such as the Somme, they also had a role to play at home and, indeed, in almost every aspect of wartime life. From their first use to how animals were treated when the war ended, and including the involvement of the RSPCA and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, this volume contains stories that will shock, delight and move you.

Animals and War

Author: Ryan Hediger
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004236201
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Book Description
Animals and War is the first collection of essays to study its topic. Using sociology, history, anthropology, and cultural studies, it analyzes a wide range of phenomena and exposes the often paradoxical contours of human-animal relationships.

War Animals

Author: Robin Hutton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 162157766X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 450

Book Description
"This book will delight both animal lovers and military buffs!" — Elizabeth Letts, bestselling author of The Eighty Dollar Champion Millions rallied to the cause of freedom against Nazism and the menace of Imperial Japan. But did you know that some of those heroes had fur, or feathers? War animals guarded American coasts against submarine attack, dug out Londoners trapped in bomb wreckage, and carried vital messages under heavy fire on Pacific islands. They kept up morale, rushed machine gun nests, and even sacrificed themselves picking up live grenades. Now Robin Hutton, the bestselling author of Sgt. Reckless: America’s War Horse, tells the heart-warming stories of the dogs, horses, mules, pigeons—and even one cat—who did their bit for the war effort. American and British families volunteered beloved family pets and farm dogs to aid in the war effort; Americans, including President Roosevelt, bought honorary commissions in the reserves for lapdogs and other pets not suitable for military duties to “exempt” them from war service and raise money to defeat Hitler and Tojo. Many of these gallant animals are recipients of the prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal, the “Animals’ Victoria Cross.” In War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War II you’ll meet: -Judy, the POW dog who helped her beloved human survive brutal Japanese prison camps -Cher Ami, the pigeon who nearly died delivering a message that saved American troops from death by friendly fire -Beauty, the “digging dog” who sniffed out Londoners buried in the wreckage of the Blitz—along with pets, including one goldfish still in its bowl! -Olga, the horse who braved shattering glass to do her duty in London bombings -Smoky, the Yorkshire terrier who did parachute jumps, laid communications wire through a pipe so small only she could navigate it, became the first therapy dog—and starred on a weekly TV show after the War -Simon, the war cat whose campaign against the “Mao Tse Tung” of the rat world saved food supplies and his ship’s crew -Chips, who guarded Roosevelt and Churchill during the Casablanca Conference, and the only dog to earn a Silver Star for his heroics The shining loyalty and courage of these heroes is a testimony to the enduring bond between us and the animals we love.

From Stray Dog to World War I Hero

Author: Grant Hayter-Menzies
Publisher: U of Nebraska Press
ISBN: 1612347924
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 252

Book Description
On the streets of Paris one day in July 1918, an American doughboy, Sgt. Jimmy Donovan, befriended a stray dog that he named Rags. No longer an unwanted street mutt, Rags became the mascot to the entire First Division of the American Expeditionary Force and a friend to the American troops who had crossed the Atlantic to fight. Rags was more than a scruffy face and a wagging tail, however. The little terrier mix was with the division at the crucial battle of Soissons, at the Saint-Mihiel offensive, and finally in the blood-and-mud bath of the Meuse-Argonne, during which he and his guardian were wounded. Despite being surrounded by distraction and danger, Rags learned to carry messages through gunfire, locate broken communications wire for the Signal Corps to repair, and alert soldiers to incoming shells, saving the lives of hundreds of American soldiers. Through it all, he brought inspiration to men with little to hope for, especially in the bitter last days of the war. From Stray Dog to World War I Hero covers Rags's entire life story, from the bomb-filled years of war through his secret journey to the United States that began his second life, one just as filled with drama and heartache. In years of peace, Rags served as a reminder to human survivors of what held men together when pushed past their limits by the horrors of battle. Watch a book trailer.

Soldiers in Fur and Feathers

Author: Susan Bulanda
Publisher: Alpine Publications Incorporated
ISBN: 9781577791546
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 108

Book Description
Soldiers in Fur and Feathers reveals fascinating true stories of the heroic animals that assisted the Allied Forces during World War I-stories that have, for the most part, been forgotten. As we approach the 100th anniversary of WWI, this important book will help preserve the role of the animals that served. Who were they, why were they used, how were they selected, how did they serve, and what became of them? Soldiers in Fur and Feathers answers those questions. An award-winning author who is a certified animal behavior consultant and expert trainer, Bulanda has factored the human/animal bond, with which all pet lovers will identify, into her accounts.

Animals Go to War

Author: Connie Goldsmith
Publisher: Twenty-First Century Books
ISBN: 1512498041
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 140

Book Description
"In the twenty-first century, military marine mammals detect lost equipment and underwater mines. Large rats are trained to find land mines in more than 80 countries. Military working dogs search for explosive devices and other weapons and are trained to take down enemy combatants. In earlier centuries, military fighters rode horses into battle, relied on elephants to haul supplies, and trained pigeons to carry messages. Even cats, goats, and chickens have served in wartime--as mascots! Learn about the history of animals in warfare, the functions they serve and how they are trained, as well as the psychology that makes animals such good partners in warfare."--Publisher's description.

The Great Cat & Dog Massacre

Author: Hilda Kean
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022631846X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Book Description
The tragedies of World War II are well known. But at least one has been forgotten: in September 1939, four hundred thousand cats and dogs were massacred in Britain. The government, vets, and animal charities all advised against this killing. So why would thousands of British citizens line up to voluntarily euthanize household pets? In The Great Cat and Dog Massacre, Hilda Kean unearths the history, piecing together the compelling story of the life—and death—of Britain’s wartime animal companions. She explains that fear of imminent Nazi bombing and the desire to do something to prepare for war led Britons to sew blackout curtains, dig up flower beds for vegetable patches, send their children away to the countryside—and kill the family pet, in theory sparing them the suffering of a bombing raid. Kean’s narrative is gripping, unfolding through stories of shared experiences of bombing, food restrictions, sheltering, and mutual support. Soon pets became key to the war effort, providing emotional assistance and helping people to survive—a contribution for which the animals gained government recognition. Drawing extensively on new research from animal charities, state archives, diaries, and family stories, Kean does more than tell a virtually forgotten story. She complicates our understanding of World War II as a “good war” fought by a nation of “good” people. Accessibly written and generously illustrated, Kean’s account of this forgotten aspect of British history moves animals to center stage—forcing us to rethink our assumptions about ourselves and the animals with whom we share our homes.

Canada's Great War Album

Author: Canada's National History Society
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 1443420174
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 885

Book Description
Published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, Canada's Great War Album is an unprecedented and remarkable collection of Canadian photographs, memorabilia, and stories of the war. Two years ago, Canada’s History Society invited Canadians to tell their family stories from the First World War. The response was overwhelming and assembled for the first time are their personal stories and photographs that together form a compelling and moving account of the war. Canada's Great War Album also includes contributions from Peter Mansbridge, Charlotte Gray, J. L. Granatstein, Christopher Moore, Jonathan Vance, and Tim Cook. In the spirit of the bestselling 100 Photos That Changed Canada, the war that changed Canada forever is reflected here in words and pictures.