Casanova's Parrot - Hardcover

Mark Bryant

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0091884659 ISBN 13: 9780091884659

Publisher: Ebury & Vermilion, 2002

Synopsis

Did you know that Byron, upon discovering that dogs were not allowed in rooms at Cambridge, brought a pet bear instead? That Sir Isaac Newton reputedly invented the cat flap? Or that as a baby, Oliver Cromwell was kidnapped by his family's pet monkey and dragged up to the top of the roof? That on Napoleon's wedding night, Josephine's dog Fortune bit him in the bed thinking he was attacking his mistress? Or that Casanova taught his parrot to shout obscenities against a former mistress and then sold it to a market trader to embarrass her? That Freud's dog Jo-Fi would sit in on analyses and contribute to the doctor's findings? Throughout history many of our most famous and celebrated figures - great leaders, writers, artist, scientists and pioneers - have, behind closed doors, doted on and marvelled at their pets and their curious ways in the same way as the rest of us. Apart from making amusing stories in themselves, these tales often shed a uniquely personal and intriguing light on the private lives of some of the greatest pet-owning personalities in history from Alexander the Great to Beatrix Potter.

About this title

About the Author:

Mark Bryant was born in Dorset in now lives in London. He is the author of several books including Private Lives: Curious Facts about the Famous and Infamous, Dictionary of Riddles, Literary Hymns and Dictionary of 20th-Century British Cartoonists and Caricaturists. He has also compiled and edited dozens of short story and cartoon collections.

From Booklist:

Those intrigued by the arcane, unusual, and just plain weird will be amused by this quirky collection of tidbits concerning the famous and infamous and the animals who shared their lives. From historical titans such as Alexander the Great and Cleopatra to literary greats such as Mark Twain and Dorothy Parker, Bryant exhaustively mines personal stories to bring to light a fascinating farrago of anecdotes designed to remind us that, yes, they might be giants but they still respond to comforting creatures just like mere mortals. Although many stories recount acts of phenomenal devotion both given and received, in trotting out a veritable zoo of bizarre pets such as scorpions, bats, skunks, and even a leash-trained lobster, Bryant seems to confirm that the prominent can be a little peculiar, too. Bryant's brevity in dishing up these morsels of minutiae is the book's only detraction; otherwise, it's a treasure trove for the trivia buff, research hound, or anyone wishing to bestow a memorable moniker on his or her own lovable mutt. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: Ebury & Vermilion
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0091884659
• ISBN 13: 9780091884659
• Binding: Hardcover