Dogs in Medieval Manuscripts by Kathleen Walker-Meikle
Blurb
Throughout the Middle Ages, medieval manuscripts often featured dogs, from beautiful and loving depictions of man’s best friend, to bloodthirsty illustrations of savage beasts, to more whimsical and humorous interpretations. Featuring stunning illustrations from the British Library’s rich medieval collection, Dogs in Medieval Manuscripts provides—through discussion of dogs both real and imaginary—an astonishing picture of the relationship of dogs to humans in the medieval world. Now in a gift book format.
Review
I am definitely a dog person and even though I currently live with a cat and have done for quite a few years cats are still a mystery to me and my love of dogs is still there. So when I saw this book in Topping and Company bookshop in Bath I knew I had to buy it.
The things I love about this book is that it doesn’t bombard you with information like some history books do. Instead every two page spread has a beautiful example of a medieval manuscript and a fact on the opposite page with another smaller manuscript example. The pictures and the facts don’t always go together but that doesn’t matter because a description of what and where the manuscript comes from is always included on the page as well.
The book contains a wide variety of facts about dogs in medieval manuscripts all the way from what names were considered best for dogs, to what medicines you could use to treat different illnesses dogs had including some very strange ones for dogs who were rabid. There was also a very interesting use of dogs for pulling up mandrake roots.
I really enjoyed this book and will be getting Kathleen Walker-Meikle’s other books because I loved her writing style. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons and will definitely be reading it again in the future even to just look at the beautiful images.
(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)
About the author
Kathleen Walker-Meikle completed her PhD at University College, London on late-medieval pet keeping. She researches and writes on medieval and early modern animals and medicine.
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On this day in 1932 Amelia Earhart (1897- disappeared 1937, declared dead 1939) made history as the first female to complete a transatlantic flight. She departed from Harbour Grace in Newfoundland, in the morning and flew for 14 hours and 56 minutes before landing in Northern Ireland.
Courage
Courage is the price that Life exacts for granting peace.
The soul that knows it not knows no release
From little things:
Knows not the livid loneliness of fear,
Nor mountain heights where bitter joy can hear
The sound of wings.
How can life grant us boon of living, compensate
For dull gray ugliness and pregnant hate
Unless we dare
The soul's dominion? Each time we make a choice, we pay
With courage to behold the resistless day,
And count it fair.
Amelia Earhart
Happy Reading
If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you
Sailors don’t talk much to other men, especially not to policemen. But after Captain Fallut’s body is found floating near his trawler, they all mention the Evil Eye when they speak of the Ocean’s voyage.
Review
This Maigret book was so good I could not put it down. I had no idea who the killer was or even the full extent of the crimes that had taken place but Maigret worked them all out.
The start of the book had me giggling straight away. Maigret is about to go on holiday and Mrs Maigret is just finishing the packing and looking forward to spending her holiday with her family making jams and preserves. Maigret however has just received a letter which is asking for his help in solving a crime and obviously Maigret can’t resist so poor Mrs Maigret has to go along with the plan and go somewhere else for her holiday. She also knows that she will be spending her holiday mostly alone because Maigret will be busy investigating the crime.
As soon as Maigret arrives he goes straight to where the sailors go to get drunk and sits there observing until he starts asking questions. Even though Maigret is not officially investigating the murder case he throws himself straight into the investigation and has no fear of mixing around the rough sailors. He also puts his wife to good use by getting her to look after a young woman who is connected to the case.
The pieces of the puzzle that Maigret gathers looked completely random to me and one piece I hadn’t even noticed. However at the end Maigret explains everything and it all becomes clear.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would have loved it if had been a bit longer but sadly it is typical Maigret length of approximately 150 pages. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.
(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)
About the author
Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was a Belgian writer who published nearly 500 novels and many short stories. Simenon is best known as the creator of the Maigret stories.
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My chosen quote this week is by Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs (1955-2011) was an American business magnate, industrial designer, investor and media proprietor.
“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time.”
Steve Jobs
Happy Reading
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The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?
Hello!
I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I am looking forward to my day off tomorrow and we will hopefully be going out for the day.
What I am Currently Reading
Memoirs of a Geisha I started reading on my phone because I found myself with an hour wait between jobs at work and no book so it was an emergency book for but so far I am enjoying it. Dombey and Son I started today and I am absolutely loving it.
What I have Recently Finished Reading
Really enjoyed these two reads. Dogs in Medieval Manuscripts has some beautiful pictures in it.
What I Think I will Read Next
I really need to get cracking on my series challenge as I have fallen behind. My aim this year was to finish some of my book series so I need to get moving.
Please drop me a comment with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.
Happy Reading
If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you
I’m really enjoying the recent topics on Top 5 Tuesday, so I thought I would take part again this week. I have quite a few places where I love to read so here goes.
Sofa – I really like to read in the morning if I have time and this always happens in the lounge on the sofa. Usually cuddled in a blanket if it is cold.
Bed – I always read at night before I go to bed even if I only manage a few pages before I fall asleep.
AGA – This is a strange one. In the winter one of my favourite places to read is leaning on the simmering plate of the AGA. The simmering plate obviously has the lid on and a cloth pad on otherwise I would burn myself.
Car – During term time I teach at a school twice a week and the one day I have an hour and half lunch break and this is where I escape to my car and curl up on the backseat and read a book. It isn’t the most comfortable but it is quiet and I usually get at least an hour of reading in.
Plane – If we go on holiday on a plane I love reading whilst flying. When we went to Hawaii in 2019 I read three books just on the flight there, it was great and the flight went by really quickly.
Where are your favourite places to read?
Please drop me a link if you have taken part in Top 5 Tuesday and I will head over for a visit.
Happy Reading
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Goodreads Monday is now hosted by Budget Tales Book Club. All you have to do is show off a book from your TBR that you’re looking forward to reading.
Happy Monday!
I hope everyone has had a good start to the week so far. My chosen book this week is by one of my favourite authors Alexandre Dumas. Two of my favourite books are The Three Musketeers and Twenty Years After and I really want to read the rest of the books in the series. One of these books is The Man in the Iron Mask.
In the concluding installment of Alexandre Dumas’s celebrated cycle of the Three Musketeers, D’Artagnan remains in the service of the corrupt King Louis XIV after the Three Musketeers have retired and gone their separate ways. Unbeknownst to D’Artagnan, Aramis and Porthos plot to remove the inept king and place the king’s twin brother on the throne of France. Meanwhile, a twenty-three-year-old prisoner known only as “Philippe” wastes away deep inside the Bastille. Forced to wear an iron mask, Phillippe has been imprisoned for eight years, has no knowledge of his true identity, and has not been told what crime he’s committed. When the destinies of the king and Phillippe converge, the Three Musketeers and D’Artagnan find themselves caught between conflicting loyalties.
(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)
Please drop me a comment if you have taken part in Goodreads Monday and I will head over for a visit.
Happy Reading
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My chosen poem this week is by the children’s poet James Carter (1959).
Love You More
Do I love you
to the moon and back?
No I love you
more than that
I love you to the desert sands
the mountains, stars
the planets and
I love you to the deepest sea
and deeper still
through history
Before beyond I love you then
I love you now
I'll love you when
The sun's gone out
the moon's gone home
and all the stars are fully grown
When I no longer say these words
I'll give them to the wind, the birds
so that they will still be heard
I love you.
James Carter
Happy Reading
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Lady Book Dragon 