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.
