Some interesting new knowledge for me - evidence of when animals were domesticated and how (dogs, cats, sheep, goats, cattle, horses), with a later focus on England and its (ab)use of animals. Very readable. ( )

Needlessly and hopelessly romantic view of animals' relationship with humans over millennia. ( )

The Intimate Bond is an introductory text that takes a look at the historical relationship between humans and animals. Fagan deals mostly with the domestication and uses of wolves/dogs, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, donkeys, horses, and camels. Each chapter begins with a speculative fictional narrative. Then Fagan makes use of anthropology/ paleontological information with a passing mention of any relevant DNA studies to show us when and how domestication took place and then what uses that particular animal had - usually as food, means of transport or raw material for clothing. Fagan also adds a fair amount of his romantic idea of pre-industrial farming. The chapter on donkeys is particularly interesting in terms of the history of large scale trade caravans. The chapter on the use of horses in war is particularly depressing and horrifying. There are also several chapters dedicated to the past and present treatment of animals in Britain. Fagan does leave out completely the transfer of diseases (zoonoses) from domesticated animals to humans (e.g. TB), which I feel had an important influence on human society. None-the-less, an interesting historical perspecitve on the relationship between humans and their animals. ( )

Like many reviewers, I felt the book started strong and ended weaker ... and yes, sorry, but definitely way too little on cats!

However, I am an art historian so was interested in what he had to say of the role of animals as symbols and as mythological and folk 'heroes'. The answer was, not much. Nevertheless, there was sufficient historical data and information to keep me turning pages and because my focus is on Asia, the chapters on wolves/dogs and camels were to me the most interesting, as they will be to most historians whose focus is Asia.

Anyone interested in wolves must read [b:Wolf Totem|1217728|Wolf Totem|Jiang Rong|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438826486s/1217728.jpg|2764224], one of the most mesmerising books I've read this decade. It had me at the library digging up Jack London's epic stories and classic novels Call of the Wild and White Fang. Fagan's chapters "Curious Neighbours and Wolf-dogs" and "Cherished Companions" are a good complement to the discussion of wolves. Who knew dogs suffered from 11,000 years of STDs (p. 34)?

As for those animals described as "horses created by committees" (camels), Fagan's introduction (p. 181) is the best one-page summary of the attributes that make them perfect desert caravan animals you'll find anywhere. I snapped a photo of this page and added it to my iPhone 'Notes' page (museum visitors love such facts when viewing the ceramic Tang Dynasty camels found in many Asian collections and I never can remember how many gallons of water a 600 kg camel can drink in 3 minutes--the answer is 200 liters, page 181).

My real disappointment was the two pages devoted to chickens, having just written an article on the symbolism of roosters as we approach (2017) the Chinese Year of the Rooster. They were revered by the ancient Zoroastrians who saw them as a benign spirit who crowed at dawn to mark the turning point in the cosmic struggle between darkness and light, trusted by the Chinese 2000 years ago who buried effigies of roosters in Han Dynasty tombs and placed their dead youths' heads on rooster-shaped pillows to guard them from evil in the nether world, and are one of the most popular symbols of good luck in the Chinese symbolic universe. Look at any classic Chinese New Year picture of the Kitchen God and you'll find a dog and a rooster under the Kitchen God's altar.

Nevertheless, Intimate Bond was a good read and anyone interested in the historical role animals have played in human life will find it gives much thought. I even gave my cat an extra tickle under her chin when I turned the last page and will see if my local library has any other of Professor Fagan's works.

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