The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events by Stanley Cohen asks the provocative question: "How many times has the fate of man, or even a nation, hung from the collar of a dog?" Published in 2002, the book is available in hard and soft cover at book stores and online retailers.

Because man has lived with canine companions for 14,000 years, the authors contend that the world we live in today would be a very different place without them. Using historical reference points, the book discusses famous people and their relationship with their dogs.

The well-researched stories show these people, who may have seemed boring in history class, as real human-beings when interacting with their dogs. We are given stories of the role of dogs in the lives of people such as Sigmund Freud, Richard Wagner, Alexander Graham Bell, George Washington, Frederick the Great, Christopher Columbus, and many more.

In addition to stories about famous people and their dogs, PawPrints of History also briefly examines societal attitudes towards dogs and speculates on how those attitudes may have impacted events that shaped our world today.

I think that this book is a wonderful gift idea for either a history buff or a dog lover friend.

The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events

Originally posted by Barbara in Quality Dog Resources.