The Age of the Horse: An Equine Journey through Human History
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.74 (530 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0857899007 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 432 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-05-26 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
In 2016, she won the Sophie Coe Prize, which is awarded for writing on food history. Susanna Forrest lives in Berlin where she works as a writer and editor. . She grew up in Norwich and later studied social anthropology at Cambridge
It also uncovers new roles for the horse in the twenty-first century as a tool in the fight against climate change and as a therapist for soldiers damaged in unwinnable conflicts. From the wild tarpans sought by the Nazis to jade-laden treasure steeds in Ancient China, broken-down nags recycled into sausages and furniture stuffing, stallions that face fighting bulls and brewery horses that charmed the founder of the Sikh Empire, The Age of the Horse knits the history of the horse into that of humans, through revolution, war, social change and uneasy peace. In this captivating book, Susanna Forrest takes a journey through time and around the world, from the Mongolian steppes to a mirrored manege at Versailles, an elegant polo club in Beijing and a farm, a fort and an auction house in America, exploring the horse's crucial role and revealing how our culture and economy were generated, nourished and shaped by horse power and its gifts and limits.. Man has always been fascinated by Equus caballus, recasting horse power into many forms: a hunk of meat, an industrial and agricultural machine, a luxury good, a cherished dancer, a comrade in arms and a symbol of a mythical past
"Come For The Horses, Stay For The Writing" according to wardtex. First, I knew Ms. Forrest when I lived in Berlin, so I'm quite aware of her obsession with horses, as memorably explored in her previous book, If Wishes Were Horses. On her part, she's aware that my interest in horses extends to the racetrack, and very little further. But that makes for a perfect author/reader relationship here: I'm not all that fascinated with horses, but I devoured this book nonetheless: it's that g. Very dense reading. If reading it as a reference Amazon Customer Very dense reading. If reading it as a reference book, I was hoping for more on history/archaeology/paleontology of the horse and its near cousins. Failing that, I would have wanted a livelier narrative voice.. "I'd rather spend time with an actual horse" according to Jehoshephat. I love horses, and grew up riding them. But I couldn't read this book. I found it as wanting to be some sort of impressionistic diorama, if that's not a contradiction in terms. Lots of emoting, lots of self-indulgent prose which seems to be constantly looking at itself, lots of skipping around among focuses, historical eras (including the present) and geographical locations, for my money too much of the author interpo
Susanna Forrest is the outstanding writer at the erudite end of horse madness Forrest, a social anthropologist by training, heart truly pierced, has written a profound historical love story. She approaches her subject with both love and lucidity, with a sharp awareness of the limits of what we can know about horses. Through the common history of humans and equids, it is a tribute to the adaptability of both species. Through her fascinating delving she creates a magical world where these exquisite creatures reign supreme. -- Boria Sax, author of CITY OF RAVENS Many a horse lover