Horse

How the Horse Has Shaped Civilizations

By Chamberlin, J. Edward

Publishers Summary:
Drawing on archaeology, biology, art, literature, and ethnography, this singular study illuminates the relationship between horse and human throughout history. From the Ice Age to the post-industrial age, horses have provided sustenance, transportation, status, companionship, and the ability to establish and expand empires. Included are stories of horses at work, at war, at play, and in art, film, and books, starting with the first equestrian encounters in which early humans in Asia and Europe hunted native horses for food. The dualities in the horse–human relationship are explored, such as humans' ability to both care for and slaughter horses, and the travel benefits that horses have provided that have enabled devastating warfare. Training techniques and breeding practices are examined from a global viewpoint, discussing cultures as varied as the Persians and the Nez Perce and looking at breeding stock that range from Lippizaners to quarter horses. Written in lucid prose full of wisdom, passion, and wonder, this far-reaching story explores a vital shaping force in the history of the world.

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ISBN
978-0-97424-059-6
Publisher
Bluebridge


REVIEWS

Library Journal

Reviewed on March 20, 2006

Historian Chamberlin's desire to convince readers that horses are the most significant element in uniting people-"more than paper and printing, more than the telephone and the television"-is hobbled by grandiose claims, overwrought prose and personified horses. The book opens with a brief overview of the evolutionary history of horses from the perspective of a 1930s-era horse named Big Bird who lea...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

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