Camel: (Animal)

This book traces the history of the camel from its origins millions of years ago through to the present day, discussing such matters of current concern as the plight of camel herders in Sudan's war-torn Darfur region, the alarming increase in the population of feral camels in Australia, and the endangered status of the wild Bactrian in Mongolia and China. Not just for camel aficionados, this book is sure to entertain and inform anyone interested in this fascinating and much-maligned animal.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 Physiology and Psychology 2 Ancestors of the Camel 3 Practical Camel 4 Camels in the Medieval World of Islam 5 The Beauty of the Beast: Literature and Art 6 The Camel's Role in History 7 Modernity's Camel Timeline of the Camel References Select Bibliography Associations and Websites Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

About the Author :
Robert Irwin is a Research Associate at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, and the Middle East editor of the The Times Literary Supplement. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

Review :
A book whose outlook – arid and elliptically comic – seems at one with its subject. It’s hard not to like a profusely illustrated book that recommends Rose Macaulay’s The Towers of Trebizond, quotes the work of Al-Jahiz ("the Arab world’s greatest ever essayist"), and describes the sound that camel ticks make when tossed into the campfire. will appeal even to those who would never normally pick up a book on the natural world. Robert Irwins erudite, droll and utterly delightful book about the life and lore of the dromedary (one hump) and Bactrian (two) abounds with details that reflect glory on a much-misunderstood animal . . . Across art, zoology and literature, from Egypt to India, Irwin gives the perfectly-adapted desert beast a boost with wide learning, superb illustrations and deadpan wit this year's surprise must-read even on this unsandy island. A wry history of a mainstay of Arabic civilisation, it examines the animal's cultural, financial and linguistic contribution to the world as we know it In [Camel] Irwin has crammed an astonishing amount of information about dromedaries (camels with a single hump) and Bactrians (camels with two). He writes in snappy sentences, gleefully machine-gunning the reader with facts and anecdotes, delivered with an undertone of dry wit . . . Irwin writes brilliantly about camels in art and literature, unearthing them everywhere from Madame Bovary to Ishtar. the marvel of this book is that it is only from such proximity is it possible to appreciate what the Bedouins and other historically camel-dependent peoples see when they look at one. For this, make no mistake, is a love story . . . This is a case of an author matched perfectly to his subject. There are not many good books on camels, or at least books which the layman can readily understand. This, however, is a very good book and readily accessible to all . . . Through it, a great number of people will learn facts and fables about one of the most fascinating and wonderfully equipped creatures on the planet. Its a lovably eccentric book . . . Irwin writes in an endearing, snappy and dryly witty way. The book runs smoothly through a huge number of fascinating anecdotes, quotations, and descriptions, nearly all of the one-humped camel or dromedary . . . Although, like all the Reaktion series, Camel is small in size, it has a large number of excellent illustrations and it is so well written and so full of fascinating facts and anecdotes that it will be particularly satisfying to read and own.