hectaizani's review against another edition
5.0
Don't be fooled by the title, this book is not filled with cute stories featuring fluffy animals. Instead it is a scholarly treatise in which the author explores the role of exotic animals in international politics from ancient times to the modern day. The animals appear in the stories but more as backdrops than as main characters, even the titular Medici giraffe receives only a few paragraphs.
Marina Belozerskaya has chosen seven such instances and devoted a chapter to each. Beginning in Alexandria, Egypt we learn about elephants as war machines. From there, Ancient Rome where exotic animals are used for entertainment in the arenas. The more exotic the animal the better it is received by the crowds. Then comes the Medicis and their giraffe, and how it (and other animals) turned their family from merchants into nobility. Next stop, the New World and the Aztecs where the kings kept extensive private zoos - that included albino humans among the exhibits. The next chapter details the menagerie of Rudolf II, a strange and eccentric king who often ran out of money to feed his wild cats, yet still gave them free run of the palace grounds. There is also the story of the Malmaison collection, where Empress Josephine (wife of Napoleon) kept her collection, including her favorite black swans, the descendants of which can still be seen today. Animal welfare advocate William Randolph Hearst's ranch at San Simeon where he kept herds of exotic hoofed stock roaming freely to the delight of the guests. And the final chapter details the giant pandas given to First Lady Pat Nixon by Chairman Mao Zedong as a diplomatic gift.
The author hopes that by telling the stories, it will show that the way we perceive and treat animals illuminates our own values, concerns and aspirations. And that by pondering these relationships, we may discover something about ourselves. Altogether an erudite and well-polished window into the world of animals in politics, this book should interest both history buffs and animal lovers alike.
Marina Belozerskaya has chosen seven such instances and devoted a chapter to each. Beginning in Alexandria, Egypt we learn about elephants as war machines. From there, Ancient Rome where exotic animals are used for entertainment in the arenas. The more exotic the animal the better it is received by the crowds. Then comes the Medicis and their giraffe, and how it (and other animals) turned their family from merchants into nobility. Next stop, the New World and the Aztecs where the kings kept extensive private zoos - that included albino humans among the exhibits. The next chapter details the menagerie of Rudolf II, a strange and eccentric king who often ran out of money to feed his wild cats, yet still gave them free run of the palace grounds. There is also the story of the Malmaison collection, where Empress Josephine (wife of Napoleon) kept her collection, including her favorite black swans, the descendants of which can still be seen today. Animal welfare advocate William Randolph Hearst's ranch at San Simeon where he kept herds of exotic hoofed stock roaming freely to the delight of the guests. And the final chapter details the giant pandas given to First Lady Pat Nixon by Chairman Mao Zedong as a diplomatic gift.
The author hopes that by telling the stories, it will show that the way we perceive and treat animals illuminates our own values, concerns and aspirations. And that by pondering these relationships, we may discover something about ourselves. Altogether an erudite and well-polished window into the world of animals in politics, this book should interest both history buffs and animal lovers alike.
susanbevans's review against another edition
4.0
Since the beginning of time, exotic animals have been used as powerful diplomatic tools, representing the wealth and prestige of their masters. Political gifts of animals such as the strong and intelligent elephant, have long been instrumental in brokering peace and aligning nations as allies. In The Medici Giraffe, Maria Belozerskaya takes us on a fascinating journey through the past, focusing on the exotic animals that have been used throughout history as weapons of war, and the symbols of prosperity and man’s dominion over all living things.
Beginning in 275 BC Alexandria, Belozerskaya takes the reader on a grand expedition using seven major periods of history as jumping off points –
•Ptolemy’s elephants and the first ancient arms race;
•the early Roman games at the Circus Maximus, featuring the brutal slaying of thousands of exotic animals;
•the use of the “Medici giraffe” as a political instrument to build the power of Prince Lorenzo the Magnificent, and enhance the position of the entire Medici family;
•New World animals and human oddities from Montezuma’s menageries as a symbol the conquests of Cortes;
•King Rudolf II and his unsurpassed collection of specimens of natural history from around the globe, used as an escape from his political woes;
•the Australian black swans of Josephine Bonaparte, as pawns in her lifelong attempt to acquire status and influence;
•and the private menagerie of William Randolph Hearst, used to alleviate his massive insecurities and the need to prove himself.
The Medici Giraffe ends with an epilogue from modern history: the story of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling, given as a gift from China to the United States during the Nixon administration, serving as animal ambassadors for their wild relatives, and symbolizing endangered animals all over the world and the conservation movement.
The Medici Giraffe covers all manner of animals: from lions, tigers, and bears, to tapirs, kangaroos, dodos and of course the giraffe. Exploring the critical roles animals have played in the history of civilization, Belozerskaya gives us a well-researched and academic account of animals and their many applications within the realm of international politics.
I would recommend The Medici Giraffe not only to animal lovers, but also to readers who enjoy politics, and history buffs, who would like to look at these stories of the past through new eyes. Although the extensive detail Belozerskaya provides can be a little dry at times, if you focus in on, and read just one of the seven sections at a time, you’ll find The Medici Giraffe to be informative and highly entertaining, and the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve put it down.
Beginning in 275 BC Alexandria, Belozerskaya takes the reader on a grand expedition using seven major periods of history as jumping off points –
•Ptolemy’s elephants and the first ancient arms race;
•the early Roman games at the Circus Maximus, featuring the brutal slaying of thousands of exotic animals;
•the use of the “Medici giraffe” as a political instrument to build the power of Prince Lorenzo the Magnificent, and enhance the position of the entire Medici family;
•New World animals and human oddities from Montezuma’s menageries as a symbol the conquests of Cortes;
•King Rudolf II and his unsurpassed collection of specimens of natural history from around the globe, used as an escape from his political woes;
•the Australian black swans of Josephine Bonaparte, as pawns in her lifelong attempt to acquire status and influence;
•and the private menagerie of William Randolph Hearst, used to alleviate his massive insecurities and the need to prove himself.
The Medici Giraffe ends with an epilogue from modern history: the story of giant pandas Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling, given as a gift from China to the United States during the Nixon administration, serving as animal ambassadors for their wild relatives, and symbolizing endangered animals all over the world and the conservation movement.
The Medici Giraffe covers all manner of animals: from lions, tigers, and bears, to tapirs, kangaroos, dodos and of course the giraffe. Exploring the critical roles animals have played in the history of civilization, Belozerskaya gives us a well-researched and academic account of animals and their many applications within the realm of international politics.
I would recommend The Medici Giraffe not only to animal lovers, but also to readers who enjoy politics, and history buffs, who would like to look at these stories of the past through new eyes. Although the extensive detail Belozerskaya provides can be a little dry at times, if you focus in on, and read just one of the seven sections at a time, you’ll find The Medici Giraffe to be informative and highly entertaining, and the kind of book that stays with you long after you’ve put it down.
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