A review by hectaizani
The Medici Giraffe: And Other Tales of Exotic Animals and Power by Marina Belozerskaya
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.