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Bel Ria: Dog of War
Follows the wanderings of a little performing dog in France, England, and at sea during World War II.
215 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
2 people are currently reading
258 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Burnford
24 books65 followersSheila Philip Cochrane Burnford, née Every, (11 May 1918 – 20 April 1984) was an English novelist.
Born in Scotland but brought up in various parts of the United Kingdom, she attended St. George's School, Edinburgh and Harrogate Ladies College. In 1941 she married Doctor David Burnford, with whom she had three children. During World War II she worked as a volunteer ambulance driver. In 1951 she emigrated to Canada, settling in Port Arthur, Ontario.
Burnford is best remembered for The Incredible Journey, a story about three animals traveling in the wilderness (1961), the first of a number of books she wrote on Canadian topics. The book was a modest success in 1961 but became a bestseller after it formed the basis of a successful Disney film. Although The Incredible Journey is marketed as a children's book, and in fact won the 1961 Canadian Children's Book of the Year award, Mrs Burnford has stated that it was not intended as a children's book.
She also wrote One Woman's Arctic (1973) about her two summers in Pond Inlet, Nunavut on Baffin Island. She traveled by komatik, a traditional Inuit dog sled, assisted in archaeological excavation, having to thaw the land inch by inch, ate everything offered to her, and saw the migration of the narwhals. This is a world that has experienced unlimited change, but Burnford saw the best and worst of Pond Inlet at a time gone forever.
She died of cancer in the village of Bucklers Hard in Hampshire at the age of 65.
Born in Scotland but brought up in various parts of the United Kingdom, she attended St. George's School, Edinburgh and Harrogate Ladies College. In 1941 she married Doctor David Burnford, with whom she had three children. During World War II she worked as a volunteer ambulance driver. In 1951 she emigrated to Canada, settling in Port Arthur, Ontario.
Burnford is best remembered for The Incredible Journey, a story about three animals traveling in the wilderness (1961), the first of a number of books she wrote on Canadian topics. The book was a modest success in 1961 but became a bestseller after it formed the basis of a successful Disney film. Although The Incredible Journey is marketed as a children's book, and in fact won the 1961 Canadian Children's Book of the Year award, Mrs Burnford has stated that it was not intended as a children's book.
She also wrote One Woman's Arctic (1973) about her two summers in Pond Inlet, Nunavut on Baffin Island. She traveled by komatik, a traditional Inuit dog sled, assisted in archaeological excavation, having to thaw the land inch by inch, ate everything offered to her, and saw the migration of the narwhals. This is a world that has experienced unlimited change, but Burnford saw the best and worst of Pond Inlet at a time gone forever.
She died of cancer in the village of Bucklers Hard in Hampshire at the age of 65.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
May 19, 2015
This is an amazing book authored by Sheila Burnford and brought to life again by The New York Review Children's Collection. She is the author of "The Incredible Journey" that was made into a heart-warming, live-action movie by Disney in 1961.
This book will capture your heart and will bring you to tears as you experience the life of an innocent little dog during the Second World War. He travels as part of a gypsy band with an older couple, a pet monkey and a decrepit donkey, entertaining anyone who will stop to watch their antics for a mere pittance. They are desperately fleeing from the Nazi advance when suddenly tragedy strikes and he is left alone and must fend for himself. He attaches himself to a wounded soldier and is taken on board a Royal Navy ship that is heading to England. He becomes the ship's mascot and wins the hearts of many of the sailors. He is dubbed with the name Ria and is truly loved and respected by all.
Unfortunatley he is marooned in England in the midst of the Blitz and stumbles upon an old woman who is trapped in rubble from her bombed house and he rescues her. She is so grateful and takes the abandoned, pathetic, orphan in, feeds him healthy food, pampers him, and he lives in luxury with her. Being very old herself he makes the perfect companion and she lovingly gives him the name Bel. They both need each other and are inseparable.
Miraculously Bel's interaction with all the people he meets changes their lives for the better and strong bonds of friendship and love are created. If you are a dog lover and have a tender heart towards animals then this is the perfect story to ingest and savour. It is a magical story that will remain in your heart long after you have closed the book. I highly, highly recommend it.
This book will capture your heart and will bring you to tears as you experience the life of an innocent little dog during the Second World War. He travels as part of a gypsy band with an older couple, a pet monkey and a decrepit donkey, entertaining anyone who will stop to watch their antics for a mere pittance. They are desperately fleeing from the Nazi advance when suddenly tragedy strikes and he is left alone and must fend for himself. He attaches himself to a wounded soldier and is taken on board a Royal Navy ship that is heading to England. He becomes the ship's mascot and wins the hearts of many of the sailors. He is dubbed with the name Ria and is truly loved and respected by all.
Unfortunatley he is marooned in England in the midst of the Blitz and stumbles upon an old woman who is trapped in rubble from her bombed house and he rescues her. She is so grateful and takes the abandoned, pathetic, orphan in, feeds him healthy food, pampers him, and he lives in luxury with her. Being very old herself he makes the perfect companion and she lovingly gives him the name Bel. They both need each other and are inseparable.
Miraculously Bel's interaction with all the people he meets changes their lives for the better and strong bonds of friendship and love are created. If you are a dog lover and have a tender heart towards animals then this is the perfect story to ingest and savour. It is a magical story that will remain in your heart long after you have closed the book. I highly, highly recommend it.
December 20, 2011
My dad sobbed as he finished this book! What a softy (me too.)
February 24, 2025
At the time that I am writing this review, "Bel Ria" has been rated by a mere 140 GR members. In contrast, Sheila Burnford's other animal novel, "The Incredible Journey" has 49,564 ratings on the GR web site and has spawned 3 movies by Disney. What is even more curious is that "Bel Ria" is actually the better book. The question is then how has it attracted so little interest.
Part of the explanation must be that "Bel Ria" was published 17 years after "The Incredible Journey". At that point it appears that Burnford's public had forgotten about her. The second problem is that "Bel Ria" is children's novel without child characters. Moreover, the adults play as large a role as the animals in "Bel Ria" which may have made the first publisher reluctant to promote it heavily. I applaud NYRB for attempting to re-launch this book which should delight most child readers.
Burnford may have decided to exclude children from her novel because the events take place during WWII when humans and animals were dying in large numbers. Perhaps Burnford did not want to kill off any child characters. I think however that the main was that Burnford was trying to make the point that it is not just children who learn life-lessons from their pets. In fact, animals wind up teaching many adults about the value of life, loyalty, responsibility and friendship. "Bel Ria" is a tour-de-force that succeeds in showing how this happens.
"Bel Ria" is also a brilliant book about war. Burnford who had been an ambulance driver in during WWII provides an extraordinary picture showing how civilians and animals die during military conflicts. The canine protagonist also happens to be a refugee and Burnford illustrates the problem of displaced populations with authenticity and passion.
I encourage all GR members to buy this book and then read it to your children or grand-children. You will all enjoy it greatly.
Part of the explanation must be that "Bel Ria" was published 17 years after "The Incredible Journey". At that point it appears that Burnford's public had forgotten about her. The second problem is that "Bel Ria" is children's novel without child characters. Moreover, the adults play as large a role as the animals in "Bel Ria" which may have made the first publisher reluctant to promote it heavily. I applaud NYRB for attempting to re-launch this book which should delight most child readers.
Burnford may have decided to exclude children from her novel because the events take place during WWII when humans and animals were dying in large numbers. Perhaps Burnford did not want to kill off any child characters. I think however that the main was that Burnford was trying to make the point that it is not just children who learn life-lessons from their pets. In fact, animals wind up teaching many adults about the value of life, loyalty, responsibility and friendship. "Bel Ria" is a tour-de-force that succeeds in showing how this happens.
"Bel Ria" is also a brilliant book about war. Burnford who had been an ambulance driver in during WWII provides an extraordinary picture showing how civilians and animals die during military conflicts. The canine protagonist also happens to be a refugee and Burnford illustrates the problem of displaced populations with authenticity and passion.
I encourage all GR members to buy this book and then read it to your children or grand-children. You will all enjoy it greatly.
wishlist-f
April 19, 2017This link shows how the cover should look: http://www.audible.com/pd/Kids/Bel-Ri...., not as it is shown here on GR! The proper cover looks just like my Welsh Terrier, Victor, so of course I had to read the book. Bel Ria: Dog of War and the well-known The Incredible Journey are by the same author.
March 30, 2010
This is one of my favorite books. My mother sent it to me in college as part of a "care package". I've read it many times. It is a touching portrayal of how animals can affect our lives. When my daughter was in college I sent her a copy of this book in a "care package" as well.
January 15, 2018
An absolutely devastating book, with genuine insight into the complex relationship betweens and animals: I can't remember when I've cried this much while reading a book!
November 30, 2024
This book was published in 1977 but has a very authentic feeling to it of what it was like to be in WWII and in England during the tough times. Wikipedia on Sheila Branford says During World War II, she worked as a volunteer ambulance driver, and I am sure those memories stayed strong in her. She is best known for The Incredible Journey. Unfortunately I didn't feel as strongly toward this book. While it was well written, the 3 parts felt a little disjointed, and the middle part told while on ship was not as interesting to me.
I know a lot of people don't like it when the dog dies in the end, so those folks will like the book from that aspect, but if you don't have sadness in the end, they often introduce sadness in the beginning of the book. Fortunately that is not too drawn out. I would rather highlight the happy part. A gypsy like lady with performing animals, including a dog, a monkey, and a donkey, helps rescue Corporal Sinclair, of the Royal Army Service Corps, from the advancing Germans.
I liked this bit when she entertains the soldier while war is approaching:
On the fourth note the toe began to tap, and the dog rose to his hind legs and began to dance. The tune had a lilting rhythm, and in perfect time he pirouetted in a circle, forepaws held out and head held high. The music changed in tempo, slower now, and at the end of each phrase the dog nodded his head so that the silvery bells accompanied each last three notes of the repeated phrase. Now he brought the forepaws into action, one at a time, each cluster of bells set in a different pitch to the nodding head.
It was the performance of a virtuoso. The strangest thing was that there seemed nothing preposterous, only an inherent grace and precision. The little dog danced as though he lived for it, as though he would will his audience to listen to his bells and live for it too.
Not far away, guns rumbled a reminder. Three-quarters of the western world lay reeling in the bonds of occupation, the wake of smoldering destruction left by these gray-green uniforms. A few short miles would soon end the agony of France, and then all Europe would be overrun — yet for this moment, in this one place, there was nothing but a silvery tinkling and a lilting tune and an audience who had become children again, spellbound before a dog who danced on a sunlit road to the bidding of the flute.'
Corporal Sinclair is able to stay out the Germans way, but he the gypsy lady is not so lucky. Then-
'An hour later, as he turned from wary custom to look hack along the road, he saw, less than a hundred yards behind, the furtive figure of a dog, slinking along on the verge. Sinclair stood stock still for a moment, his scalp prickling. The dog stopped too, cowering. A tiny face with anxious eyes and wrinkled brows peered over the dog’s head.'
This starts the succession of caretakers of the dog and of the little monkey.
Sinclair feels he has to help the pair (dog & monkey) because of the lady helping to save him from the journey. Even when wounded, he doesn't want to part from the animals:
'“I will do his talking,” said the dry precise voice of the Frenchman as MacLean worked swiftly to change the dressing. “He wishes to tell you that he is not wounded, that he must walk off this ship, for he has these two companions who have come a long way with him. They have no one else apparently. He is obsessed. They are a trust. He must walk off, for if he goes to hospital he will be separated from them, and this is insupportable.”
From there, the care of the dog is passed on to Sick Berth Attendant Neil MacLean. His 'Aye, I'll see to him, never you fear' pledge to care for the dog and get it back to Sinclair, continues in the theme to be faithful to the dog. The faithfulness of dogs to their people is a very common thread, but the theme of humans trying to be as faithful back can also be a great story line.
Part 2 of the book is on ship, the dog with MacLean now, and the monkey with someone in the ships mess. What I enjoyed most was Part 3 of the book.
Maclean leaves the dog with someone and things go awry as the city is bombed by the Germans.
The dog is adrift in a place of chaos. Here is another quote I liked:
' It seemed that Man was entirely preoccupied with his immediate survival and salvage and as yet his compassion could encompass only the humans of his shattered world. Often the mere animal offense of being concerned only with their own business of survival brought about the equally primitive reaction of the hand reaching for the nearest missile, or the toe of a boot finding its mark. That a hungry scavenging dog would feed on the overturned contents of a meat safe while ten yards away lay the body of the one who had planned to cook those contents offended by its very reasonableness; that rats should emerge sleek and prosperous from the same cellars where man now sought refuge, or a spider painstakingly spin a web across his newly blown in windows — all such behavior had somehow become a terrible violation.'
Another person who gets caught up by the bombing is an older lady named Alice Tremorne. She went off went to a pit in her garage where she had put up several bottles of sloe gin. She is there when bombs go off near the garage and trap her inside. This third part of the book I thoroughly enjoyed. How the dog and Ms. Tremorne meet is first told from the dogs perspective and then from the lady's. Here is her description:
'It was in one of these more lonely moments, during her second night if she had known it, that as she leaned against the pit edge, and clenched and unclenched her fingers against their growing stiffness, she suddenly heard an unfamiliar creaking in the immediate timbers. She shone the weak beam of the light in this direction, calling for help in a husky whisper, then suddenly, out of nowhere came the warm wet touch of a tongue on her fingers. Instinctively repelled she jerked her arm back; then as though to reassure her, she heard a soft whining and knew that this was not the repulsive questing of a hopeful rat. Her fingers moved again to touch a muzzle, ears, to be covered again by an eager tongue — it was a dog that had come out of the blackness to her, the only living thing that knew or cared apparently that she still existed.'
So there is some great stuff in this book. If instead of 3 parts they had made one part with less from the middle I would have enjoyed it more.
On last quote: 'Yet another indomitable little dog had risen from the ashes.'
I know a lot of people don't like it when the dog dies in the end, so those folks will like the book from that aspect, but if you don't have sadness in the end, they often introduce sadness in the beginning of the book. Fortunately that is not too drawn out. I would rather highlight the happy part. A gypsy like lady with performing animals, including a dog, a monkey, and a donkey, helps rescue Corporal Sinclair, of the Royal Army Service Corps, from the advancing Germans.
I liked this bit when she entertains the soldier while war is approaching:
On the fourth note the toe began to tap, and the dog rose to his hind legs and began to dance. The tune had a lilting rhythm, and in perfect time he pirouetted in a circle, forepaws held out and head held high. The music changed in tempo, slower now, and at the end of each phrase the dog nodded his head so that the silvery bells accompanied each last three notes of the repeated phrase. Now he brought the forepaws into action, one at a time, each cluster of bells set in a different pitch to the nodding head.
It was the performance of a virtuoso. The strangest thing was that there seemed nothing preposterous, only an inherent grace and precision. The little dog danced as though he lived for it, as though he would will his audience to listen to his bells and live for it too.
Not far away, guns rumbled a reminder. Three-quarters of the western world lay reeling in the bonds of occupation, the wake of smoldering destruction left by these gray-green uniforms. A few short miles would soon end the agony of France, and then all Europe would be overrun — yet for this moment, in this one place, there was nothing but a silvery tinkling and a lilting tune and an audience who had become children again, spellbound before a dog who danced on a sunlit road to the bidding of the flute.'
Corporal Sinclair is able to stay out the Germans way, but he the gypsy lady is not so lucky. Then-
'An hour later, as he turned from wary custom to look hack along the road, he saw, less than a hundred yards behind, the furtive figure of a dog, slinking along on the verge. Sinclair stood stock still for a moment, his scalp prickling. The dog stopped too, cowering. A tiny face with anxious eyes and wrinkled brows peered over the dog’s head.'
This starts the succession of caretakers of the dog and of the little monkey.
Sinclair feels he has to help the pair (dog & monkey) because of the lady helping to save him from the journey. Even when wounded, he doesn't want to part from the animals:
'“I will do his talking,” said the dry precise voice of the Frenchman as MacLean worked swiftly to change the dressing. “He wishes to tell you that he is not wounded, that he must walk off this ship, for he has these two companions who have come a long way with him. They have no one else apparently. He is obsessed. They are a trust. He must walk off, for if he goes to hospital he will be separated from them, and this is insupportable.”
From there, the care of the dog is passed on to Sick Berth Attendant Neil MacLean. His 'Aye, I'll see to him, never you fear' pledge to care for the dog and get it back to Sinclair, continues in the theme to be faithful to the dog. The faithfulness of dogs to their people is a very common thread, but the theme of humans trying to be as faithful back can also be a great story line.
Part 2 of the book is on ship, the dog with MacLean now, and the monkey with someone in the ships mess. What I enjoyed most was Part 3 of the book.
Maclean leaves the dog with someone and things go awry as the city is bombed by the Germans.
The dog is adrift in a place of chaos. Here is another quote I liked:
' It seemed that Man was entirely preoccupied with his immediate survival and salvage and as yet his compassion could encompass only the humans of his shattered world. Often the mere animal offense of being concerned only with their own business of survival brought about the equally primitive reaction of the hand reaching for the nearest missile, or the toe of a boot finding its mark. That a hungry scavenging dog would feed on the overturned contents of a meat safe while ten yards away lay the body of the one who had planned to cook those contents offended by its very reasonableness; that rats should emerge sleek and prosperous from the same cellars where man now sought refuge, or a spider painstakingly spin a web across his newly blown in windows — all such behavior had somehow become a terrible violation.'
Another person who gets caught up by the bombing is an older lady named Alice Tremorne. She went off went to a pit in her garage where she had put up several bottles of sloe gin. She is there when bombs go off near the garage and trap her inside. This third part of the book I thoroughly enjoyed. How the dog and Ms. Tremorne meet is first told from the dogs perspective and then from the lady's. Here is her description:
'It was in one of these more lonely moments, during her second night if she had known it, that as she leaned against the pit edge, and clenched and unclenched her fingers against their growing stiffness, she suddenly heard an unfamiliar creaking in the immediate timbers. She shone the weak beam of the light in this direction, calling for help in a husky whisper, then suddenly, out of nowhere came the warm wet touch of a tongue on her fingers. Instinctively repelled she jerked her arm back; then as though to reassure her, she heard a soft whining and knew that this was not the repulsive questing of a hopeful rat. Her fingers moved again to touch a muzzle, ears, to be covered again by an eager tongue — it was a dog that had come out of the blackness to her, the only living thing that knew or cared apparently that she still existed.'
So there is some great stuff in this book. If instead of 3 parts they had made one part with less from the middle I would have enjoyed it more.
On last quote: 'Yet another indomitable little dog had risen from the ashes.'
September 20, 2017
The dedication at the font of this book is simple but powerful: In Memoriam, 1939-1945. This is very much the story of how a little French Romani dog dodges catastrophes to survive from the onset of WWII until it's over, but it's also very much a story of war. Not necessarily in the thick of its action, but in commentary about its devastating effects and how it impacts the lives of European soldiers and civilians alike. The message is ultimately a hopeful one, but boy, there is a lot of gut-wrenching sad to get through first.
November 4, 2020
A small, scruffy dog leads a dusty red caravan down the last free road out of France. A capuchin monkey is part of this rag-tag circus. On the same road is Corporal Sinclair, Royal Army Service Corps. He stops to help the caravan out of a ditch. After finishing his mission, and a side mission, Sinclair begins walking to St. Nazaire and its passage home. Tired and in pain, he passes out in a ditch. The Gypsy woman helps Sinclair into her caravan moments before approaching Germans stop them. The small dog performs, pleasing the Germans, who then move on.
The Gypsy woman dresses Sinclair’s wounded ribs and takes a side road to get him on his way. Soon after he resumes his walk, a crazy German fighter pilot haphazardly shoots in all directions. Later, Sinclair senses a following; behind him is a dog carrying a monkey on its back. That night, with Germans shooting all around them, soldiers, including Sinclair, take refuge in a cave. After a long, dark, and difficult night, Sinclair finds the dog and monkey lying next to him. He resigns himself to being their human.
Bad luck seems to follow bad luck for Sinclair. Relaxing on deck, more fighter pilots roar through the skies, sinking ships, including Sinclair’s. He jumps into the ocean as the ship tilts then sinks. Hours later, soaked, cold, and covered in oil, Corporal Sinclair—clung to by one small dog and a capuchin monkey—is finally plucked out of the salty water by a new rescue ship.
This is where I needed to stop the first day reading. Returning to the story, remembering so much has already happened, the next page must be one-hundred-something. The writing wastes not, making every word count; nothing frivolously unlike my reviews. The tight story doesn’t even have one tangent into the Scottish hillside. Still, I was surprised to find the story picked back up on page thirty-eight—38!
Ms. Burnford must have been a wonderful gem of a writer. She took me on Bel Ria’s adventures as if I were there. Invested in the story, I worried about the scruffy Ria. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the pampered Bel. Long after the last page, Bel Ria stays on my mind and in my thoughts.
A story with a background as grave as World War II needs some relief. Ms. Burnford never forgot this. There are moments of laughter and of joy amid the danger and the unknown. Sadness is tempered with the antics of either Ria, Bel, or Louis (the monkey). Ria is a quiet, calm, observant dog with distinct eating habits. Bel is a rambunctious, loving poodle, no longer restricted in his eating.
I’ve heard it said that we master dogs and cats master us. Bel Ria not only masters his people, he transforms them into their best selves. A grouchy, passive-aggressive woman becomes a loving and devoted mom. People relax around Bel Ria, removing the masks they hide behind. This Dog of War harms no one and is as friendly with all animals as he is with humans.
I am not a fan of the ending. For one, I was not ready to stop reading about Bel Ria and his antics. Secondly, I was not expecting what occurred and, despite being a perfect conclusion, I hated it. But that is me. You may only dislike the ending. But—this is a BIG BUT—you will love the story. You will fall in love with Bel Ria and his companion monkey Louis. I’m sorry, I meant your children will love the story of Bel Ria: Dog of War.
The Gypsy woman dresses Sinclair’s wounded ribs and takes a side road to get him on his way. Soon after he resumes his walk, a crazy German fighter pilot haphazardly shoots in all directions. Later, Sinclair senses a following; behind him is a dog carrying a monkey on its back. That night, with Germans shooting all around them, soldiers, including Sinclair, take refuge in a cave. After a long, dark, and difficult night, Sinclair finds the dog and monkey lying next to him. He resigns himself to being their human.
Bad luck seems to follow bad luck for Sinclair. Relaxing on deck, more fighter pilots roar through the skies, sinking ships, including Sinclair’s. He jumps into the ocean as the ship tilts then sinks. Hours later, soaked, cold, and covered in oil, Corporal Sinclair—clung to by one small dog and a capuchin monkey—is finally plucked out of the salty water by a new rescue ship.
This is where I needed to stop the first day reading. Returning to the story, remembering so much has already happened, the next page must be one-hundred-something. The writing wastes not, making every word count; nothing frivolously unlike my reviews. The tight story doesn’t even have one tangent into the Scottish hillside. Still, I was surprised to find the story picked back up on page thirty-eight—38!
Ms. Burnford must have been a wonderful gem of a writer. She took me on Bel Ria’s adventures as if I were there. Invested in the story, I worried about the scruffy Ria. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the pampered Bel. Long after the last page, Bel Ria stays on my mind and in my thoughts.
A story with a background as grave as World War II needs some relief. Ms. Burnford never forgot this. There are moments of laughter and of joy amid the danger and the unknown. Sadness is tempered with the antics of either Ria, Bel, or Louis (the monkey). Ria is a quiet, calm, observant dog with distinct eating habits. Bel is a rambunctious, loving poodle, no longer restricted in his eating.
I’ve heard it said that we master dogs and cats master us. Bel Ria not only masters his people, he transforms them into their best selves. A grouchy, passive-aggressive woman becomes a loving and devoted mom. People relax around Bel Ria, removing the masks they hide behind. This Dog of War harms no one and is as friendly with all animals as he is with humans.
I am not a fan of the ending. For one, I was not ready to stop reading about Bel Ria and his antics. Secondly, I was not expecting what occurred and, despite being a perfect conclusion, I hated it. But that is me. You may only dislike the ending. But—this is a BIG BUT—you will love the story. You will fall in love with Bel Ria and his companion monkey Louis. I’m sorry, I meant your children will love the story of Bel Ria: Dog of War.
May 26, 2011
A really great story. If you like dogs, you will enjoy it. Although set during WWII, the entire focus is on the dog and his trials and tribulations during wartime, his intense relationship with various characters and how his smarts and survival instincts shine through to lead a full, happy life.
The book starts out in a somewhat state of confusion, but as I read on it became clear that was the setting at that moment in time.
You will not find a lot of focus on the details of this historical time period, but you will find beautiful pictures that Burnford paints with her words. She writes in such a way that the images, and the characters display themselves as if someone just put it all on canvas right in front of your eyes.
I like the way she separates the book into 'parts' to distinguish the various 'sections' of the dog's life, then it all comes together beautifully in the very last chapter. The completion of the full circle really leaves the reader feeling complete, and not left hanging.
The book starts out in a somewhat state of confusion, but as I read on it became clear that was the setting at that moment in time.
You will not find a lot of focus on the details of this historical time period, but you will find beautiful pictures that Burnford paints with her words. She writes in such a way that the images, and the characters display themselves as if someone just put it all on canvas right in front of your eyes.
I like the way she separates the book into 'parts' to distinguish the various 'sections' of the dog's life, then it all comes together beautifully in the very last chapter. The completion of the full circle really leaves the reader feeling complete, and not left hanging.
April 10, 2009
A small dog trained to dance in a traveling circus is rescued from the German Air Raids over Franc. British corporal Sinclair brings the dog onto the destroyer with him but is in turn injured. The dog is now left to Neil MacLean, a sick berth attendant on the British destroyer Tertian.
The dog passes through more disasters even surviving another air raid on land before reuniting with Sinclair who had first rescued the dog 5 years previously. This story is one of persistence against the bitter background of this war.
The dog passes through more disasters even surviving another air raid on land before reuniting with Sinclair who had first rescued the dog 5 years previously. This story is one of persistence against the bitter background of this war.
September 19, 2019
This was a hard story to read, about a small intelligent being enduring the horrors of war on land and sea. Actually two small beings, a dog and a monkey. Right from the beginning death and depression are also characters. Things start to look up by chapter 10 but not for long. Sad story well told but I cannot like it.
March 23, 2014
A wonderful story! Set during WWII Bel Ria manages to connect the lives of everyone he meets. The characters are vastly different but bonds are developed between them as they have all been saved in one way or another by their miraculous companion.
December 2, 2016
Wonderful book, especially for dog lovers.
It was great to follow some of the events of WWII through the life of a wee dog and the people by whom he was rescued, and others who he revived by being part of their lives.
It was great to follow some of the events of WWII through the life of a wee dog and the people by whom he was rescued, and others who he revived by being part of their lives.
April 20, 2011
I have always loved dog stories and can never turn down a good one! This is set in World War II France and is a great addition to the animal book genre.
November 10, 2012
Loved this book, cried the last 50 pages.
March 5, 2013
A lovely well written story that I really enjoyed. Glad to have discovered it after all these years.
August 23, 2013
Loved this book
November 29, 2020
This has been the saddest tale I've read up to now in my life. The story of innocent animals during the havoc's of war time.
Seen through the eyes of a very bright, lucid and aware, strong hearted dog.
I am more wise in the ways of the heart after reading this.
Seen through the eyes of a very bright, lucid and aware, strong hearted dog.
I am more wise in the ways of the heart after reading this.
December 20, 2016
I am perhaps gentler in rating children's books than adult ones, but this one bridged the gap. In a period of having read a few WW stories (All the Light We Cannot See, The Book Thief, The Nightingale, among others), I am intrigued by the quality of the writing (the sentences, the paragraphs, the imagination of the story....) and the endearing qualities of the animals in this story, as devastated as their human counterparts by the ravages of war.
I bought this as a gift, attracted to it by its promotion in the New York Review Children's Collection. It may be a bit "old" for the boy, eight years, for whom it is intended. (He liked my choice of a year ago, which was also rated starting about a year ahead of his grade.) I shall talk to his mother. As an adult, I found the story a well told one about the coincidences of life, especially under stressful conditions, and about the personalities, human and creature, that comprise the oft make-shift communities through which our lives progress. But the cruelties are real -- whether the careless, terrorist-type destruction of war, or the dread of oil from a sinking ship, or festering of a wound, or mindless but necessary bureaucracy, and are captured in Burnford's tale. Whether it would stand up to a historian's scrutiny, I cannot judge. But to a sense of the turmoil we see only too often in our global news reports, it certainly holds credence -- and would, I suspect, convey the dangers to a young reader, even while beguiling the older one with the sweep of its insights.
Certainly a book that can be shared with the ten and eleven year olds in one's purview. We shall see if I have stretched too far to extend to an eight year old -- will discuss with his mother.
I bought this as a gift, attracted to it by its promotion in the New York Review Children's Collection. It may be a bit "old" for the boy, eight years, for whom it is intended. (He liked my choice of a year ago, which was also rated starting about a year ahead of his grade.) I shall talk to his mother. As an adult, I found the story a well told one about the coincidences of life, especially under stressful conditions, and about the personalities, human and creature, that comprise the oft make-shift communities through which our lives progress. But the cruelties are real -- whether the careless, terrorist-type destruction of war, or the dread of oil from a sinking ship, or festering of a wound, or mindless but necessary bureaucracy, and are captured in Burnford's tale. Whether it would stand up to a historian's scrutiny, I cannot judge. But to a sense of the turmoil we see only too often in our global news reports, it certainly holds credence -- and would, I suspect, convey the dangers to a young reader, even while beguiling the older one with the sweep of its insights.
Certainly a book that can be shared with the ten and eleven year olds in one's purview. We shall see if I have stretched too far to extend to an eight year old -- will discuss with his mother.
March 30, 2020
Heartwarming historical fiction story about a performing dog that is taken in by a soldier and then, due to circumstances of the war, ends up with many different owners. His companion, the monkey, and he are often separated but they do end up coming back together again and again throughout the story.
November 19, 2009
If you like books about animals, just read this.
It is about a tiny mutt who survives WWII despite constantly being in the worst place at the worst time. And everyone adores him.
Okay just read it.
It is about a tiny mutt who survives WWII despite constantly being in the worst place at the worst time. And everyone adores him.
Okay just read it.
January 8, 2009
I loved this book. Anyone who likes dog books will enjoy this tale.
January 29, 2009
my mother read this to my brother and me back in the 70's. I don't remember much, but I always enjoyed being read to...
July 15, 2010
Charming and heart warming. Good Read
April 16, 2017
Not as good as The Incredible Journey - would never want to reread because it doesn't end well if I remember correctly, and I was heartbroken. :'-(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2025
Sheila Burnford is best known for her book, "The Incredible Journey," which became a best-seller in 1963 after Disney turned it into a movie. The book made news again when Disney remade the story in 1993, re-titling it "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Joureny." I saw the original film several times when I was a kid and I remember a librarian aunt of mine giving me a copy of the book when it first came out. I honestly don't remember if I ever read the book. I do still have it though, and after reading "Bel Ria: Dog of War," I know I will have to correct that oversight.
Other than picture books, and Paul Auster's "Timbuktu," I can't think of too many fiction titles I have read centered around a dog, which is odd, because I love dogs and have had one (or more) in my life for around 55 of my 71 years. I have to say, "Bel Ria: Dog of War," is a new favorite of mine. It's one of the best books I've read over the last couple of years. This is the story of a dog who gets caught up in the chaos and horror of World War II. At times, I was surprised that this is considered a children's book because it doesn't shy away from the horrors of war. The descriptions are never graphic, but deaths happen and the matter-of-fact why in which they are described makes them seem almost more shocking. Burnford has an amazing ability to put the reader in the middle of the action and inside the mind of an innocent animal trapped in a terrifying situation. She never anthropomorphizes the animals, but still allows us to experience from their point of view what is happening around them, in all of its war-torn confusion. There are sections of the story that are quite suspenseful (the sinking of a torpedoed ship is especially harrowing) and others that are heartwarming. I had tears in my eyes during the last 30 or 40 pages of the book as the various humans who have been a part of Bel Ria's story are united and we learn the fates of others.
If you love a good animal story, not to mention thrilling historical fiction, one that will tug at your heart-strings, this is an excellent book.
Other than picture books, and Paul Auster's "Timbuktu," I can't think of too many fiction titles I have read centered around a dog, which is odd, because I love dogs and have had one (or more) in my life for around 55 of my 71 years. I have to say, "Bel Ria: Dog of War," is a new favorite of mine. It's one of the best books I've read over the last couple of years. This is the story of a dog who gets caught up in the chaos and horror of World War II. At times, I was surprised that this is considered a children's book because it doesn't shy away from the horrors of war. The descriptions are never graphic, but deaths happen and the matter-of-fact why in which they are described makes them seem almost more shocking. Burnford has an amazing ability to put the reader in the middle of the action and inside the mind of an innocent animal trapped in a terrifying situation. She never anthropomorphizes the animals, but still allows us to experience from their point of view what is happening around them, in all of its war-torn confusion. There are sections of the story that are quite suspenseful (the sinking of a torpedoed ship is especially harrowing) and others that are heartwarming. I had tears in my eyes during the last 30 or 40 pages of the book as the various humans who have been a part of Bel Ria's story are united and we learn the fates of others.
If you love a good animal story, not to mention thrilling historical fiction, one that will tug at your heart-strings, this is an excellent book.
August 7, 2020
f you love animals in general, dogs in particular, and good stories about them, you will rejoice in Sheila Burnford’s novel Bel Ria . . .
The scenes of war, both on land and sea, are as beautifully done as the rest, with a considerable cast of appealing human characters also. There is a special poignancy to animals in wartime, particularly those not involved in military uses, that not only makes us vibrate to them but points up the human folly, tragedy, and gallantry…
With unerring touch, Mrs. Burnford draws the threads of people and animals together in resolution, by instinct as sound as that which once guided Homer in such a matter. Bel Ria is a magical story; Mrs. Burnford has benevolent witchery.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Bel Ria can’t help but become another classic . . .
Sheila Burnford has written a beautiful, moving story, woven from many fine threads. I can’t recommend it highly enough for readers from 12 to 90.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
The scenes of war, both on land and sea, are as beautifully done as the rest, with a considerable cast of appealing human characters also. There is a special poignancy to animals in wartime, particularly those not involved in military uses, that not only makes us vibrate to them but points up the human folly, tragedy, and gallantry…
With unerring touch, Mrs. Burnford draws the threads of people and animals together in resolution, by instinct as sound as that which once guided Homer in such a matter. Bel Ria is a magical story; Mrs. Burnford has benevolent witchery.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Bel Ria can’t help but become another classic . . .
Sheila Burnford has written a beautiful, moving story, woven from many fine threads. I can’t recommend it highly enough for readers from 12 to 90.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
July 22, 2017
This is a beautiful story following the life of a dog in the aftermaths of the Dunkirk evacuations. It tracks his impact on the lives of those who take the responsibility of caring for him. Warning now, if you are sentimental you will need tissues by chapter 3, if you are not sentimental I would still hold the tissues handy.
Torn from a travelling life performing with a gypsy caravan with the death, a little dog attaches himself to a friendly soldier who manages to get him onto a rescue vessel. The challenges of life at war are vividly expressed in this tale, with particular focus on the horrors of that life for animals who are dragged into a war that is beyond their understanding.
Torn from a travelling life performing with a gypsy caravan with the death, a little dog attaches himself to a friendly soldier who manages to get him onto a rescue vessel. The challenges of life at war are vividly expressed in this tale, with particular focus on the horrors of that life for animals who are dragged into a war that is beyond their understanding.
November 7, 2024
There aren't enough stars for this book! I have had this book on my shelf for over 10 years and, having read it , I don't know what to me so long.
This story takes place during WW2 and covers the life of a performing dog that has a chance meeting with a wounded soldier trying to get to an evacuation point out of France. The experiences he goes through and the people he encounters are unforgetable.
I won't be forgetting Bel Ria
This story takes place during WW2 and covers the life of a performing dog that has a chance meeting with a wounded soldier trying to get to an evacuation point out of France. The experiences he goes through and the people he encounters are unforgetable.
I won't be forgetting Bel Ria
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