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De schoonheid van de kat: Een geïllustreerde geschiedenis
Cats are the most enigmatic and alluring of domestic animals. Beguiling beauty, fierce independence and aloof intelligence characterize their long and exotic history. The Grace of the Cat is a celebration of this captivating animal and a moving account of the feline's journey from the wild to a comfortable domestic existence. In this beautifully illustrated book, Tamsin Pickeral traces the colourful and tumultuous history of the cat, from its glory days in Egypt to its transport on creaking ships to America. She explores the diverse role of the cat in each culture, culminating in the origins of cat shows, and the selective breeding of pure bred, pedigree animals. Inside this richly illustrated book you will discover the stories behind more than fifty breeds of cat, from the lithe-bodied Abyssinian to the intelligent Russian Blue, and from the graceful, long-haired Balinese to the lop-eared Scottish Fold. The evocative and informative text is accompanied by stunning photographs of every featured breed by award-winning photographer Astrid Harrisson. Her breathtaking images capture the many facets of what makes a cat a cat-its elegance, spirit and wit. The Grace of the Cat is an essential volume for everyone who loves cats.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2013
About the author
Tamsin Pickeral
54 books16 followersTamsin Pickeral is an art historian and an author of books on art, horses, animals and travel.
She wrote her first book, The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies (published 1999) while living in the US, where she stayed for eight years, and has since that time written or co-written over twenty books.
She has lived back in the UK since 2004.
Pickeral's books are published internationally and have received critical acclaim in the media. This includes her book The Horse: 30,000 Years of the Horse in Art, chosen as Book of the Week by The Guardian newspaper (2006), and her book, The Dog: 5,000 Years of the Dog in Art, picked as one of the Top Fifty Art Books of the Year, 2008 by the Financial Times and voted into the Sunday Times Books Of The Year, Art, 2008.
She wrote her first book, The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies (published 1999) while living in the US, where she stayed for eight years, and has since that time written or co-written over twenty books.
She has lived back in the UK since 2004.
Pickeral's books are published internationally and have received critical acclaim in the media. This includes her book The Horse: 30,000 Years of the Horse in Art, chosen as Book of the Week by The Guardian newspaper (2006), and her book, The Dog: 5,000 Years of the Dog in Art, picked as one of the Top Fifty Art Books of the Year, 2008 by the Financial Times and voted into the Sunday Times Books Of The Year, Art, 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 22, 2022
Glorious cat photos. Interesting to find out about so many different cats. Some things remain mysterious, like what the behavior looks like that causes them to say a cat breed had a sense of humor. How do we know they are laughing with us?
June 25, 2014
Did I read every word in this book? Not remotely. Is it a beautiful book full of lovely pictures and interesting tidbits about cat breeds? Yes.
June 30, 2018
Everything is better with cats!
^_^
^_^
January 16, 2022
Detailreich und voller wundervoller Fotos
Wer ein hochwertiges Geschenk für Katzenfreunde sucht, liegt mit dem Buch „Die Eleganz der Katze – Die schönsten Rassen im Porträt“ von Tamsin Pickeral goldrichtig. Das Sachbuch ist wirklich wunderschön gestaltet und geht mit seinen zahlreichen Fotos fast schon als Bildband durch. Gerade diese Fotos haben es mir auch besonders angetan, denn sie wirken nicht gestellt, sondern zeigen die Katzenrassen in ganz natürlichen Situationen und fangen somit gut die einzelnen Charaktere ein. Aber auch die Texte gefallen mir durchgehend. Sie sind informativ, aber dennoch nicht zu lange, sondern bringen die wichtigsten Informationen gelungen auf den Punkt. Auch die Einteilung der Katzenrassen in eine Zeitschiene bzw. den geschichtlichen Rahmen, ist etwas Besonderes. So erfährt man nach und nach, wann welche Rasse entstand, beginnend beim Altertum, bis in die heutige Zeit. Auf jeder einzelnen Seite ist außerdem die Liebe zu den einzigartigen Tieren zu spüren. Und auch wenn man (wie ich) denkt, schon alles über Katzen zu wissen, hier gibt es auf jeden Fall noch etwas Neues zu lernen. Da die Lektüre mir große Freude gemacht hat vergebe ich gerne 5 Sterne und eine Empfehlung für alle Katzenliebhaber:innen.
Wer ein hochwertiges Geschenk für Katzenfreunde sucht, liegt mit dem Buch „Die Eleganz der Katze – Die schönsten Rassen im Porträt“ von Tamsin Pickeral goldrichtig. Das Sachbuch ist wirklich wunderschön gestaltet und geht mit seinen zahlreichen Fotos fast schon als Bildband durch. Gerade diese Fotos haben es mir auch besonders angetan, denn sie wirken nicht gestellt, sondern zeigen die Katzenrassen in ganz natürlichen Situationen und fangen somit gut die einzelnen Charaktere ein. Aber auch die Texte gefallen mir durchgehend. Sie sind informativ, aber dennoch nicht zu lange, sondern bringen die wichtigsten Informationen gelungen auf den Punkt. Auch die Einteilung der Katzenrassen in eine Zeitschiene bzw. den geschichtlichen Rahmen, ist etwas Besonderes. So erfährt man nach und nach, wann welche Rasse entstand, beginnend beim Altertum, bis in die heutige Zeit. Auf jeder einzelnen Seite ist außerdem die Liebe zu den einzigartigen Tieren zu spüren. Und auch wenn man (wie ich) denkt, schon alles über Katzen zu wissen, hier gibt es auf jeden Fall noch etwas Neues zu lernen. Da die Lektüre mir große Freude gemacht hat vergebe ich gerne 5 Sterne und eine Empfehlung für alle Katzenliebhaber:innen.
July 23, 2023
I got a bit confused with this one. My copy which was published in Australia under the title "The Beauty of the Cat" (and with a different cover) is exactly the same as "The Elegance of the Cat" as published in other countries.
Very odd but beauty and elegance (as well as a lot of other terms) are very apt descriptions of our feline friends.
An ideal book for cat lovers and a great gift for friends of that persuasion.
Printed on high quality paper, the all-color photos are simply stunning. And with that you get a comprehensive text of the history of more than fifty cat breeds through the years.
The images in this book clearly capture the many facets of what makes a cat a cat - its beauty, spirit, intelligence and wit.
Very odd but beauty and elegance (as well as a lot of other terms) are very apt descriptions of our feline friends.
An ideal book for cat lovers and a great gift for friends of that persuasion.
Printed on high quality paper, the all-color photos are simply stunning. And with that you get a comprehensive text of the history of more than fifty cat breeds through the years.
The images in this book clearly capture the many facets of what makes a cat a cat - its beauty, spirit, intelligence and wit.
July 23, 2017
beautiful book. details on various breeds. the photography is wonderful. <3
May 30, 2018
Amazing Book. I learn't so much about cats
July 15, 2015
Artistic photos
Personality descriptions of the breeds are overly positive !
Personality descriptions of the breeds are overly positive !
December 17, 2013
Beautiful photos.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews