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Et Tu, Cavapoo? The instant Sunday Times bestseller
'If you love dogs, if you love travel and if you don't mind Mark, you will love this book' Paddy McGuinness
Call me Mark. My first time in the Roman district of Trastevere was in 1997 whilst covering the England World Cup qualifier for Radio 1. Nearly thirty years later, I'm headed back there, with my wife Bella and dog Arlo in tow.
Call me Arlo. I normally hate the sight of suitcases in case it means Him and Her are leaving me, but this time I'm coming with them. I've got my favourite food packed and my doggy passport ready to go.
In March 2024, the radio presenter Mark Radcliffe and his wife Bella set off from Cheshire in their VW Beetle convertible for a three-month sojourn in Rome taking with them their beloved and pampered five-year old cavapoo, Arlo.
Et Tu Cavapoo? is an account of their time there, told alternately between Mark and Arlo. Join them as they take in the sights (and sniffs) of Rome - from Arlo being taunted by his mortal enemies at the city's cat colony, the pros and cons of queueing for pizza at a trattoria, Arlo's fear of water extending to the Trevi Fountain, discovering what exactly the Spanish had to do with those famous steps, and the site where Shakespeare's Caesar uttered the immortal 'Et tu, Brute'?
Told with humour, affection and insight, this is a travel book like no other as one man and his dog seek to understand each other in one of the great cities of the world. A must-read for lovers of travel and history, food and drink, art and architecture, but also those seeking a deep insight into the eccentricities of the canine mind.
Call me Mark. My first time in the Roman district of Trastevere was in 1997 whilst covering the England World Cup qualifier for Radio 1. Nearly thirty years later, I'm headed back there, with my wife Bella and dog Arlo in tow.
Call me Arlo. I normally hate the sight of suitcases in case it means Him and Her are leaving me, but this time I'm coming with them. I've got my favourite food packed and my doggy passport ready to go.
In March 2024, the radio presenter Mark Radcliffe and his wife Bella set off from Cheshire in their VW Beetle convertible for a three-month sojourn in Rome taking with them their beloved and pampered five-year old cavapoo, Arlo.
Et Tu Cavapoo? is an account of their time there, told alternately between Mark and Arlo. Join them as they take in the sights (and sniffs) of Rome - from Arlo being taunted by his mortal enemies at the city's cat colony, the pros and cons of queueing for pizza at a trattoria, Arlo's fear of water extending to the Trevi Fountain, discovering what exactly the Spanish had to do with those famous steps, and the site where Shakespeare's Caesar uttered the immortal 'Et tu, Brute'?
Told with humour, affection and insight, this is a travel book like no other as one man and his dog seek to understand each other in one of the great cities of the world. A must-read for lovers of travel and history, food and drink, art and architecture, but also those seeking a deep insight into the eccentricities of the canine mind.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published January 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 31, 2026
I liked the idea of this book more than I enjoyed reading it. It was quite entertaining reading from Arlo's perspective, but Mark was quite repetitive and I didn't feel like he was very detailed about the road trip or the sights they visited along the way. Could've been better, to be honest I skipped the last two chapters and just read the epilogue (by Arlo).
February 17, 2026
Having been to Rome myself this was an enjoyable easy read, my favourite quote is down below as it’s just so true haha!
“In Rome, there doesn't seem to be a hard-and-fast rule about stopping to let pedestrians walk over a crossing. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Within the reasonable bounds of safety you've just got to go for it. Nonchalantly, of course. You don't want them thinking they've got you worried.
And absolutely nobody ever indicates, which is clearly viewed as an affectation. I suppose, to be fair, you've only got two hands and you're utilising those already: one on the steering wheel and the other to hold your phone, which everyone routinely uses while driving.”
“In Rome, there doesn't seem to be a hard-and-fast rule about stopping to let pedestrians walk over a crossing. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. Within the reasonable bounds of safety you've just got to go for it. Nonchalantly, of course. You don't want them thinking they've got you worried.
And absolutely nobody ever indicates, which is clearly viewed as an affectation. I suppose, to be fair, you've only got two hands and you're utilising those already: one on the steering wheel and the other to hold your phone, which everyone routinely uses while driving.”
April 4, 2026
Et Tu, Cavapoo? by Mark Radcliffe
⭐️⭐️.5
I had high expectations for this book, but it just wasn't as funny as I'd hoped.
It is much more a travel guide than a humorous telling of their visit to Rome.
⭐️⭐️.5
I had high expectations for this book, but it just wasn't as funny as I'd hoped.
It is much more a travel guide than a humorous telling of their visit to Rome.
January 11, 2026
I like Italy and Mark Radcliffe
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews