Cats

by Delia Pemberton (Editor)

Cats were first domesticated - or, more likely, noticed a warm fireside and chose to domesticate themselves - many thousands of years ago. Over the centuries they have performed a useful role as pest controllers, but much more as friends and companions of humans. This delightful illustrated anthology includes a selection of the many poems, anecdotes and quotations about cats, which have been written over the centuries.

96 pages, Paperback

Published March 23, 2015

About the author

Delia Pemberton is an author and lecturer in Egyptology, formerly with the British Museum and Birkbeck College, University of London, UK. Best known for her work in museum education, she has published a number of popular works on ancient Egypt and related topics for both adults and children.

Reviews

[Erika Canto]

Ilustraciones, cuentos, poemas, historia y más. Este libro es una delicia tanto literaria como visual para todo aquel amante de los felinos. Publicado por el museo británico quien reserva casi todas las obras de arte que aparecen en él, es un hermoso recordatorio de la impronta que ha dejado el gato en su paso histórico en relación con el ser humano. Supersticiones, cultura, deidades, leyes, y un infinito agradecimiento por su ayuda doméstica. Los catlovers como yo estarán fascinados con este libro. Hermoso 💚

[Cinder]

I didn’t expect to enjoy this nearly as much as I did! It was a gorgeous little anthology. William Blake’s poem, and the lore behind theatre cats, shall stay with me forever. Such a charming little read! :)

[Mya]

I definitely won't remember what was written in it, but it made my train and bus journey bearable. The selected excerpts and images were cute. A big bonus point for including, in French no less, Le Chat by Charles Baudelaire. That said, for people who do not speak French, this page must have been slightly frustrating, as no translation was provided.

[Nancy Groves]

This is a short anthology of literary works and art on the subject of cats, published by the British Museum. Some of the literary works are as short as a haiku or saying, and only one is longer than a page. They range in time from the 18th century BC (a translation from Babylonian cuneiform of a letter to a king wondering what to do about a lion who has taken up residence in the loft of a house) to the 20th century. If you're a cat lover, which I am, you'll appreciate this glimpse at what writers and visual artists from many times and places have had to say about felines.