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War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War II
"This book will delight both animal lovers and military buffs!" — Elizabeth Letts, bestselling author of The Eighty Dollar Champion
Millions rallied to the cause of freedom against Nazism and the menace of Imperial Japan. But did you know that some of those heroes had fur, or feathers? War animals guarded American coasts against submarine attack, dug out Londoners trapped in bomb wreckage, and carried vital messages under heavy fire on Pacific islands. They kept up morale, rushed machine gun nests, and even sacrificed themselves picking up live grenades.
Now Robin Hutton, the bestselling author of Sgt. America’s War Horse , tells the heart-warming stories of the dogs, horses, mules, pigeons—and even one cat—who did their bit for the war effort. American and British families volunteered beloved family pets and farm dogs to aid in the war effort; Americans, including President Roosevelt, bought honorary commissions in the reserves for lapdogs and other pets not suitable for military duties to “exempt” them from war service and raise money to defeat Hitler and Tojo. Many of these gallant animals are recipients of the prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal, the “Animals’ Victoria Cross.”
In War The Unsung Heroes of World War II you’ll
-Judy, the POW dog who helped her beloved human survive brutal Japanese prison camps
-Cher Ami, the pigeon who nearly died delivering a message that saved American troops from death by friendly fire
-Beauty, the “digging dog” who sniffed out Londoners buried in the wreckage of the Blitz—along with pets, including one goldfish still in its bowl!
-Olga, the horse who braved shattering glass to do her duty in London bombings
-Smoky, the Yorkshire terrier who did parachute jumps, laid communications wire through a pipe so small only she could navigate it, became the first therapy dog—and starred on a weekly TV show after the War
-Simon, the war cat whose campaign against the “Mao Tse Tung” of the rat world saved food supplies and his ship’s crew
-Chips, who guarded Roosevelt and Churchill during the Casablanca Conference, and the only dog to earn a Silver Star for his heroics
The shining loyalty and courage of these heroes is a testimony to the enduring bond between us and the animals we love.
Millions rallied to the cause of freedom against Nazism and the menace of Imperial Japan. But did you know that some of those heroes had fur, or feathers? War animals guarded American coasts against submarine attack, dug out Londoners trapped in bomb wreckage, and carried vital messages under heavy fire on Pacific islands. They kept up morale, rushed machine gun nests, and even sacrificed themselves picking up live grenades.
Now Robin Hutton, the bestselling author of Sgt. America’s War Horse , tells the heart-warming stories of the dogs, horses, mules, pigeons—and even one cat—who did their bit for the war effort. American and British families volunteered beloved family pets and farm dogs to aid in the war effort; Americans, including President Roosevelt, bought honorary commissions in the reserves for lapdogs and other pets not suitable for military duties to “exempt” them from war service and raise money to defeat Hitler and Tojo. Many of these gallant animals are recipients of the prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal, the “Animals’ Victoria Cross.”
In War The Unsung Heroes of World War II you’ll
-Judy, the POW dog who helped her beloved human survive brutal Japanese prison camps
-Cher Ami, the pigeon who nearly died delivering a message that saved American troops from death by friendly fire
-Beauty, the “digging dog” who sniffed out Londoners buried in the wreckage of the Blitz—along with pets, including one goldfish still in its bowl!
-Olga, the horse who braved shattering glass to do her duty in London bombings
-Smoky, the Yorkshire terrier who did parachute jumps, laid communications wire through a pipe so small only she could navigate it, became the first therapy dog—and starred on a weekly TV show after the War
-Simon, the war cat whose campaign against the “Mao Tse Tung” of the rat world saved food supplies and his ship’s crew
-Chips, who guarded Roosevelt and Churchill during the Casablanca Conference, and the only dog to earn a Silver Star for his heroics
The shining loyalty and courage of these heroes is a testimony to the enduring bond between us and the animals we love.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 18, 2018
31 people are currently reading
505 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 27, 2019
Great photos but the poor writing does little to honor these amazing animals and made this book incredibly disappointing. Way too many puns, “funny” or overly colloquial phrasing, unnecessary asides and obvious statements. The author also seemed to assume that readers were totally uninformed (for example, a single-sentence paragraph informing readers “it was January 1942—just a month after Pearl Harbor” appears only two pages after the attack date was explicitly stated). There were also two instances where names were replaced with 1) that of a different animal and 2) a surname never mentioned elsewhere in the book. The author drew from the list of Dickin Medal recipients, thus the book focuses on dogs (about 245 out of 360 pages) and Allied (mostly American) forces; the book might have been stronger if it only focused on these elements, as the brief sections on pigeons, horses, mules, and one cat come across as tacked-on afterthoughts.
October 19, 2018
I received an ARC copy of this book; unfortunately this copy does not include the pictures that will be in the upcoming completed edition.
I found this book fascinating. I had really never given a thought to war animals; I really felt that this was a story that needed to be told, I really cannot wait for the consumer copy to be released so that I can see the photographs that go along with the story.
This is a piece of history that no one pays attention to. I am positive that this would be a perfect history book for school children.
I think everyone should take a look at this book.
I found this book fascinating. I had really never given a thought to war animals; I really felt that this was a story that needed to be told, I really cannot wait for the consumer copy to be released so that I can see the photographs that go along with the story.
This is a piece of history that no one pays attention to. I am positive that this would be a perfect history book for school children.
I think everyone should take a look at this book.
July 30, 2019
Now that I've had time to collect my thoughts-- I was kind of disappointed with this book. Maybe it's because the previous book I'd read was Mama's Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Tell Us about Ourselves, written by a man who has devoted his life to studying primate emotions, that made this one just fall flat. This book gives the feeling that the author is passionate about animals but in an "Aww" way instead of a science way.
The informality is found mostly in the author's lack of credibility. This isn't me being entitled and expecting her to have dedicated her life to learning about war animals but in some of the things she mentions that seem to have slipped past the editor. For instance, on page 11 the author says:
The other aspect of this book that lacked credibility is how much the author anthropomorphizes animals. Not receiving a medal is a distinctly negative experience for an animal as their accomplishments have gone unrewarded. Animal "heroism" is found in their lack of complaints about their workloads; in their lack of complaints about feeling pain. Sinbad, a navy dog, is referred to as a "scallywag" because he would go to local bars, sit at the barstools, and drink shots of whiskey if the bartenders gave them to him-- there was no mention of the effect of alcohol on dogs.
Which brings me to my final point: everything is seen through an incredibly rosy lens. Dogs are taken into life-threatening situations needlessly and the author crows about how their willingness to come along gave the human soldiers a reason to live. Dogs are shot by shrapnel and silently bear the pain until they're unconscious and the author crows about their stoic heroism. We only receive heartwarming stories told through an extremely human-centric lens. This book's extreme bias and informality made it a bummer to read. I don't recommend it.
The informality is found mostly in the author's lack of credibility. This isn't me being entitled and expecting her to have dedicated her life to learning about war animals but in some of the things she mentions that seem to have slipped past the editor. For instance, on page 11 the author says:
"Female [dogs] were acceptable, although eventually all females were ordered spayed; a female in heat created chaos among the males and was difficult to handle, and so was her litter. The manual didn't bother with polite euphemisms: "it has been determined that the spaying of bitches is a military necessity and to the best interests of the military service."This strongly suggests to me that the author thinks "bitches" in this context is a swear word given that she mentions "polite euphemisms" and that's the only word with a secondary negative usage. However, that makes absolutely no sense given that the technical term for a female dog is bitch. There were a variety of quotes like this one that gave me pause while I was listening to the audiobook. It's hard to trust the reliability of a nonfiction title when somebody doesn't recognize basic terminology.
The other aspect of this book that lacked credibility is how much the author anthropomorphizes animals. Not receiving a medal is a distinctly negative experience for an animal as their accomplishments have gone unrewarded. Animal "heroism" is found in their lack of complaints about their workloads; in their lack of complaints about feeling pain. Sinbad, a navy dog, is referred to as a "scallywag" because he would go to local bars, sit at the barstools, and drink shots of whiskey if the bartenders gave them to him-- there was no mention of the effect of alcohol on dogs.
Which brings me to my final point: everything is seen through an incredibly rosy lens. Dogs are taken into life-threatening situations needlessly and the author crows about how their willingness to come along gave the human soldiers a reason to live. Dogs are shot by shrapnel and silently bear the pain until they're unconscious and the author crows about their stoic heroism. We only receive heartwarming stories told through an extremely human-centric lens. This book's extreme bias and informality made it a bummer to read. I don't recommend it.
February 24, 2019
Summary:
https://www.amazon.com/War-Animals-Un...
Meet the forgotten members of the Greatest Generation: the war animals who guarded American coasts against submarine attack, dug out Londoners trapped in bomb wreckage, and carried vital messages under heavy fire on Pacific islands during World War II. They kept up morale, rushed machine gun nests, and even sacrificed themselves picking up live grenades.
Now Robin Hutton, the bestselling author of Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse, tells the heartwarming stories of the dogs, horses, mules, pigeons—and even one cat—who did their bit for the war effort. American and British families volunteered beloved family pets and farm dogs to aid in the war effort; President Roosevelt was among many who bought honorary "commissions" in the reserves for their pets to raise money to defeat Hitler and Tojo. Many of these gallant animals are recipients of the prestigious Dickin Medal, the "Animals' Victoria Cross."
In War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War II you'll meet:
- Judy, the POW dog who helped her beloved human survive brutal Japanese prison camps
- Cher Ami, the pigeon who nearly died delivering a message that saved American troops from death by friendly fire
- Beauty, the "digging dog" who sniffed out Londoners buried in the wreckage of the Blitz—along with pets, including one goldfish still in its bowl!
- Olga, the horse who braved shattering glass to do her duty in London bombings
- Smoky, the Yorkshire terrier who did parachute jumps, laid communications wire through a pipe so small only she could navigate it, became the first therapy dog—and starred on a weekly TV show after the War
- Simon, the war cat whose campaign against the "Mao Tse Tung" of the rat world saved food supplies and his ship's crew
- Chips, who guarded Roosevelt and Churchill during the Casablanca Conference, and was the only dog to earn a Silver Star for his heroics
The shining loyalty and courage of these heroes is a testimony to the enduring bond between us and the animals we love.
Tammi's opinion:
I enjoyed the book learning about the wonderful characteristics of the animals (the pigeons were amazing). War always makes me sad and sickened because of the toll it takes on humans and now on animals. I am glad that we have animals to ease some of the burden but it is sad that that animals have to because we cause that burden in the first place.
I was amazed who people let the military use their beloved pets.
Facts from book:
pg 12-dog breeds military use: "poodles never served overseas, working strictly stateside assignments as sentries and guard dogs, and ultimately they didn't make the Army's final list: Alaska Malamute, Belgian sheep dog, farm collie, Doberman pinscher, Eskimo, German sheered and Siberian husky. Crosses of these breed were also acceptable. Ironically just a year after Germany's surrender the German shepherd's versatility, traits, and breeding won it bragging rights as the "official dog of the US Army."
The Army, Coast Guard, Navy and Marines all used dogs. They were used as sentries, messengers, scouts, attackers and helping with casualties.
The animals were celebrated like their human war mates with honors and a medal. Some even had movies and stories ran in magazines about them.
pg 82. "Accounts of Jack's heroics and those of his comrades-in-tails, appeared widely in the press. In the fall of 1945 Courage Comics magazine ran a five-page story about Jack under the headline "Red Badge of Courage." Jack's hometown Nassau Daily Review Star offered an editorial cartoon featuring the local hero seated among palm trees with a Japanese flag in his mouth, looking pretty proud of himself."
pg. 106 "After the war, in 1946, Sinbad's biography was published. Sinbad of the Coast Guard was written by Chief Specialist George F. Foley, Jr., of the Coast Guard Reserve."
"In 1947, Universal Pictures made a short war-years documentary on Sinbad titled Sinbad: Dog of the Seven Seas."
Great Britain use many dogs in World War I (sentries and messengers) and II(at first when II broke out, the British thought there would not be any place for dogs because of technical advances." [NOTE: I think that we should take note of this--we as a culture rely so much on technology that I don't think we have a back up plan when it can easily be taken out or fail!!!].
Food rationing--made them take another look at pets.
pg 124-"The Brits' preferred breeds included Alsatians, Airedales,(they had been used heavily in World War I), boxers, Kerry Blue terriers, farm collies (as messenger dogs only), bull terriers, labradors, and curly coated retrievers. Many cross-breeds, however, also were deemed suitable."
Loved the story of Ricky.
Learned about the PDSA and the medal (Dickin) they gave to honor these animals.
Used greatly in the area of search and rescue. (Irma). pg 191--"The most important quality in a search -and-rescue dog is a good nose.
Fascinated learning about pigeons. They mate for life. The male and female share sitting on egg. Sometimes trainers introduced another male pigeon to make the male jeolous making sure he would want to fly back. Pigeons were used as messengers and spies(had special cameras mounted on them).
Pigeon-GI Joe, Commando, William of Orange. Used them is bombers.
Other animals they used: horses and mules.
Simon the cat on ship to catch rats and as a morale boaster.
https://www.amazon.com/War-Animals-Un...
Meet the forgotten members of the Greatest Generation: the war animals who guarded American coasts against submarine attack, dug out Londoners trapped in bomb wreckage, and carried vital messages under heavy fire on Pacific islands during World War II. They kept up morale, rushed machine gun nests, and even sacrificed themselves picking up live grenades.
Now Robin Hutton, the bestselling author of Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse, tells the heartwarming stories of the dogs, horses, mules, pigeons—and even one cat—who did their bit for the war effort. American and British families volunteered beloved family pets and farm dogs to aid in the war effort; President Roosevelt was among many who bought honorary "commissions" in the reserves for their pets to raise money to defeat Hitler and Tojo. Many of these gallant animals are recipients of the prestigious Dickin Medal, the "Animals' Victoria Cross."
In War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War II you'll meet:
- Judy, the POW dog who helped her beloved human survive brutal Japanese prison camps
- Cher Ami, the pigeon who nearly died delivering a message that saved American troops from death by friendly fire
- Beauty, the "digging dog" who sniffed out Londoners buried in the wreckage of the Blitz—along with pets, including one goldfish still in its bowl!
- Olga, the horse who braved shattering glass to do her duty in London bombings
- Smoky, the Yorkshire terrier who did parachute jumps, laid communications wire through a pipe so small only she could navigate it, became the first therapy dog—and starred on a weekly TV show after the War
- Simon, the war cat whose campaign against the "Mao Tse Tung" of the rat world saved food supplies and his ship's crew
- Chips, who guarded Roosevelt and Churchill during the Casablanca Conference, and was the only dog to earn a Silver Star for his heroics
The shining loyalty and courage of these heroes is a testimony to the enduring bond between us and the animals we love.
Tammi's opinion:
I enjoyed the book learning about the wonderful characteristics of the animals (the pigeons were amazing). War always makes me sad and sickened because of the toll it takes on humans and now on animals. I am glad that we have animals to ease some of the burden but it is sad that that animals have to because we cause that burden in the first place.
I was amazed who people let the military use their beloved pets.
Facts from book:
pg 12-dog breeds military use: "poodles never served overseas, working strictly stateside assignments as sentries and guard dogs, and ultimately they didn't make the Army's final list: Alaska Malamute, Belgian sheep dog, farm collie, Doberman pinscher, Eskimo, German sheered and Siberian husky. Crosses of these breed were also acceptable. Ironically just a year after Germany's surrender the German shepherd's versatility, traits, and breeding won it bragging rights as the "official dog of the US Army."
The Army, Coast Guard, Navy and Marines all used dogs. They were used as sentries, messengers, scouts, attackers and helping with casualties.
The animals were celebrated like their human war mates with honors and a medal. Some even had movies and stories ran in magazines about them.
pg 82. "Accounts of Jack's heroics and those of his comrades-in-tails, appeared widely in the press. In the fall of 1945 Courage Comics magazine ran a five-page story about Jack under the headline "Red Badge of Courage." Jack's hometown Nassau Daily Review Star offered an editorial cartoon featuring the local hero seated among palm trees with a Japanese flag in his mouth, looking pretty proud of himself."
pg. 106 "After the war, in 1946, Sinbad's biography was published. Sinbad of the Coast Guard was written by Chief Specialist George F. Foley, Jr., of the Coast Guard Reserve."
"In 1947, Universal Pictures made a short war-years documentary on Sinbad titled Sinbad: Dog of the Seven Seas."
Great Britain use many dogs in World War I (sentries and messengers) and II(at first when II broke out, the British thought there would not be any place for dogs because of technical advances." [NOTE: I think that we should take note of this--we as a culture rely so much on technology that I don't think we have a back up plan when it can easily be taken out or fail!!!].
Food rationing--made them take another look at pets.
pg 124-"The Brits' preferred breeds included Alsatians, Airedales,(they had been used heavily in World War I), boxers, Kerry Blue terriers, farm collies (as messenger dogs only), bull terriers, labradors, and curly coated retrievers. Many cross-breeds, however, also were deemed suitable."
Loved the story of Ricky.
Learned about the PDSA and the medal (Dickin) they gave to honor these animals.
Used greatly in the area of search and rescue. (Irma). pg 191--"The most important quality in a search -and-rescue dog is a good nose.
Fascinated learning about pigeons. They mate for life. The male and female share sitting on egg. Sometimes trainers introduced another male pigeon to make the male jeolous making sure he would want to fly back. Pigeons were used as messengers and spies(had special cameras mounted on them).
Pigeon-GI Joe, Commando, William of Orange. Used them is bombers.
Other animals they used: horses and mules.
Simon the cat on ship to catch rats and as a morale boaster.
September 6, 2023
I was not that familiar whit animals that were in world war II before reading War animals. I probably first say this book years ago and now I finally got around to reading it.
It talks about dogs first, then moves on to pigeons, horses, talks a little about mules and then it talks about a cat. The cat was not in world war II but, it was on a ship shortly after the war. A lot of the animals in the book were recipients of the PDSA Dickin metal.
Some of the things that the animals in the book did I did not think animals were capable of. One dog jumped into a hut with a machine gun and stopped soldiers from being killed. One of the most interesting dogs I read about was smoky who learned to do tricks and saw people in hospitals.
And reading about pigeons I learned a few things about them that I had never considered. They don't like flying at night, in bad weather or over water. And I also never thought that the military had used homing pigeons in WWII. And I also never new that people raced pigeons. Now I do.
So I thought war animals was a good book about a subject that I had not know much about.
It talks about dogs first, then moves on to pigeons, horses, talks a little about mules and then it talks about a cat. The cat was not in world war II but, it was on a ship shortly after the war. A lot of the animals in the book were recipients of the PDSA Dickin metal.
Some of the things that the animals in the book did I did not think animals were capable of. One dog jumped into a hut with a machine gun and stopped soldiers from being killed. One of the most interesting dogs I read about was smoky who learned to do tricks and saw people in hospitals.
And reading about pigeons I learned a few things about them that I had never considered. They don't like flying at night, in bad weather or over water. And I also never thought that the military had used homing pigeons in WWII. And I also never new that people raced pigeons. Now I do.
So I thought war animals was a good book about a subject that I had not know much about.
October 11, 2018
Firstly, big thanks to Goodreads for me winning this book. Secondly, ow the puns. Seriously, ow.
Other than that, though, good book. I liked the somewhat impersonal style instead of being a stiff-necked history report. These were some impressive animals. I'd almost expect a sequel from the way the author teased other recipients of the Dickin medal if it weren't for the (much appreciated) Appendix briefly noting them already.
I have my usual complaints of having read a Kindle copy and would have preferred print, though this did seem more digitally integrated than other books I've experienced. It was easy to click the little numbers at the end of the sentence. Granted, more often it was a bibliography reference instead of an interesting note, but at least it was easy. Also, I was able to zoom in on some of the pictures.
All told, I was impressed with the writing and the animals. Almost made me want to have one, but, apologies to my children, still no.
Other than that, though, good book. I liked the somewhat impersonal style instead of being a stiff-necked history report. These were some impressive animals. I'd almost expect a sequel from the way the author teased other recipients of the Dickin medal if it weren't for the (much appreciated) Appendix briefly noting them already.
I have my usual complaints of having read a Kindle copy and would have preferred print, though this did seem more digitally integrated than other books I've experienced. It was easy to click the little numbers at the end of the sentence. Granted, more often it was a bibliography reference instead of an interesting note, but at least it was easy. Also, I was able to zoom in on some of the pictures.
All told, I was impressed with the writing and the animals. Almost made me want to have one, but, apologies to my children, still no.
October 10, 2024
I think this book is fantastic! It showcases some of the brightest and best of our animal heroes. If an animal has smarts and then it's combined with the proper training and affection, amazing things can happen! I was particularly impressed by the dogs who saved servicemen from drowning. I know we also owe a dept of admiration to carrier pigeons and other animals, such as the cat who saved the navy crew's food supply by killing a rat a day and also possibly kept humans from disease. Thanks to all the other animals listed, many people survived.
It's a great read, and I think readers who gave this work so few stars are very picky snobs. Don't pay attention to them and enjoy the book. It would also make a great Christmas gift for people like one of my relatives who is a pigeon fancier.
It's a great read, and I think readers who gave this work so few stars are very picky snobs. Don't pay attention to them and enjoy the book. It would also make a great Christmas gift for people like one of my relatives who is a pigeon fancier.
January 13, 2020
I found this book to be very informative regarding the story of animals: dogs, birds, horses, mules, and yes, even a cat, in the history of warfare. While some reviewers thought the stories somewhat boring or lacking in accuracy, overall I found the details provided on the heroic actions of the various individual animals awe inspiring. Everyone should be able to recognize the devotion shown by the “combatants” in the most challenging of circumstances. It is truly amazing that so many animals were able to provide not only comfort to their human companions and fellow soldiers and sailors but to also save many hundreds of lives.
November 17, 2018
This book chronicles some of the unsung (and sung) heroes of World War II, the animals who many times risked life and limb to save soldiers in the line of duty. The stories are engaging of these animals, where they came from, their training and the comrades they served beside. Amazing tales of bravery and sacrifice. This is a wonderful account of dogs, cats, horses and even pigeons! I highly recommend "War Animals" to anyone interested in this era as well as those who share the love of animals and the amazing things they have done i difficult circumstances.
August 5, 2019
We rightly celebrate the valiant efforts of those who fought in WWII. What the book reveals are some incredible stories of the non-human soldiers who played a critical role in the Allied victory. Sharing the backgrounds, actions in the war, and lives following the war of several service dogs, birds and even cats, Hutton shares wonderful and interesting stories of several animals which, quite honestly, most people would never otherwise know or ever hear of. A book all would enjoy, especially those who have a special place in their hearts for animals.
January 21, 2021
I can't believe it's taken me this long to read this book. I'm 35 and War (especially WW2) and animals (especially dogs) are 2 of my favorite interest and both of those things put together ended up being just as magical as I thought it would be. A couple of different times she makes extremely corny jokes that make dad-jokes appear edgy but I can respect her for that instead of being too cool and passing up sweet puns when she obviously wanted to.
October 14, 2024
Heartwarming
There are not usually a lot of heartwarming moments when reading about WWII history, so this was a refreshing book. Full of stories of animals that either saved lives (there were many!) or healed hearts, or both. I was aware of the remarkable work that carrier pigeons did, the stories of dogs were new to me, and so interesting. Had to wait til the last chapter for the cat though! Includes aspects of WWII history that was new to me as well, so time well spent overall.
There are not usually a lot of heartwarming moments when reading about WWII history, so this was a refreshing book. Full of stories of animals that either saved lives (there were many!) or healed hearts, or both. I was aware of the remarkable work that carrier pigeons did, the stories of dogs were new to me, and so interesting. Had to wait til the last chapter for the cat though! Includes aspects of WWII history that was new to me as well, so time well spent overall.
September 18, 2018
What a fascinating read! This book can be enjoyed by such a wide swath of readers...from people who love history to animal lovers The stories about the animals and birds that saved lives during the wars makes an amazing tale. The author obviously did an incredible amount of research in order to bring so many of these animal exploits to life.
October 22, 2018
This book was really fascinating! I enjoyed learning about all the different ways animals were used in WWII. I liked that the author gave a general overview and then focused on individual animals. I hardly knew anything about pigeons before I read this book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves either animals or history.
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Yay!
November 18, 2018
This book is a must-read for everyone, but truly a must for animal lovers. The author speaks in detail the bravery of these animals and the stories of the many lives they saved. A great homage to all the War Animals of World War II. Highly recommend!
I received a free ebook download from a goodreads giveaway. Thank you so much. I loved it!
I received a free ebook download from a goodreads giveaway. Thank you so much. I loved it!
August 19, 2021
Considering that Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse by Robbin Hutton is one of my all-time favorite books, I was hopeful that War Animals would be yet another enjoyable and educational read. I was left sorely disappointed.
The writing in War Animals felt incredibly weak and repetitive. There were inserts of random, unnecessary jokes, and the transitions between stories felt awkward. Hutton's wiring did a complete 180 from Sgt. Reckless.
The title of the book felt slightly misleading. The majority of the book is dog stories (50%) and roughly 30-40% of the remaining stories were all about pigeons. The horse stories, the mention of mules, and the singular cat story lacked substance and felt tacked on. There was significantly less variety in stories than what was implied.
There was a handful of stories I truly enjoyed and appreciated, but overall War Animals was lacking. If you are looking for a brilliant story of an animal at war, I recommend Hutton's book Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse a million times over.
The writing in War Animals felt incredibly weak and repetitive. There were inserts of random, unnecessary jokes, and the transitions between stories felt awkward. Hutton's wiring did a complete 180 from Sgt. Reckless.
The title of the book felt slightly misleading. The majority of the book is dog stories (50%) and roughly 30-40% of the remaining stories were all about pigeons. The horse stories, the mention of mules, and the singular cat story lacked substance and felt tacked on. There was significantly less variety in stories than what was implied.
There was a handful of stories I truly enjoyed and appreciated, but overall War Animals was lacking. If you are looking for a brilliant story of an animal at war, I recommend Hutton's book Sgt. Reckless: America's War Horse a million times over.
September 12, 2024
Loved this book! I had no idea about the use of animals in the military world and the individual stories of the dogs, horses, mules, a cat, and even pigeons in the book were enlightening-- She calls them 'unsung heroes' and truly they are-- they accomplished so much and I enjoyed reading their stories.
September 25, 2018
As an animal-lover, I knew this would appeal to me. This is well-researched & a delight to read. While I was not surprised by the devotion animals show humans, I was very touched by the human soldiers' dedication to & love for their animals. I received a Kindle edition from a Goodreads giveaway.
November 20, 2018
I loved reading about war dogs and their deeds. Each profile of their accomplishments was descriptive and well- written. I skipped the bird section because I was not too interested. The other animal profiles were great too.
November 27, 2018
Be prepared to cry your eyes out. Amazing stories, amazing animals, amazing people. I sort of wish it wasn't just focused on WWII and did a grander scope.
April 22, 2020
Fascinating...and emotional. Amazing research.
July 4, 2021
Great book
A must read for animal lovers. And history of World War Two . A great book for anyone who has a pet
A must read for animal lovers. And history of World War Two . A great book for anyone who has a pet
Currently reading
July 4, 2023So far loving this book!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2023
An insightful look into the animals (equines, dogs, birds and, yes, cats!) that provided comfort, saved lives, and worked with soldiers of war. Loved it!
September 22, 2023
I can't say the writing is excellent, but the stories are awesome!
Read the book, dont listen to the audio. The reader sounds like a computer. Is that a thing now?
Read the book, dont listen to the audio. The reader sounds like a computer. Is that a thing now?
July 30, 2024
A very interesting book on animals used during the war. Horses I understand and dogs I get to but some of the things they did were amazing. Also pigeons and a cat!
February 8, 2019
Won in a goodreads giveaway. A really interesting book full of anecdotal stories that show the compassion and horror in war. It was an interesting read for historical war stories and for tales of animals.
September 3, 2019
I found this book interesting although I disagreed with Robin Hutton's description of many of these animals as "heroes." I don't mean that their service wasn't vital or that we don't owe them great respect, gratitude, and reverence. We certainly do, more far the medals and speeches, monuments and statues we provide in their honor. These animals did not "volunteer" to serve us or to give up their lives in our behalf. They did what was in their inherent natures combined with the training they received from humans. They had no meaningful choice and never gave informed consent. We used them for our own purposes, and when we do that we assume a staggering responsibility.
When we require animals to serve our needs, we owe them a good life and the vow to not sell their lives cheaply. Too often working dogs are sent into gun fire when it is unnecessary, when other means would have achieved the same end without risking the animal. We also owe them excellent living conditions where their physical and emotional needs are fully met. Too often this is not done citing "lack of adequate funding." And that is a travesty. We have no right to ask of these creatures more than we are willing to do for them.
I do support the use of working animals, but please let's not pretend that it is their choice to serve. It is ours. They are amazing in their capabilities and we need to remember that, to view their contributions as essential to us. Our obligation to them is greater than theirs to us because we are cognizant of the price to be extracted, and they are not.
I also found it instructive that many of the dogs "loaned" for military use in Britain by their owners during WWII were turned over to the government because severe food rationing made it literally impossible for their families to provide for them. The United States also had a similar donation program and families did give up their pets for service, but in Britain the program was larger and more extensive.
This is an important book for us to read, animal advocates as well as those less invested in the subject. We are all responsible because we all benefit from the sacrifices of these animals. We owe them much, and the examples in this book illustrate some of that. We need to understand what we are asking and to be fully aware that they are not given a choice. For me that rises above heroics because heroes understand the risks, and so they have the benefit of knowing that potential sacrifice can also have great benefit. The animals do what is asked of them because of training and loyalty to their trusted humans. We need to accept that awesome responsibility and honor them with judicious deployment into danger and loving care throughout their entire lives.
When we require animals to serve our needs, we owe them a good life and the vow to not sell their lives cheaply. Too often working dogs are sent into gun fire when it is unnecessary, when other means would have achieved the same end without risking the animal. We also owe them excellent living conditions where their physical and emotional needs are fully met. Too often this is not done citing "lack of adequate funding." And that is a travesty. We have no right to ask of these creatures more than we are willing to do for them.
I do support the use of working animals, but please let's not pretend that it is their choice to serve. It is ours. They are amazing in their capabilities and we need to remember that, to view their contributions as essential to us. Our obligation to them is greater than theirs to us because we are cognizant of the price to be extracted, and they are not.
I also found it instructive that many of the dogs "loaned" for military use in Britain by their owners during WWII were turned over to the government because severe food rationing made it literally impossible for their families to provide for them. The United States also had a similar donation program and families did give up their pets for service, but in Britain the program was larger and more extensive.
This is an important book for us to read, animal advocates as well as those less invested in the subject. We are all responsible because we all benefit from the sacrifices of these animals. We owe them much, and the examples in this book illustrate some of that. We need to understand what we are asking and to be fully aware that they are not given a choice. For me that rises above heroics because heroes understand the risks, and so they have the benefit of knowing that potential sacrifice can also have great benefit. The animals do what is asked of them because of training and loyalty to their trusted humans. We need to accept that awesome responsibility and honor them with judicious deployment into danger and loving care throughout their entire lives.
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April 29, 2019MWSA Review
War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War II tells the story of American and Allied dogs, horses, mules, birds, and a cat that assisted the war effort as part of the Greatest Generation. Bestselling author Robin Hutton brings these stories to readers in an entertaining manner while interspersing historical facts important and necessary in this kind of work. This is not just another animal book; it’s a book of war hero animals’ contributions to winning World War II.
Hutton captures the animal personalities, and particularly in the cases of the dogs, shows the tremendous power of the human and animal bond. She educates readers on how countries initiated the animal recruitment and training programs, and includes quotes and research from animal organizations and war departments demonstrating a truly combined effort to use every available asset to achieve the impossible goals.
The author recognizes the sacrifices ordinary citizens made in giving up their beloved pets for duty and follows the pets through their time in service. She does a phenomenal job in painstakingly documenting the recognition these heroes earned and includes photographs of many receiving their respected Dickins Medals. The collection of photographs complimented the work tremendously and leaves a lasting impression on readers.
Extremely well-researched and documented, War Animals is an important and one-of-a-kind compilation of World War II history. The fact that it is also written like a series of movie scenes makes this work that much more enjoyable. The reader gets to know the animals, their owners, their handlers, and their fans, and their many varied exploits. The author does not gloss over the realities of war but manages to bring light and much-deserved recognition to heroic war animals and those who cared for them.
Review by Valerie Ormond (April 2019)
War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War II tells the story of American and Allied dogs, horses, mules, birds, and a cat that assisted the war effort as part of the Greatest Generation. Bestselling author Robin Hutton brings these stories to readers in an entertaining manner while interspersing historical facts important and necessary in this kind of work. This is not just another animal book; it’s a book of war hero animals’ contributions to winning World War II.
Hutton captures the animal personalities, and particularly in the cases of the dogs, shows the tremendous power of the human and animal bond. She educates readers on how countries initiated the animal recruitment and training programs, and includes quotes and research from animal organizations and war departments demonstrating a truly combined effort to use every available asset to achieve the impossible goals.
The author recognizes the sacrifices ordinary citizens made in giving up their beloved pets for duty and follows the pets through their time in service. She does a phenomenal job in painstakingly documenting the recognition these heroes earned and includes photographs of many receiving their respected Dickins Medals. The collection of photographs complimented the work tremendously and leaves a lasting impression on readers.
Extremely well-researched and documented, War Animals is an important and one-of-a-kind compilation of World War II history. The fact that it is also written like a series of movie scenes makes this work that much more enjoyable. The reader gets to know the animals, their owners, their handlers, and their fans, and their many varied exploits. The author does not gloss over the realities of war but manages to bring light and much-deserved recognition to heroic war animals and those who cared for them.
Review by Valerie Ormond (April 2019)
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