Saluki: the book
About “Saluki”:
If you were given two rare and beautiful dogs from a distant country, how would you set about making them popular and securing Kennel Club status for the breed?
From the Valley of the Kings to Jazz-Age London, Brian’s book* tells the true story of the Edwardians in Egypt, Arabia, Syria, and Iraq who were devoted to the Saluki – the elite hunting hound of the Bedouin. Set against the birth of the modern Middle East, this history will capture the interest of a wide range of readers – as well as aficionados of the human-canine bond.
Updated4/13/10
One of the oldest known breeds of domesticated dogs, the Saluki traveled throughout the Middle East with a number of nomadic desert tribes, who favored the dogs for their unparalleled ability to hunt desert gazelles. Famously pained on the walls of the Pharaohs’ tombs, the Saluki have an exotic history that piqued the interests of dog enthusiasts and breeders during the early 20th century, including notable Edwardian men and women who played significant roles in popularizing the breed and importing the Saluki to Europe and the United States.
Saluki tells the unique, true story of the characters who brought the Saluki to the West, most notably the Honorable Florence Amherst, who became smitten with the breed during a family tour of Egypt and went on to breed a staggering number of 50 litters and 199 registered puppies. The author also brings into the story a range of other prominent world travelers who fell under the Salukis’ spell, including Lady Jane Digby, Lady Anne Blunt, Austen Layard and Gertrude Bell. Also covered in this book are a number of lesser-known but just as dedicated Saluki aficionados, mainly military officers who hunted with their hounds in the rugged deserts of Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. Popping in periodically to play important parts are Lawrence of Arabia and the discoverer of Tutankhamun’s tomb, Howard Carter.
• Press Releases, Interviews, & Podcasts:
The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose, CA,12pm, April 24, 2010
The Forty Thieves and their Salukis: Creating the Kingdom of Iraq
Speech Arts Bldg., West Hills Community College, Coalinga, CA 1pm, Feb.9, 2010
Book Reading at the CSU Stanislaus Library, 3 PM, Oct. 21, 2009
Book Signing at San Angeles Saluki Club Specialty, 7/24/09, Lompoc, Calif.
Turlock Journal, 5/13/09
The Pet Hour with Nancy Glass & Cindy Connors - 3/31/09
podcast show #207 on iTunes
• Brian’s adventures in researching the book include:
• taking a formal oath to do research at the Bodleian Libary and then getting locked in at night – until the porter turned up.
• having dinner with the Earl of Portland.
• eating great fish and chips at The Compleat Angler – a Norwich pub built on the site of a Medieval witch-burning pit.
• sitting in Robert Heinlein’s chair at UC Santa Cruz.
• sleeping in a house known to have a ghost..
Winner of the Dog Writer’s Association of America
2009 Maxwell Award for Best Breed Book!
2009 Maxwell Award for Best Breed Book!
“It makes a welcome addition to my library about Arabia and all things Arab.” –Zahra Dickson Freeth, author of Kuwait Was My Home
“Duggan...has done so thorough and readable a job as to render any further book on the subject unnecessary” –AKC Gazette
