A History of the World According to Cats

It’s finally time for a proper history of the world- one told from a feline perspective! Written in a light-hearted tone, this is the purrr-fect guide to understanding the key role that claw-rageous cats, their helpful humans and their fur-raising adventures have played in shaping history. It is a brilliant read!

Being an ailurophile (see the glossary), I have had the great pleasure of sharing my life with quite a number of feline companions and so found this book fascinating from start to finish. Starting by exploring the domestication of cats, the book then follows the very key role they played at various stages of history across the world, acknowledging that there are some fairly major gaps where little is known - for example, how cats came to China or Japan. The book introduces the evidence which has helped piece together the puzzle, offering theories and ideas which have led to humans all over the world benefitting from feline companionship.

The book also looks at some ‘four-legged adventurers’ - a selection of furry globetrotters! Cats have accompanied their owners across the world, like Mrs Chippy, the best friend of Harry McNish, who joined Shackleton on the ‘Endurance’ expedition and those who were companions to the rich and famous. There are also cats which have inspired artists to create beautiful images and a whole pounce of black cats- often given a bad reputation for no good reason!

There is so much to browse and enjoy! One of my cats- Buggs- was famous for gently tapping things off a shelf and looking surprised when they crashed to the floor so it doesn’t surprise me that Isaac Newton’s clever cat CC gave him the idea for his theory about gravity rather than an apple! There is plenty here to entertain, inform and fascinate cat-lovers as well as educating those who have not yet discovered the pure joy a purring puss-kin can bring.

A History of the World (According to Cats!)

Kimberlie Hamilton, illustrated by Jocelyn Kao

Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702318351

Published 14th September 2023

You can read my review of ‘Rebel Cats!’ here and ‘Rebel Animals at Risk’ here.