Dorothy Brooke and the Fight to Save Cairo's Lost War Horses
by Grant Hayter-Menzies
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Pub Date Nov 01 2017 | Archive Date Dec 14 2017
University of Nebraska Press | Potomac Books
Description
Brought to the Middle East by British forces during the Great War, these ex-cavalry horses had been left behind at the war’s end, abandoned like used equipment too costly to send home. In Dorothy Brooke and the Fight to Save Cairo’s Lost War Horses Grant Hayter-Menzies chronicles not only the lives and eventual rescue of these noble creatures, who after years of deprivation and suffering found respite in Brooke’s Old War Horse Memorial Hospital, but also the story of the challenges of founding and maintaining an animal-rescue institution on this scale.
The legacy of the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital and its founder endures today in the dozens of international Brooke animal-welfare facilities dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, and mules across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The author, Grant Hayter-Menzies, is making a donation of 20% of the royalties from the book to The Brooke Hospital for Animals and 20% of the royalties to its affiliate in Egypt, Brooke Hospital for Animals (Egypt). Neither the author or the publisher receives any payment from Brooke or any other party in connection with sales of this book.The Brooke Hospital for Animals is a charity registered in England and Wales no. 1085760.
Advance Praise
“A galloping tale of the intertwined histories of the last days of the British Empire in Egypt, the politics of human-animal relationships, and an organization whose work continues to this day.”—Alan Mikhail, professor of history at Yale University and author of The Animal in Ottoman Egypt
“This book is a superb tribute to Dorothy Brooke and to her belief that such a charitable venture would form ‘a fitting part of a War Memorial.’ . . . Utterly compelling.”—Joanna Lumley, actress and advocate for human rights and animal welfare
“A tribute to a courageous woman who worked to reduce suffering.”—Temple Grandin, author of Animals Make Us Human
“This lovingly researched, evocative biography of Dorothy Brooke proves her a heroine not just to the battered and beaten old warhorses she saved in 1930s Cairo but to those who continue her legacy today.”—Susanna Forrest, author of If Wishes Were Horses: A Memoir of Equine Obsession
“A story of deep connection, compassion, empathy, and love. Thanks to the author for making Dorothy Brooke visible and for taking the time to tell us about a most amazing and compassionate woman.”—Marc Bekoff, author of The Animals’ Agenda: Freedom, Compassion, and Coexistence in the Human Age
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781612347691 |
| PRICE | $26.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 240 |
Links
Featured Reviews
Ivory C, Reviewer
In 1883, Dorothy was born in Scotland to a well-bred family where she grew up surrounded by dogs and horses. Dorothy first encountered the pain and suffering of former British war horses after her marriage to an army man necessitated moving to Cairo.
Dorothy Brooke was an animal activist ahead of her time. She worked for 25 years saving horses and educating locals in alternative ways of handling horses. She rescued many horses and founded the Old War Horse Memorial Hospital. The legacy of her efforts continues today.
Several times during this book I found a tear in my eye eg the horse lying on its side too weak to rise and the sad image of Old Bill a giant of a horse broken down and severely malnourished. So sad to think these noble animals had come from a life where they were fed and watered to one involving only pain and suffering.
What a kind hearted and generous person Dorothy was devoting most of her life to such a worthy cause. She worked hard to invoke sympathy and recognition that animals have feelings. I have the greatest admiration for her especially considering the era. The biographer likens Dorothy to Anatole France who once said, “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened”. As I am animal lover with a passion for horses, I can totally relate to this quote.
This wonderful biography is a beautiful, sad/happy book for all horse lovers. Reading this book has given me a greater understanding of the huge impact war has on animals as well as humans.
