A Cat's Tale

A comprehensive history of felines and their impact on the world—from prehistoric origins to present-day status as beloved companions—told through the cats who lived it For thousands of years, mankind has developed as a civilization built on the mythos that we are the most powerful beings on earth, domesticating other animals as household pets for mere entertainment. Yet this absurd fantasy could not be further from the truth, as your own cat would say if you gave him or her a chance. But no bother. Baba the Cat is here to finally set the record straight and expose the reality of feline greatness. The true story of cats today spans tens of thousands of miles, and many thousands of years. From the prehistoric Felis (a large mammal from which all domestic cats have descended) to the ancient Egyptian cat goddess, key cats of the Enlightenment period, and infamous American tabbies, their complex history is compiled here in its totality for the first time. Along the way, Baba introduces us to some of history’s most famous feline figures, with helpful (not to mention inspiring) photos of herself in period costume, which offer a startling new portrait of the ways in which the history of cats parallels that of our own. Featuring an unforgettable narrative voice and in-depth research that carries readers across the globe, Paul Koudounaris's A Cat’s Tale is a one-of-a-kind history that urges readers to reexamine the furry yet cunning creatures in our lives, forever altering how we understand the storied relationship between mankind and its feline counterparts.