As history's great figures strut across the stage, Coren guides us from the wings, lovingly picking out the canine cameos and giving every dog of distinction its day. He vividly depicts the dogs that have played a significant role in the lives of many historical figures, and shows how their relationships with their people have directly influenced the course of world events. In this unparalleled chronicle, we see how Florence Nightingale's chance encounter with a wounded dog changed her life by leading her to the vocation of nursing. We learn why Dr. Freud's Chow Chow attended all of his therapy sessions and how the life of the Fifth Dalai Lama was saved by a dog who shared his bed. From canines who accompanied the rulers of ancient Egypt to those belonging to the presidents of the United States, dogs have been companions as well as political symbols and instruments of public relations - including Calvin Coolidge's collie Prudence Prim, who had a cheerful collection of fancy hats, and Bill Clinton's chocolate Lab, Buddy, who made timely appearances to help his master through photo opportunities. In this definitive collection of canine greatness, bursting with tales of famous figures and their four-legged catalysts Coren convincingly documents that wherever are found the footprints of history, there too one will find the pawprints.