"Pricelessly [includes] photos of each canid’s nose, poking out from the corner of each page. The Book of Dogs takes its readers on a sweeping tour of the evolution of wild canines, their natural history, and the wild variety of breeds that humans have shaped from wolflike ancestors over thousands of years. Our author, Macdonald, is the University of Oxford’s first professor of wildlife conservation, and in these pages, through a combination of his own terrific, informed prose and gorgeous illustrations from dozens of photographers, he presents what is surely one of the best dog books ever presented to a grateful dog-loving public. . . . By its very nature, The Book of Dogs will feature prominently in bookstore displays in the lead-up to the end of the year, and that’s as it should be: it’s an amazing production. Fingers crossed the Press finds the spiritual wherewithal to resist following it up with, shudder, The Book of Cats."

Steve Donoghue | Open Letters Review

"By combining scientific research with accessible explanations and compelling photography, The Book of Dogs offers more than a celebration of beloved pets. It places familiar companions within a much larger story of ancestry, adaptation and the natural world. For dog enthusiasts, wildlife lovers and readers curious about animal evolution, Macdonald’s guide provides an opportunity to discover the many connections between the dogs sharing our homes and the wild canids roaming the planet."

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