Pet Revolution
Pet Revolution tracks the British love affair with pets over the last two centuries, showing how the kinds of pets we keep, as well as how we relate to and care for them, has changed radically. The book describes the growth of pet foods and medicines, the rise of pet shops, and the development of veterinary care, creating the pet economy. Most importantly, pets have played a powerful emotional role in families across all social classes, creating new kinds of relationships and home lives.
For the first time, through a history of companion animals and the humans who lived with them, this book puts the story of the ‘pet revolution’ alongside other revolutions – industrial, agricultural, political – to highlight how animals contributed to modern British life.
Jane Hamlett is a Professor of Modern British History at Royal Holloway, University of London, and her books include Material Relations: Domestic Interiors and Middle-Class Families in England, 1850–1910 (2010).
Julie-Marie Strange (Author)
Julie-Marie Strange is Professor of Modern British History at Durham University, and her books include The Invention of the Modern Dog: Breed and Blood in Victorian Britain (with Michael Worboys and Neil Pemberton, 2018).