The Back of the Book

Following the success of Cathedral Cats and College Cats, Richard Surman travelled the length and breadth of Britain and Ireland in pursuit of another group of privileged creatures, the Castle Cats.

At Penhow in South Wales, he was greeted at the drawbridge by Sophie and Runcie. Sumo, the great wrestling cat of Hever Castle, treated him to a neck lock. Rockingham's Brandy tried to escape through a secret tunnel, whilst at Dunrobin in the north-east of Scotland, George haunts his own stone tu4rret.

William and Harriet at the Tower of London have worked out novel ways of enjoying the ravens without risk. Crathes Castle cats observe each other warily through narrow slits. Buzzards are a hazard for the dainty Ellie at Dunvegan, on the Isle of Skye. Ripley is graced by Blackie, a dreadlocked feudal retainer who fiercely defends his castle demensne.

As usual, feline misdemeanours aboud: Brandy hides in the pantry eating roast pheasant; Sumo's habit of leaping onto shoulders (especially in the dark) has scared the life out of his owner; at Dunrobin, the Hamlet-like George wanders disconsolately along the seashore.

From aristocrat to warder, the Castle Cats fulfil their duries in a typically unpredicatble and hilarious way.

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Offered as BookRing.

BookRing:

Cyberkedi - US - Intl if nec
zosime - US - Intl
Megi53 - US - Intl
Bookworm-lady - Spain - Eur
MrsPotage - UK - Intl
laura0141 - UK - ENDS

PMing Cyberkedi for addy

Cyberkedi does not exist. PMing zosime for addy.

On way to zosime

This book arrived safely today. It looks cute! I'll read it as soon as I finish my current book. Thanks for including me in this ring!

Thank you so much for sharing this book! Richard Surman is clearly a cat-lover, as he managed to capture the distinct personalities of each of these castle-dwellers. Their amusing quirks and antics are all too familiar to those of us who share our lives with these furry little monsters.

I've PMd Megi53, and will pass this along as soon as I have her address.

Mailed today to Megi53.
USPS delivery confirmation # 03070020000472970089

This book is absolutely beautiful! (I liked the green frog you put on your envelope, too, zosime.)

Can't wait to get started and I've already looked at all the photos!

As much of a cat-lover as I've always been, I was even more intrigued by the castles, lochs, and gardens than I was by the beautiful kitties.

The buildings I'd most like to visit during my sometime-in-the-next-ten-years trip are Hever Castle, home of Anne "Bullen"; Cloghan to go crenellation-hopping; Brodick Castle with its rhododendrons; and Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye.

It was interesting to read about different jobs and outbuildings on the estates, fancy architectural encasements of original structures, and new terms like "curtain wall", "portcullis", "barbican", and "sallyport".

I was a bit awed to learn of both the Horn of Leys in Crathes Castle and the Horn of Dunvegan which John MacLeod emptied in under two minutes with one draught.

Cyberkedi was skipped no doubt due to a technical glitch at BC that sometimes causes user lookups to "not exist", so I am sending this to her and she will mail it to Spain.

Received as part of a book ring.

As a cat lover, how could I resist this? It gives brief bios, and some lovely pictures, of various cats who live in castles on the British Isles. I limited myself to a chapter a day so I could really savor this book.

I don't have a favorite among the stories - I enjoyed them all.

Now, off to Spain.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed back home to complete the book ring.

Received with thanks.