Patricia M Sherwood – författare

Laurence Leonard Dowling, born in 1915 in Albany Western Australia was a man of few words but with a history of life experience that is testimony to the troubled times in which he lived: the Great Depression, the Second World War and the unaddressed problems of a wartime survivor. A childhood of poverty, schooled in a life of hard knocks, he remained a stoical survivor despite life''s many adversities. He fought in El Alamein as well as Tobruk and received an oak leaf for his courage. Descended from a long line of miners, he found solace for his soul prospecting for gold in the outback of Western Australia which was the only medicine he knew for his soul that had been ravaged by war. As my father, he inspired my love for the Australian bush, gifted me his love of Australian poets, the stars, the fl owers and the natural world. He was a man of action, an incisive thinker, courageous and generous and one who was well acquainted with this land, its pastoral stations, fi shing and mining industries, and heavy manufacture. He had turned his hand to it all including building sections of the remote Trans-Australian railway line across the Nullabor plain. He was a poet and a dreamer even in his darkest hours. Laurie was a true Australian patriot and pioneer of extraordinary talents which he applied in both the good and bad times. He was indeed a "man for all seasons."

Since canines first joined humans around the fire—perhaps as far back as 100,000 years ago—the two species have enjoyed a mutually rewarding relationship. The bond between people and their dogs is like no other. Dogs are our best friends, our co-workers, our guardians, and often, our rescuers. They serve us, adore us, entertain us, work for and with us, but most of all they warm our hearts.

The perfect gift for any dog lover, The Greatest Dog Stories Ever Told is a compulsively readable collection of some of the most moving and illuminating stories ever penned on the subject of our canine companions. Readers will find selections from renowned writers of the genre such as Jack London, James Thurber, and Willie Morris, as well as a few surprise contributions from writers more famous in other fields, including Ray Bradbury and Thomas Mann. With gems from Will Rogers, P. G. Wodehouse, Peter Mayle, Stephen J. Bodio, and many others, The Greatest Dog Stories Ever Told is hard to put down.

In the thirty-six stories in this fascinating collection, dog lovers will have the pleasure of meeting all kinds of canines—sled dogs, herding dogs, hunting and birding dogs, family pets and movie stars, a dog who was a growing boy’s best friend, and even a man who was a dog in another life. These dogs will make readers laugh and make them cry, but most of all they will make them realize just why humans adore their dogs.