Of Cats and Men: Profiles of History's Great Cat-loving Artists, Writers, Thinkers and Statesmen

by Sam Kalda

Of Cats and Men is a stylish illustrated gift book from an award-winning artist profiling notable cat-loving men throughout history in words and pictures.

Sam Kalda presents a fresh approach to the cat book trend that is smart, sweet and driven by engaging and beautiful illustrations. Appealing to both men and women, Of Cats and Men is stereotype-breaking and charming, making for a highly giftable book.

The 30 men profiled range from writers and artists such as Haruki Murakami, T.S. Eliot, Marlon Brando, Andy Warhol, Freddie Mercury and Ai Weiwei, to historical luminaries such as Sir Winston Churchill, Edward Lear and Sir Isaac Newton. In each of the profiles, readers uncover the men's devotion to their feline companions, surprising moments of fame for their beloved cats throughout history, and more.

The book also features beautifully hand-lettered quotes, such as Twain's "When a man loves cats, I am his friend and comrade, without further introduction."

• ISBN13: 9781787130326
• Publish Date: 1 June 2017 (first published 18 April 2017)
• Publish Status: Temporarily Withdrawn
• Out of Print: 29 June 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Quadrille Publishing Ltd
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 112
• Language: English

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

The illustrations save this book.  It's a really attractive books and the illustrations and drawings are colourful and joyful.   The writing is... so-so.  First, it's solidly aimed at men: Kalda doesn't even pretend that women might read this, and he often breaks the fourth wall to talk to the reader man-to-man about the hidden manliness of preferring cats over dogs.  Kalda is an illustrator by profession, and perhaps that accounts for writing that attempts to be chatty and witty but fails just short so that there are moments that feel awkward.   The profiles don't really share anything new or even biographically informative, but they are somewhat interesting.  Nonetheless, as I said, the illustrations and quote typography are the thing here.  The book shines from this perspective, which is why my rating ends up at 4 stars.