In this one-of-a-kind book, Marie-Hélène Baylac invites readers to discover the strange and wonderful world of animals via its most famous figures.

Animals have always been historical figures in their own right. The list of these history-making heroes, both real and imaginary, is a long one, from the Trojan Horse to and Hannibal's lucky animal to Tintin's pal Snowy to the First Dog of the White House and the cameal Mali gave to François Hollande, not to mention Charles X's giraffe, Josephine Baker's cheetah, and Michael Jackson's chimpanzee. With a nimble pen, Baylac gives us portraits rich in anecdote and new information, highlighting the special bond between these famous creatures and their equally famous owners, or else their homelands, as in the case of Laika, the Soviet dog sacrificed to the space race.