Overview

In the twenty-first century military marine mammals detect lost equipment and underwater mines. Large rats are trained to find land mines in more than 80 countries. Military working dogs search for explosive devices and other weapons and are trained to take down enemy combatants. In earlier centuries military fighters rode horses into battle relied on elephants to haul supplies and trained pigeons to carry messages. Even cats goats and chickens have served in wartimeas mascots! Learn about the history of animals in warfare the functions they serve and how they are trained as well as the psychology that makes animals such good partners in warfare.

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9781512498042

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Reviews

An introduction on the concept of military working animals--beyond bomb-sniffing dogs. Marine mammals that detect underwater mines and lost equipment, carrier pigeons that deliver messages across long distances, elephants that haul supplies, and many other interesting creatures are highlighted. The text is well written and informative. It is clear that Goldsmith did her research on each of her topics. Chapters aren't too lengthy and will keep readers engaged. The content is well organized, and each chapter flows together in a logical way. VERDICT Purchase for collections where readers are interested in alternative parts of the military. --School Library Journal --Journal Elephants, dolphins, dogs, mules, pigeons, and a cat named Simon are among the numerous animals who have served as military assets throughout history. Goldsmith describes the role animals have played at war, from locating landmines to delivering messages in the heat of battle to serving as mascots. The chapters are divided by the type of animal, describing its service and the procedures used to train it. The book is packed with anecdotes about the animals, such as Voytek, the bear that carried ammunition for a Polish unit, or Cher Ami, a pigeon who helped rescue a trapped battalion despite having lost an eye, a leg, and part of a wing. Goldsmith does not ignore the ethical issues attached to training animals to serve the military, ending on a sobering note regarding the U.S. Navy's marine mammal program. Her text is lucid, accessible, and engaging, and it's helped along by full-color photos and reproductions of images of some of the featured creatures. A bibliography, glossary, and detailed index round out the book. --Booklist --Journal Throughout history, animals working with humans have played important roles in human warfare. The author of Dogs at War (2017) broadens her look at the use of animals in war by introducing other species--elephants, horses, mules, camels, pigeons, and marine mammals--as well as animal mascots, experimental subjects, and 21st-century considerations of animal rights. Teen readers may particularly enjoy the specific stories, but they might learn something of world history in the process. Goldsmith (Pandemic, 2018, etc.) opens with the example of Judy, a dog who rescued drowning British POWs and stayed with one in prison camp until the end of World War II. Like many of the animals introduced, Judy won Britain's Dickin Medal for animal heroism. In chapters generally focused on specific species, she discusses the roles animals played historically as well as today and mentions current use of bomb-sniffing rats and drone-attacking eagles. Quotations from handlers attest to the animals' strong connections with humans and their importance in these roles. Each spread includes a well-captioned photograph and plentiful section heads to break up the text. Occasionally, specific examples are set off on a differently designed page. Extensive backmatter includes suggestions for further exploration of the topic in varied formats. A solid choice for school and public libraries, with special appeal for animal lovers. --Kirkus Reviews --Journal

An introduction on the concept of military working animals--beyond bomb-sniffing dogs. Marine mammals that detect underwater mines and lost equipment, carrier pigeons that deliver messages across long distances, elephants that haul supplies, and many other interesting creatures are highlighted. The text is well written and informative. It is clear that Goldsmith did her research on each of her topics. Chapters aren't too lengthy and will keep readers engaged. The content is well organized, and each chapter flows together in a logical way. VERDICT Purchase for collections where readers are interested in alternative parts of the military. --School Library Journal -- (10/24/2018 12:00:00 AM) Elephants, dolphins, dogs, mules, pigeons, and a cat named Simon are among the numerous animals who have served as military assets throughout history. Goldsmith describes the role animals have played at war, from locating landmines to delivering messages in the heat of battle to serving as mascots. The chapters are divided by the type of animal, describing its service and the procedures used to train it. The book is packed with anecdotes about the animals, such as Voytek, the bear that carried ammunition for a Polish unit, or Cher Ami, a pigeon who helped rescue a trapped battalion despite having lost an eye, a leg, and part of a wing. Goldsmith does not ignore the ethical issues attached to training animals to serve the military, ending on a sobering note regarding the U.S. Navy's marine mammal program. Her text is lucid, accessible, and engaging, and it's helped along by full-color photos and reproductions of images of some of the featured creatures. A bibliography, glossary, and detailed index round out the book. --Booklist -- (11/15/2018 12:00:00 AM) Throughout history, animals working with humans have played important roles in human warfare. The author of Dogs at War (2017) broadens her look at the use of animals in war by introducing other species--elephants, horses, mules, camels, pigeons, and marine mammals--as well as animal mascots, experimental subjects, and 21st-century considerations of animal rights. Teen readers may particularly enjoy the specific stories, but they might learn something of world history in the process. Goldsmith (Pandemic, 2018, etc.) opens with the example of Judy, a dog who rescued drowning British POWs and stayed with one in prison camp until the end of World War II. Like many of the animals introduced, Judy won Britain's Dickin Medal for animal heroism. In chapters generally focused on specific species, she discusses the roles animals played historically as well as today and mentions current use of bomb-sniffing rats and drone-attacking eagles. Quotations from handlers attest to the animals' strong connections with humans and their importance in these roles. Each spread includes a well-captioned photograph and plentiful section heads to break up the text. Occasionally, specific examples are set off on a differently designed page. Extensive backmatter includes suggestions for further exploration of the topic in varied formats. A solid choice for school and public libraries, with special appeal for animal lovers. --Kirkus Reviews -- (8/15/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"""[A] well written and informative.""—School Library Journal ""A solid choice for school and public libraries, with special appeal for animal lovers.""—Kirkus Reviews ""[L]ucid, accessible, and engaging . . .""—Booklist"

Throughout history, animals working with humans have played important roles in human warfare. The author of Dogs at War (2017) broadens her look at the use of animals in war by introducing other species--elephants, horses, mules, camels, pigeons, and marine mammals--as well as animal mascots, experimental subjects, and 21st-century considerations of animal rights. Teen readers may particularly enjoy the specific stories, but they might learn something of world history in the process. Goldsmith (Pandemic, 2018, etc.) opens with the example of Judy, a dog who rescued drowning British POWs and stayed with one in prison camp until the end of World War II. Like many of the animals introduced, Judy won Britain's Dickin Medal for animal heroism. In chapters generally focused on specific species, she discusses the roles animals played historically as well as today and mentions current use of bomb-sniffing rats and drone-attacking eagles. Quotations from handlers attest to the animals' strong connections with humans and their importance in these roles. Each spread includes a well-captioned photograph and plentiful section heads to break up the text. Occasionally, specific examples are set off on a differently designed page. Extensive backmatter includes suggestions for further exploration of the topic in varied formats. A solid choice for school and public libraries, with special appeal for animal lovers. --Kirkus Reviews --Journal

Author Information

Connie Goldsmith is a registered nurse with a bachelor of science degree in nursing and a master of public administration degree in health care. She has written numerous books for YA readers and nearly two hundred magazine articles. Her recent books include Kiyo Sato: From a WWII Japanese Internment Camp to a Life of Service (2020), a Junior Library Guild selection; Running on Empty: Sleeplessness in American Teens (2021); Understanding Coronaviruses: SARS, MERS, and the COVID-19 Pandemic (2021); and Bombs Over Bikini: The World's First Nuclear Disaster (2014), a Junior Library Guild selection, a Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, an Association of Children's Librarians of Northern California Distinguished Book, and an SCBWI Crystal Kite Winner. She lives in Sacramento, California. Visit her website at http://www.conniegoldsmith.com/.

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