Obaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London

Awards:   Nominated for Cundill History Prize 2019 (Canada) Nominated for NSW Premier's History Award 2019 (General History) 2019 (Australia) Nominated for Small Press Network Book of the Year Award 2020 (Australia) Nominated for Victorian Premier's Literary Award 2020 2020 (Australia) Winner of Cundill History Prize 2019
Author:   John Simons ,  Fiona Probyn-Rapsey
Publisher:   Sydney University Press
ISBN:  

9781743325865


Pages:   230
Publication Date:   02 January 2019
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
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Obaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London


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Awards

  • Nominated for Cundill History Prize 2019 (Canada)
  • Nominated for NSW Premier's History Award 2019 (General History) 2019 (Australia)
  • Nominated for Small Press Network Book of the Year Award 2020 (Australia)
  • Nominated for Victorian Premier's Literary Award 2020 2020 (Australia)
  • Winner of Cundill History Prize 2019

Overview

Obaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London is the story of Obaysch the hippopotamus, the first 'star' animal to be exhibited in the London Zoo.  In 1850, a baby hippopotamus arrived on English shores, allegedly the first in Europe since the Roman Empire, and almost certainly the first in Europe since prehistoric times. Captured near an island from which he took his name, Obaysch was donated by the viceroy of Egypt in exchange for greyhounds and deerhounds. His arrival was greeted with a wave of 'Hippomania', doubling the number of visitors to the zoo. Uncovering the circumstances of Obaysch's capture and exhibition, John Simons investigates the notion of a 'star' animal, as well as the cultural value that Obaysch, and the other hippos who joined him over the following few years, accumulated. This book also delves into the historical context of Obaysch and his audience, considering the relationship between Victorian attitudes to hippopotami and the expansion of the British Empire into sub-Saharan Africa. 'Obaysch: A Hippopotamus in Victorian London is a fine example of how an academic book can work for a general readership...it is over and above an accessible, intelligent, charming, sometimes funny, sometimes sad account of Obaysch.' — Stephen Romei, The Australian

Full Product Details

Author:   John Simons ,  Fiona Probyn-Rapsey
Publisher:   Sydney University Press
Imprint:   Sydney University Press
Weight:   0.350kg
ISBN:  

9781743325865


ISBN 10:   174332586
Pages:   230
Publication Date:   02 January 2019
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

Table of Contents

Preface and acknowledgements A note on nomenclature Prologue 1. Why Obaysch? Interchapter: the economy of zoos and hippos 2. The life and times of Obaysch the hippopotamus 3. The several meanings of hippos 4. A bloat of other European hippos Postscript: the unhappy hippopotamus Plates Works cited

Reviews

'From its very first word this book drew me in, made me cry and elicited understanding and unease ... This thoughtful, meticulously researched book begs to be read by animal studies scholars and anyone concerned about the plight of species other than ourselves. --Carol Freeman, University of Tasmania, author of Paper Tiger: How Pictures Shaped the Thylacine 'John Simons is a skilful storyteller and Obaysch is a compelling read. Meticulously researched and generously illustrated, the book fulfils Simons' determination to treat Obaysch as an actor in his own life at the same time as exploring how this unfortunate hippo became the most important animal of the Victorian era. The result is fine addition to the Animal Publics series, and a significant contribution to the emerging field of animal biograph --Steve Baker, Emeritus Professor of Art History, University of Central Lancashire 'John Simons' richly exhaustive account of nineteenth-century hippomania engages with imperialism, Orientalism, progress, and the cultural history of Europe ... Poignant and empathetic, this account of an animal's appropriation and exploitation is one of those books that unfurls more about its moment in time than you could have imagined when you picked it up.' --Randy Malamud, Regents' Professor of English, Georgia State University, Atlanta, author of Reading Zoos: Representations of Animals and Captivity 'Simons' breadth of reference, his often witty commentary, and even his footnotes (what connection can there possibly be between the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar and hippopotamuses?) make fascinating reading.'--Helen Tiffin, University of Wollongong, author of Wild Man from Borneo: A Cultural History of the Orangutan


[This book] is over and above an accessible, intelligent, charming, sometimes funny, sometimes sad account of Obaysch, who lived at the London Zoo from 1850 until his premature death there in 1878, aged about 28. -- Stephen Romei * The Australian * This is not a trivial undertaking. If we are to understand animals' lives in any meaningful way, we must, as Simons argues, learn to understand animals as more than mere things whose chief interest lies in what they represent or tell us about ourselves. -- James Bradley * Sydney Morning Herald * riveting ... Alongside his in-depth research into the lives of hippos, Simons raises philosophical issues that have contemporary relevance ... he involves the reader in hippo narratives and the ethics of capture and captivity -- Wendy Woodward * Animal Studies Journal * [The book] would be of interest to anyone with an interest in the Victorians, the history of exotic animals and, of course, anyone with an interest in those fascinating animals - hippos. It is relevant to both academics and to a wider readership ... The book is part of the Animal Publics series featuring interdisciplinary research in animal studies. If all the books in the series are so absorbing, readable and informative, I look forward to reading more. -- Ann Sylph * Archives of Natural History *


'From its very first word this book drew me in, made me cry and elicited understanding and unease ... This thoughtful, meticulously researched book begs to be read by animal studies scholars and anyone concerned about the plight of species other than ourselves. --Carol Freeman, University of Tasmania, author of Paper Tiger: How Pictures Shaped the Thylacine 'John Simons is a skilful storyteller and Obaysch is a compelling read. Meticulously researched and generously illustrated, the book fulfils Simons' determination to treat Obaysch as an actor in his own life at the same time as exploring how this unfortunate hippo became the most important animal of the Victorian era . The result is fine addition to the Animal Publics series, and a significant contribution to the emerging field of animal biograph --Steve Baker, Emeritus Professor of Art History, University of Central Lancashire 'John Simons' richly exhaustive account of nineteenth-century hippomania engages with imperialism, Orientalism, progress, and the cultural history of Europe ... Poignant and empathetic, this account of an animal's appropriation and exploitation is one of those books that unfurls more about its moment in time than you could have imagined when you picked it up.' --Randy Malamud, Regents' Professor of English, Georgia State University, Atlanta, author of Reading Zoos: Representations of Animals and Captivity 'Simons' breadth of reference, his often witty commentary, and even his footnotes (what connection can there possibly be between the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar and hippopotamuses?) make fascinating reading.'--Helen Tiffin, University of Wollongong, author of Wild Man from Borneo: A Cultural History of the Orangutan


Author Information

Emeritus Professor John Simons is an historian specialising in the history of animals. He has written or edited twenty books, on topics ranging from Middle English chivalric romance to Andy Warhol to the history of cricket. His previous books on animals include Animal Rights and the Politics of Literary Representation (2002), Rosetti’s Wombat (2008), The Tiger That Swallowed the Boy: Exotic Animals in Victorian England (2012) and Kangaroo (2012), which was listed for the Royal Society of Biology’s Book of the Year Award. He is a published poet and has just completed his first novel. He has worked in universities on every continent except Antarctica and most recently was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Macquarie University in Sydney.

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