Susanna Forrest lives in Berlin where she works as a writer and editor. She grew up in Norwich and later studied social anthropology at Cambridge. In 2016, she won the Sophie Coe Prize, which is awarded for writing on food history.
Susanna Forrest is the outstanding writer at the erudite end of
horse madness... Forrest, a social anthropologist by training,
heart truly pierced, has written a profound historical love
story.... Her book is original, cerebral and from the heart.
Thinking jodhpur-wearers will love it.
*The Times*
From Xenophon to Hitler via Chinese polo and the battle of
Waterloo, this extraordinary work demonstrates how much better
world history looks with a horse in the foreground.
*Meg Rosoff*
Whether describing the splendours of the haute école, the miseries
of the American horsemeat trade, or the horse-thronged streets of
19th century London, Forrest writes with a fine descriptive vigour.
Her essayistic approach allows for an exhilarating blend of the
historical and the personal, with lively digressions
*Evening Standard*
Forrest's account takes us at pace through centuries and time
zones... She has trotted, galloped and flown across the globe - the
Far East, the Midwest, through Europe and back again. Where she
goes, whatever she finds, there always seem to be more horse tales
just over the horizon... Each chapter in this enthusiastic trek is
packed with arresting movements and details... Powerful,
passionate
*Sunday Times*
A richly informative, lively and elegantly written overview of the
horse in human culture and history... Anyone with even the
slightest interest in horses and their past, present and future as
human companions, allies or victims should be sure to read it and
learn from it.
*Peter Mitchell, Fellow in Archaeology, University of Oxford*
No animal more deserves a rigorous and deep investigation of its
place in human life, and no one is better positioned to provide it
than Susanna Forrest. She approaches her subject with both love and
lucidity, with a sharp awareness of the limits of what we can know
about horses.
*Justin E. H. Smith, Professor of History and Philosophy of
Science, University of Paris*
The Age of the Horse surprises and delights at every turn. This
thoroughly and imaginatively researched, beautifully written book
takes us to new destinations and offers new stories from the
frontlines of horse-human sociality.
*Donna Landry, professor of English and American literature,
University of Kent*
A very detailed, well-researched history of the evolution,
domestication, and usage of horses throughout the ages and in
different geographic areas. Susanna Forrest travelled the globe to
learn about the practices of the past - including the horse at work
and in war and religion - and about how people look upon horses
today.
*Robert Sommer, Distinguished Professor, University of California,
Davis*
The Age of the Horse takes horses seriously in their multiplicity,
in all the different ways they have been and are a part of our
lives . . . This is rigorously researched, but accessible. Through
the common history of humans and equids, it is a tribute to the
adaptability of both species.
*Robin Irvine, University of St Andrews*
Susanna Forrest tells the complete story of the horse, from the
Mongolian steppes to Victorian coaches and Amish farms, in a book
filled with vivid anecdotes and big ideas.
*Boria Sax, author of CITY OF RAVENS*
Many a horse lover would prefer to spend their entire day on the
trail or at the race track, with no other human to taint the
majesty of the experience. Susanna Forrest goes even further,
delivering all of history with a sharp equine focus. Through her
fascinating delving she creates a magical world where these
exquisite creatures reign supreme.
*Elizabeth Mitchell, author of THREE STRIDES BEFORE THE WIRE and
LIBERTY'S TORCH*
The illustrations are beautiful, the facts astonishing
*Mail on Sunday*
In charting the evolution of the horse, Forrest covers wide sweeps
of history and geography with dexterity and panache... The Age of
the Horse is full of facts and rich anecdote
*Literary Review*
Fascinating... Like a day in the field on your best horse, this
book diverts and educates in equal measure.
*The Field*
With grace, erudition, and keen insight, Susanna Forrest explores
our fraught and glorious relationship with the horse. From its
early days as a partner on the steppes to its role in latter-day
wars, Susanna reveals many surprises on the trail, concluding that
the survival of humans and horses lies "in a sympathy that is
separate but locked together". Such an observation could not come
at a more critical time - and it is one that we all should
heed.
*Deanne Stillman, author of MUSTANG*
Susanna Forrest is the ideal guide for exploring the ancient bond
between horses and humans. Deeply personal and impressively
researched, The Age of the Horse is a moving tribute an awesome
example of interspecies rapport.
*Adrienne Mayor, author of THE AMAZONS*
Forrest brings her eye for detail and story-telling abilities to to
an extensively researched, fascinating history... Her passion for
the horse leaps from the pages of a book that is a rich fount of
knowledge for anyone interested in the innumerable and endlessly
fascinating points where horse and human meet.
*TLS*
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