"Aaron H. Skabelund's volume breaks fertile ground. Taking the dog as his muse, he documents key sociopolitical developments under which this most ubiquitous companion animal has at once bolstered, and suffered in the name of, human progress...we have Skabelund to thank for starting the conversation in a Japan-centered historiography that warrants future comparative study."
"There is much to be learned about a society from a dog's eye view.... Readers need not be dog lovers to appreciate this dogged and deft analysis of empire and its social and cultural repercussions, but those so inclined will find a rewarding trove of lore about dogs in Japan."
"InEmpire of Dogs, an investigation of the history of dogs in imperial Japan, Aaron Skabelund sets out to 'highlight the concrete uses of dogs, to talk about actual dogs, and to show how their actions were related to their metaphorical deployment in discussions about nation, race, class, and gender in the imperial and postcolonial world' (p. 17).. Empire of Dogsis a well-researched and highly readable treatise on the particularities of dogs in Japan from the 1850s through the first half of the twentieth century."
Kathleen Kete, Borden W. Painter, '58/H ’95 Associate Professor of European History, Trinity College:
"Empire of Dogs demonstrates the continued symbiotic relationship between humans and canines that stretches back to Paleolithic times and places this relationship within the key political contexts of modernity: nationalism, imperialism, and globalization. This book is the perfect example of the value of animal studies to the practice of history."
"In this illustrated, easy-to-read, and well-documented book, Skabelund shows how Japan's embrace of Western dog-keeping traditions and perceptions was emblematic of its rise as a modern imperial nation. In doing so, he contributes a noteworthy chapter to the multifaceted story of human/canine partnerships."
"There are few oblique references and the author knits the themes of race, species, power, representation and the history of socio-cultural politics together in a clear, elucidating, and thoroughly thought provoking way... it must be said at the book also contains a wry wit that makes it all the more enjoyable and the reader all the more motivated to flip the pages. Given these qualities, readers with an interest in a uniquely contextualized history of modern Japan or in the history of Japan's domestic dog species will find it to be a valuable reference."
"This book's delightful anecdotes, absorbing illustrations, and rich description remind us of the complex, non-human dimensions of our histories. There is much in this volume to charm even those not born in the Year of the Dog."
Peter Duus, Emeritus Professor of History, Stanford University:
"Fascinating in detail and leavened with wry humor, this diligently researched book describes how man's best friend became a silent subaltern of the Japanese empire. By placing Japan in a broad cross-cultural context it also vividly reveals how deeply notions of race, class, power, and purity suffuse human views of other species. An original and eye-opening work—and not just for dog lovers."
"Apart from the great variety of sources deployed in analysis, and the range of beautiful illustrations, one of the great strengths of Skabelund's study is that the Japanese dog story is placed throughout the book in comparative perspective. The book is not just about Japan, although Japan is central, but it is about the transformation of dogs as part of the new imperialism of the nineteenth century and as part of the rise of mass societies in the twentieth century.... Skabelund's ability to weave these stories effortlessly together, and thus to weave the story of Japan's imperialism into its global context, is one of the truly enjoyable aspects of the book."
Harriet Ritvo, Arthur J. Conner Professor of History, MIT:
"In this engagingly written book, Aaron Herald Skabelund explores the range of roles played by domestic dogs in imperializing, imperial, and postimperial Japan. His work resonates with recent historical scholarship on pets in western societies, and, as a result of its very different geographical focus, offers a challenging new perspective."
"Dogs are not average animals. They are placed between human culture and animal culture; uniquely, the author claims. And so this book muses on the meaning of domestication and civilization too. Utterly idiosyncratic, there won't be another study like it. After Skabelund, the Japanese Akita joins the German Shepherd and the English Bulldog as nationalism takes canine form."
