Space Dogs

This is a wonderful book for those fans of space and dogs, something to have in your dog book collection.

This story of the dogs the soviet union used to test their space ships is well written, and well presented on the pages. It doesn't completely gloss over all the facts - such as the unnecessary medical procedures the dogs were put through and their deaths - and I even learned a thing or two.

It was also great seeing photos of the dogs and the memorabilia / merchandise created for those canines, and it was interesting to me how they were, and still are, celebrated as heroes.

I think my main issue with this book is that it feels like it excuses the testing of the dogs for the space missions for "the good of mankind". Certainly this is how it was justified by the scientists and everyone else, too.

While it may be true that the dogs were cared for, the fact is the testing was completely barbaric and it only takes a quick internet search to see why. The dogs that died in space (or crashed to earth) would no doubt have been completely petrified on all stages of their missions. So was this really a better life for them than being street dogs?

These are just my personal thoughts of course, and doesn't make this a bad book by any means. I just would have liked to have seen this side of the facts considered a little more than with a quote from one of the scientists sharing their regret some years later.

Overall this is a great book if space dogs are your thing.

Imagine you love dogs and science, especially spaceflight: then Martin Parr is your man! He is such a fanboy, it's the cutest thing on earth (and in the universe). I don't know why I havn't been a space dog fangirl before.
I mean, I know that those dogs excisted but I never really focused on them. You can feel that Parr cares and is truly passionateabout them.
The way he portrays them is an emotional rollercoaster. My heart bursted from cuteness and the love the scientists had torwards their dog colleagues but I also cried because of those touching moments: kissing the dog before they go to space goodbye. Hello? How can I not cry because of that?
Parr added a lot of pictures of the merchandise that excists. And now I want some of this stuff, too? I can't help it, he converted me to his cult.

This turned out to be an interesting little book about the dogs that were used in the 1950’s space race by Russia. Before humans went to space, animals were used to test out space ships to see if they were safe enough for humans to try. The dogs that were used were strays that were taken right off the streets and given medical tests to see that they were suitable for their purposes. They had suits hand made to fit them for the journey. The US had used chimps to serve the same purpose. The first canine cosmonaut was a dog they named Laika, meaning ‘barker’. She was later followed by Belka and Strelka.

I especially liked all of the many photos of the memorabilia that was sold back then after the program became popular in Russia. So many different items adorned with a likeness of the different dogs gracing them. This book would work for those with an interest in space, animals, science, history, etc. A good short non-fiction book that’s loaded with pictures. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, authors Martin Parr, Richard Hollingham, and the publisher.

Four and a half stars.

A very pleasant read, although possibly not what you'd expect. The small volume carries just enough information on Laika, Belka and Strelka, and other dogs that were part of the pioneering Soviet cosmonautical programme before, during and after those successes. It's highly pictorial, so we see the dogs, their modules, even them flung round in centrifuges at 10G like humans would be. But the main core is a brand new survey of souvenirs from Soviet times – the fallout from the programmes, whether they be children's books, an insufferable number of desk tidy and clock combinations, or ridiculously kitsch ceramics, with puppy heads poking out of space rockets in bulbous portholes. I really liked this as I don't think any regular browser will want for more information on this niche subject, but the buyer must be aware they'll be much more cognisant with Laika cigarette cases by the end than s/he presumed.

Review to be posted to most of the sources on my profile at the end of May.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I always have been curious of the puppers send to space in Russia, Laika is the one that always immediately pops to my mind when thinking about the topic, but I also knew there were more than just her. In this book we learn about the program, about three famous dogs (Laika, Belka, Strelka), about the various merchandise that came to being due to their popularity, it also talks about diplomacy and legacy.

I learned quite a few new things thanks to this book, for instance I had just no clue that only girl doggies were chosen. One of the reasons why is pretty interesting, I can imagine that you would want female dogs then. There is some about training and the operation (yes, apparently the dogs had operations so their main artery was closer to the skin, which allowed the doctors/scientists to see their pulses more clearly). We learn how the launches went and what happened to some of the dogs. It was quite an interesting read.

After that is onward to the three famous dogs and their merchandise. Dang, there is so much merchandise, some look quite nice, others I wouldn't want to buy. :P I do love the variety of the things, there is something for everyone. Young, old, woman or man. Everyone can have something of these brave dogs in their home.

The book is filled with cute photographs of the dogs! I do feel sorry for that outfit they had to wear.

All in all, not a long read, but still a good one. It was very interesting and I learned quite some new things. Recommended!

The book is light and interesting, with lots of photos of ephemera which is always fun. It's definitely for readers interested in this specific topic although those interested in the space race, dogs, and general history could enjoy the book.

I recently watched First Man (the movie where Ryan Gosling plays Neil Armstrong) and after Googling the history of the Space Race I stumbled across a Wikipedia page about space dogs, and subsequently spent the next half hour reading all about their history (and not watching the movie). So this book came at the perfect time - space dogs plus one of my favourite photographers?! Sign me up.

This book is the perfect combination of text recounting the history of the dogs themselves, focusing mostly on Laika, Belka and Strelka; photos of said dogs; and photographs of various space dog related memorabilia Parr has collected over the years (trust me when I say he has a LOT - clocks, plates, postcards, ceramic figurines).

Recommended!

Disclaimer: I am someone that absolutely loves dogs, which is why this book caught my attention. I love any book that demonstrates the importance of dogs and this book was incredibly well written and filled with information that I never would have known without reading it. I highly recommend this!