Description

Rin Tin Tin was born on a battlefield in France towards the end of WW1. He died in 1932, supposedly in the arms of Jean Harlow, the original ‘blonde bombshell’, epic in death as he was in life. In his prime, he was one of Hollywood’s the biggest stars. He received two thousand fan letters a month, had jewels, furs and a private driver, had his paw-print set for posterity on Hollywood Boulevard and was credited with saving Warner Brothers from bankruptcy – twice. His owner, Lee Duncan, was so completely devoted to him that when his wife sued for divorce she cited Rin Tin Tin as co-respondent.

Rin Tin Tin’s story is a great yarn with a big heart and, in Susan Orlean’s hands, it is also very funny. But at its core lies a profound and moving meditation on the idea of heroism: of what it means to dream of a figure who is brave and bold and strong, and why those ideals hold such power over our imagination. This book is set to become an eccentric classic.

Publisher Review

Stunning... Calling Rin Tin Tin the story of a dog is like calling Moby-Dick the story of a whale * Boston Globe * A marvellous achievement, not so much the biography of a dog as a fully realised exploration of 20th century America... Fun, engaging, informative, passionate and authoritative, and mercifully unsentimental, Rin Tin Tin is the very best kind of narrative non-fiction. One hundred percent pure reading bliss. -- Melanie McGrath * Evening Standard * Fascinating... It is not only a story of fame, money and dogs, but also an engagingly written meditation on the things that survive us through singular obsession * Sunday Times *