Bondeson, a rheumatologist at Cardiff U., UK, clearly loves his subject and has had fun assembling this compendium of information about celebrated dogs. However anyone expecting a browsable book with lightweight text will be disappointed. The author has done a large amount of research, and he serves it up in narrative that's dense with details. Numerous photos enhance the book's appeal, and those who don't mind a rather verbose writing style will find it entertaining. The extensive references and thorough indexing make this book useful as a reference or as a starting point for further dog research. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)