Juliet Clutton-Brock (1933–2015)

I have a lot of horse books big and small, but there's nothing quite like the Eyewitness books. The reading feels like kicking your feet up while a cool breeze washes over you and you drink lemonade, while reading other books feel serious despite all the fascinating content. There's no hurry to read an Eyewitness book, and Horse is no exception. It's a graceful journey with common tidbits and tidbits rarely mentioned in other books with far more words, it has so many clear images and small enough paragraphs that your eyes don't feel like they're working--just witnessing. Ah, now I understand why after all these years the format hasn't changed. And 20 years later I still think I should collect the series.

Am I just talking about the publisher and not the book? Well, indeed the book fits the series and I'm thinking of other illustrated horse encyclopedias when I make my comparisons. I love most horse books and they share a lot of subject matter, so often impressions come down to how the book was formatted.

Also, like any Eyewitness book, Horse covers the broadest spectrum of the subject. So what's not in other horse books? Usually not archaeology, the role in the industrial transition, and other history that isn't sport, recreation, or breed oriented.

And somehow it all condenses into a product that doesn't read as childish or particularly dumbed down. You finish reading this feeling as accomplished as a longer book, and probably more so because you enjoyed this one more.… (mer)