Colonel Richardson's Airedales: The Making of the British War Dog School, 1900–1918

Linda M. McClure is an administrator in Edmonton, Alberta.

Colonel Richardson’s Airedales is a remarkable example of a topical
history that’s as complete as it could possibly be without becoming
bloated by pointless minutiae. It begins with a brief history of dogs in
war, including an examination of some of the different breeds that have
been developed for various wartime or security purposes. This is
followed by a biography of Colonel E. Richardson, with an emphasis on
his life with dogs and how his early years influenced his development of
the War Dog School in late 1916. The author describes how Col.
Richardson (and later the Colonel and his wife) trained dogs for rescue,
police, and other security applications. He also explains why Col.
Richardson finally settled on Airedales as the best dog for his school.

The book is lucidly written and generously illustrated with pictures
ranging from magazine cover reprints and cigarette cards to historical
photographs of dogs in wartime situations. There is a good table of
contents, a comprehensive index, extensive endnotes, and appendixes that
delineate the history of each dog trained at the school. A thoroughly
enjoyable read from start to finish.