The Natural History of Unicorns

by Chris Lavers

Book Overview

"Lavers keeps his intellectual detective story passionate and suspenseful."
-- Washington Post Book World

From Biblical stories about virgins to adventures with Harry Potter, unicorns have enchanted people for millennia. In the endlessly fascinating The Natural History of Unicorns, author Chris Lavers ingeniously traces the legend of this mysterious creature to the real people, places, and animals that have influenced its...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060874155
• ISBN13: 9780060874155
• Release Date: July 2010
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

The Immortal Unicorn

The unicorn is generally accepted as a mythological creature. In //The Natural History of Unicorns//, Chris Lavers ingeniously tracks the history of unicorns throughout time and across the globe, spanning a 2,500-year time line, giving the reader an understanding of the unicorn's unique history. Interestingly, the unicorn can be found all over the world. In fact, Lavers does a remarkable job indicating how prevalent this animal is in history. He does an outstanding work by detailing its specific connection to Christendom. The symbolic nature of this creature and its allegorical significance in relation to Christ is also discussed. For instance, the unicorn is usually perceived to be a creature connected with purity and love. Furthermore, Lavers intricately conveys the miscellaneous animals that have contributed to the creation of the unicorn as we know it today. From a goat, to a rhinoceros, to a cow, to the one-horned white horse that we portray as a unicorn today, it is tracked and traced throughout history in a scholarly fashion. Lavers brilliantly presents a truly amazing work of research and offers insight into the phenomenon of the appearance of the unicorn throughout history, from ancient writings in ancient civilizations and artwork through our present day culture and society. //The Natural History of Unicorns// is a delightful, enjoyable and easily readable book.

Lovely Book

Everything you wanted to know about Unicorns. Captivating from front to back if you love a walk through history in detective style. Easy reading though younger children might have some difficulty. Twenty or so photos ( black and white ) of good quality. I highly recommend this book.

The Unicorn Throughout History

The unicorn is generally accepted as a mythological creature. In "The Natural History of Unicorns", Chris Lavers ingeniously tracks the history of unicorns throughout time and across the globe, spanning a 2500 year time line, giving the reader an understanding of the unicorn's unique history. Interestingly, the unicorn can be found all over the world. In fact, Lavers does a remarkable job indicating how prevalent the this animal is in history. He does an outstanding work by detailing the specific connection to Christendom. The symbolic nature of this creature and its allegorical significance in relation to Christ is also discussed. For instance, the unicorn is usually perceived to be a creature connected with purity and love. Furthermore, Lavers intricately conveys the miscellaneous animals that have contributed to the creation of the unicorn as we know it today. From a goat, to a rhinoceros, to a cow, to the one-horned white horse that we portray as a unicorn today is tracked and traced throughout history in a scholarly fashion. A truly amazing work of research is presented by Lavers. The phenomenon of the appearance of the unicorn throughout history, from ancient writings in ancient civilizations and artwork through our present day culture and society is brilliantly offered by Lavers. "The Natural History of Unicorns" is a delightful, enjoyable and easily readable book.

A powerful presentation perfect for any general lending library

The history of unicorn spottings spans some 2,500 years - and The Natural History of Unicorns shows how various real animals have all contributed to the myth and creation of this beast. Author Chris Lavers covers how unicorns became a part of myth and world culture, exploring the history and facts behind the legend in a powerful presentation perfect for any general lending library.

intriguing nonfiction

This is an intriguing nonfiction work searching beyond the varied mythical legends to the aptly titled THE NATURAL HISTORY OF UNICORNS. Chris Lavers escorts his audience to a world five hundred years before Jesus in which Greek physician Ctesias living in Persia describes the unicorn that has become the basis of mythos. Lavers follows up on the Ctesias' account with a deep look at similar horned species especially the Tibetan chiru. He takes the legend to Christ as the first Christians connected the "animal's" purity to Jesus but cites a biblical reference of a Jewish cow becoming a unicorn. .The author goes in great depth into medieval times and their tapestries and the nineteenth century romanticists who relished the purity of the unicorn. Even though the enlightenment scientists claimed there were never such a beast, the unicorn lives today in books and movies as a fantasy creature but Mr. Levers makes a strong case with a few sidebar cul de sac trips that the fabled beast has its roots in real animals. The author's energy will hook readers from the onset as fans will follow the discourse of Chris Laver's deep look into THE NATURAL HISTORY OF UNICORNS. Harriet Klausner