Gorilla / Ted Gott and Kathryn Weir.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gott, Ted, 1960-

Contributor:

Weir, Kathryn Elizabeth, 1967-

Series:

Animal (Reaktion Books)

Animal

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Gorilla.

Gorilla--Social aspects.

Gorilla--Symbolic aspects.

Apes in art.

Apes in literature.

Apes in motion pictures.

Human-animal relationships.

Social aspects.

Physical Description:

232 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 19 cm.

Place of Publication:

London : Reaktion Books, 2013.

Summary:

When the gorilla was introduced to the Europe and North America by nineteenth-century scientists and adventurers, it immediately struck a deep chord that continues to resonate today. The gorilla, with its strong physical, resemblance to humans, was placed suddenly at the centre of the story of the complex and intimate relationship between humans and other primates - a story which has been as influential in literature and art as it has been in biology and anthropology. Gorilla provides a gripping account, at times amusing, at others disturbing, of this animal's history in nature and culture. The nineteenth-century public was scandalized by the control-versial theories of man's evolution from apes proposed by writers such as Charles Darwin and Thomas Huxley. A 'gorilla mania' quickly ensued in the popular press and literature that lasted well into the twentieth century. People were horrified by wild tales of vicious, sexually motivated gorillas kidnapping women in Africa and simultaneously enthralled by Tarzan of the Apes and King Kong on the silver screen. The gorilla's similarity to us has made this intelligent, peaceful animal a foil for our fears and questions about human nature. In the 1060s, Dian Fossey's groundbreaking work with mountain gorillas did much to undo stereotypes and change perceptions. Today, gorilla species are critically endangered and are at the heart of impassioned debates on animal ecology and ethics. This book, packed with information and anecdote, presents a detailed and wide-ranging history of the gorilla and its troubled relationship with humanity. Book jacket.

Contents:

Lascivious beast or shy vegetarian?

Good shot : Europe and America meet the gorilla

Gorilla mania

All in the family.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 196-221) and index.

ISBN:

9781780230290

178023029X

OCLC:

788270665