The Dogs

Greyhound racing is the second most popular spectator sport in Britain (after football), but to outsiders it has remained a mystery. The Dogs opens this world to us, explaining the history from its beginnings, its heyday and its problematic future, as well as unravelling the intricacies of the sport: how to tell a good sprinting dog from a staying one, the pristine logic of the racecard, and the unpredictability which can throw any race into disarray. The daughter of a dog owner Laura Thompson was fascinated by the sport from an early age, captivated by the worldly elegance of the stadia and enraptured by the unearthly beauty of the dogs. She catches the elusive, unique nature of the champion greyhounds, from all-time greats like Mick the Miller and Pigalle Wonder to her father's beloved Commutering. She looks at the addictiveness of gambling and describes the different characters who stand at the trackside, the dog men. The Dogs takes us around the stadia, the kennels and the unlicensed 'flapping' tracks into the heart of greyhound racing, vividly evoking its magic and the glamorous heat of Derby night at White City, the shine of pride and affection in the eye of a dogman, and the punters' belief that they can foretell, even manipulate, the future. At a time when greyhound racing's place in sporting culture is under renewed threat, this informative, funny and moving account shows how it can capture and keep our deepest affection.