Baba the Cat narrates history through the eyes of cats complete with costumes. The text is informative and chronicles the ups and downs of feline history. From being worshiped as Gods to being cursed. The accompanying of photographs of Baba outfitted in historical costumes add a touch of fun. This book will make a great gift for any cat lover. Enjoy

A Cat’s Tale: A Journey Through Feline History by Paul Koudounaris is a 2020 Henry Holt and Co. Publication.

Fun, descriptive, and educational!

This is a non-fictional book about the history of cats, as told by Baba the cat, who narrates the text with the kind of dry wit unique only to cats. The artwork is great, and Baba is very photogenic! A beautiful feline!

Once you’ve completed the book you will certainly understand a cat’s true place in history and in our lives.

Cat’s rule- they know it and you know it- and this book just provides more proof of that fact!

Overall, this is a clever way to explore the history of cats. Cat lovers will love reading about their feline’s ancestors and will enjoy hearing the information from the viewpoint a cat.

Photos of Baba in various costumes are adorable and hilarious and adds much to the charm of the book. The author also provides a list of research resources if you would like to take a deeper dive into the world of felines.



Naturally, as a huge cat lover, this book is right up my alley- and I’m sure all other cat lovers out there will enjoy this book too!

4 stars

This wasn't quite what I expected. Though it was fun and the illustrations made it enjoyable. If you are a cat lover, like many of us readers are, I'd say give it a chance!

Complete and engaging narration. It is hard to not enjoy the images and stories presented. A truly comprehensive examination of the history of cats. Some parts are difficult to read, but that can be said of any well-written history.
I have purchased this book and recommended it to all my cat-loving and history-loving friends and colleagues.

A wonderful journey through time! If you like cats, history, and cats in history, then I highly recommend picking up this book yesterday.

This tale of tales is told by Baba, the author’s cat, who reminds us of how wonderful cats have been as companions to humans throughout history. She talks about the ancient world, the Renaissance, sea-faring kitties, and those of Hollywood purr-fect standards. This was so much fun that I even purchased the audiobook. I was quite upset to complete it, but I knew I still had my reading companions for the next one. (Unfortunately, my cats already knew the greatness of their ancestors and chose not to stay up with me to finish the book.)

My thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

This book, while cute in spots, was just not for me. The difficulty with non-fiction books for me is that they end up making me hate humanity by highlighting what horrible things humans have done in the past/are doing right now and it just makes me angry.

This book not only made me angry, it made me sick to my stomach and I just couldn't go on past 43%. I love all animals and especially love cats. This book is about the history of cats, which sounds all well and good, until you realize that cats were considered to be the familiar or witches and evil and humans treated them as such.

Also, Shackleton is a JERK and other four letter words and worse and if he had told me that we were going to try to get to help and safety, BUT had to leave the cat behind to die in the cold (which they wouldn't have been stuck in if Shackleton hadn't been an IDIOT), I would have mutinied and left his rapidly cooling body on the ice floe. The cat weighs less than a stupid human, just saying.

So, this left a bad taste in my mouth. NOT the fault of the book, just the fault of my overly sensitive heart and distaste to read about poor helpless animals being hurt by stupid humans.

The book itself is written well, it just requires a strong stomach and heart, which I do not have apparently. Recommended for the right reader who is into history and doesn't mind the more gruesome and sad bits. History, ALL of it, needs to be remembered, taught and learned so we don't just keep repeating the same mistakes all over again. Definitely an important book. We can't shy away from the truth just because it's uncomfortable. I know it happened, that is enough for me.

2, most certainly not for me but I'm probably too sensitive for my own good, stars.

Darling Baba what a find this book was. And let me say that you look fantastic in your custom made, designer haute cature. You perfectly illustrate each different section of cat history you discuss, giving readers a visual to go along with the detailed discussions of how cats have interacted with humans in a long and illustrious partnership that has – one must agree – been contentious at times but which has finally swung back to cats being adored for their wonderful selves. The ancient Egyptians got that right.

I can see that this will become a treasured reference to be referred to when I need to check a fact regarding feline history. My cats will also enjoy having it read to them as they lounge in comfort around me so that I might be ready to acquiesce to their slightest whim. Thank you for your hard work in dictating this and modeling. It’s not every species that can hold a pose and project as you do. B

This is a adorable read for all of us cat lovers. It features cat history through time and even has famous cats throughout time. It is a great book for a gift for the cat lover in your life. I highly recommend this charming fun read for every cat lover. Its pure catnip for cat lovers.

Wow, Baba the Cat has quite a tale to tell in this one. Baba traces diligently through the records of cats in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, across Asia and into Europe, over the seas and into the air, and finally through American history as well. All throughout, Baba takes the time to beautifully illustrate each narrative in a new costume or two--she is a very professional and talented model for sure!

In this book, you will learn the narratives of such famous cats as Simon (the well-decorated British sailor from Hong Kong), Minnie (an American seafaring cat who hitched a ride over 700 miles to reunite with the ship that left her behind), and Clementine (who hiked 1,600 miles to reunite with her humans). You will learn about the true religions that treat cats with the respect they should (see: Islam, where Muhammad guaranteed his cat Muezza a spot in paradise) and which do not (see: Christianity, which required revisionist apocrypha to give cats their due; and Buddhism, which condemned cats for one alleged murder of a rat prior to later enlisting cats in their monasteries to do exactly that).

Come for the cat pics (I promise they're worth it), stay for the history lessons.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Henry Holt & Company for the eARC in exchange for the review.

Everything you've ever wanted to know about the history of cats!! This is a comprehensive look told in a unique way that makes for an enjoyable read. I wish it had been available for Kindle (I find reading on Kindle easier) but I was glad to see the wonderful cat pictures that had me smiling throughout..

“In fact, archeological evidence offers hints that felines have been your companions for as long if not longer than canines --or to put it this way, the partnership between cats and humans is older than currency, older than man’s use of metals, and older even that written language.”

This book is about the true history of cats told by Baba the Cat (dictated by Paul). Each chapter covers a certain time period in history starting with ancient times and leading up to the modern era. The book discusses the ups and downs in popularity that cat’s have gone through over the centuries, as well as famous felines throughout time.

This book was very enjoyable and presents a different perspective of history. The discussion of the mass killing of cats for various reasons was heartbreaking. I never realized how much cats had been targeted throughout history.

I think my favorite chapter was about the seafaring cats. I never really thought about cats on ships before but it makes a lot of sense. Also, this section mentions Chippy the Cat who was on the Endurance which sailed to the Arctic. I read the account of this journey earlier this year and it barely mentioned Chippy and its death. The account went into gruesome detail about killing the dogs but the Chippy was barely mentioned. I don’t even think they ever mentioned his name either.

The layout of this book was beautiful. I loved the borders around the pages. They were different for each section and were a beautiful addition. The photographs of Baba were adorable. I love that she is ok with being dressed up and photographed. Also I really loved the images of cat graves and memorials, press clippings, ancient art and paintings featuring cats that were included. Everything together really sold this book and the history it contains.

A must read for all cat lovers. Beginning in Egypt and ending in the US, this book chronicles the lives of many famous cats as well as the reasons they are both beloved and misunderstood.

Interspersed with styled pictures of our narrator, Baba the Cat, we learn about how cats were worshiped, domesticated, tortured, spoiled, but most of all, how they were put to work: the main thread throughout history is how adept cats are at destroying rats, on land, at sea, and… well not quite in space yet, but they’re ready and willing!

In addition to the heroic tales presented here, this is also a beautifully designed book. It would make a nice gift for a cat-loving friend, and dare I say, should probably grace every household coffee table in America.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this book should be longer. I obviously read this book for the unique history of cats, told by a (very distinguished apparently) feline. The writing is fun. I don't know if it will absorb you into it on an evening on the couch, but it definitely will hold your attention for short amounts of time. I'm guessing this is more of a coffee table book, the way the pages and photos were laid out. That makes it more understandable.

But what really got me was the pictures of Baba! If only I could recreate my cat in these images, all would be right with the world. I giggled outloud at some of them (the Cat Massacre photos, of Baba as devilish characters takes the cake, but as an American history buff, the last chapter has some good ones as well). They definitely steal the show and will be a great conversation piece for your cat lover friends who saunter into your home and take a peak.

I am thoroughly convinced that cats do a) have a superiority over humans (who's really whose pet?) and b) that their accomplishments in the annals of history need further investigation.

Overall, this is a really creative book that will make you look at cats in a different (creative) way, and will help you understand just what examples of feline history there are. Don't turn this one down. And, when you do read it, read it out loud to your fur baby; you'll be a better parent for doing so.

This was such a fun book to read! I loved the style and that the book is told from the perspective of Baba. Incredibly informative and full of fun pictures. This coffee table style book would make a great gift for any cat lover.

This was a fun book to read! The format was more of a coffee table book, with easy to read chapters interspersed often with images, relevant newspaper clippings, and photos of the author's cat, Baba, in period-specific costumes. The book is written as if Baba herself is telling the tale (tail?), and it's very much a lighthearted journey through the ups and downs of feline history. Lots of stories are told about the many ways cats have distinguished themselves in history, and I particularly liked the chapter about cats on the high seas.

The afterword includes a message from the author about Baba's history, and even discusses how Baba took to being dressed up (very well, apparently!). I really appreciated the tone of this book, and it was really informative besides.

This was a fantastically fun and insightful read. I've always been a big BIG fan of cats, so I jumped at the opportunity to read a book about cats, with a cat as a credited author. There's lots of fantastic information here as well as lots of beautiful and adorable photos sprinkled through out. This would be a fantastic book to read with the kids!

I read this book on my laptop since it was so image heavy and my reader doesn't have a color screen. I will definitely be buying a physical copy!

Ahhh! This is so cute and I had a giant smile on my face the entire time I was reading. Highly rec for all cat lovers to learn about famous cats in history.

As soon as I saw A Cat's Tale: A Journey Through Feline History, I knew I had to give it a try. I mean, just look at that cute kitty on the cover. I enjoyed this fun and funny history of cats. I couldn't resist. It's a great primer looking at cats and their roles and relationships with humanity since ancient times. It goes over a lot of fascinating information, but not much of it was news to me. However, it was presented in a unique way - through the eyes of Baba, the cat on the cover. Plus, Baba sits for some awesome pictures getting all dressed up in cute kitty costumes. I know my cat Finn wouldn't stand for that kind of nonsense!

Couldn’t read because I couldn’t get it onto my kindle! Please consider using kindle-friendly files for netgalley reviews in the future. Sad I missed out.

I love cats and I loved this book. The story starts with our ancient ancestors and their interest in cats. But it also has a story line from the cats point of view! The photos are beautiful and made me smile . Really I never knew that cats have probably been associated with humans longer than dogs! A well written fun read that has not only my interest but also my little four legged friends interests at heart.