Bruce Fogle

DOG TALK was published by Little Books in November 2009

NEW DOG  was published by MB in February 2008

A DOG ABROAD was published by Ebury Press in January 2007

TRAVELS WITH MACY
was published by Ebury Press, in paperback, in January, 2006

IF YOUR DOG COULD TALK
was published by DK in February, 2006

EYEWITNESS COMPANIONS – DOGS
was published by DK in May, 2006

EYEWITNESS COMPANIONS – CATS
was published by DK in October, 2006

In the autumn of 2005, Bruce and Macy took an extended journey through Scandinavia, the Baltic States and Central Europe. His book of their travels was published by Ebury Press early in 2007. A paperback edition was published the following year

Travels with Macy has been published by Ebury Press

Buy Travels with Macy >

If any of you have seen a golden retriever in a queue at the American Embassy, applying for a resident green card, that’s my dog. Last year I took her on an extended journey around America, to retrace the American novelist John Steinbeck’s route in his 1960s book Travels with Charley. I wanted to reacquaint myself with a continent that was once my home, to see what it was now like. Mace liked North America. A lot!

After living in Britain for more than three decades, after obtaining British citizenship, driving on the right, apologising to people who step on my feet (Sorry. My fault. Shouldn’t have had my feet on the ground.), waking up to rain and fog and thinking it’s a lovely day, I knew where home now was. It’s here, from the Sussex Downs to the Highlands and Islands, in keep-your-head-down, don’t-speak-unless-you’re-spoken-to Britain. I feel comfortable here, not just with the glorious scenery, but with the way of life, the values, the culture, the history.

The trip was a sabbatical – sort of – but it turned into much more. Macy, my four year old golden retriever took time off from her voluntary job enforcing Hyde Park Rules and Regulations (Park Regulation 7 [d] stipulates “All park squirrels must return to their trees before 7:00 AM and remain in their trees until dusk.” Mace told me so, so I know it’s true.) I took time off from running my veterinary clinic and from being a husband, father and son-in-law. Macy and I knew we’d both have fun but for me the trip was more arresting. I ended up re-evaluating who I am, who Americans are, where home really is and why values can be so different in lands that speak the same language.

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