Tracking the black dog : hairy tales and historical legwork from the Black Dog Institute's Writing

Tracking the Black Dog is the product of Black Dog Institute’s inaugural Writing Competition – drawing from highlights of the hundreds of entries. Comical, poignant and learned, these excerpts range from Anubis and faithful Argos, beautiful early myths and legends, through werewolves to darker medieval superstitions, witch hunts, alchemy, astrology and Knights errant, touch on Boswell and Johnson and arrive at mesmerism and ouija boards of Victorian times. Churchill’s courage in the face of his illness, and references to black dog from our own times are also uncovered, links in a chain stretching back to our forebears. All served with a dollop of black humour. Anyone who has ever experienced depression, or who wants to know more about this illness, will find the black dog’s trail through history a fascinating read.