Thinking about getting an Irish Wolfhound? Read this book first. In 1999, award-winning newspaper columnist Bob McMillan was asked to help an anxious friend. Please take a puppy home. He said sure, won’t this be fun. He hadn’t a clue. He saw them exercising in a kennel on a hillside in the forest. They were six weeks old but none weighed less than 30 pounds. They were big boned and colossal. “Ohmigod, look at their forearms! They’re like little furry Hercules. What kind of dogs are these?” Scottish Deerhounds crossed with Irish Wolfhounds. He didn’t yet know that these were once the hounds of kings, Vikings and Irish heroes. They were with the Celts at the sacking of Delphi. A pair electrified ancient Rome. They pulled Norman knights from saddles. They were the stuff of storms, fire and legend. And he quickly learned that they have personalities even larger than they are. He spent the next 20 years writing about the magical, Celtic hounds and operates a website where many breeders send prospective clients for a clearer idea of what they’re getting into. By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, this is the story of his life with the giant hounds, these are the collected essays read by dog lovers in more than 30 countries. Take the ride and like sighthounds and their owners, you’ll end up with the same otherwordly wild stare.