From ancient times, and right up to today, all sorts of brave animals have been drawn into the service of armed forces. Some have been skilled specialists, such as carrier pigeons and mine-sniffing dogs. Others have time and again shown their incredible resilience as beasts of burden, such as horses, donkeys, and mules. And still others, from cats to elephants, have played their parts as well. "This is not a pretty story," Jilly Cooper admits, and yet her pages are filled with sweet and comic stories, too, since front-line pets and mascots have brought humor, and true affection, to even the most desperate military situations. In a new introduction written especially for this first American edition of Animals in War, the author reflects on a dramatic recent example of the intrepid work done by animals in a battle zone: the efforts of the rescue dogs at the site of the World Trade Center disaster. (6 x 9, 224 pages, b&w photos) Jilly Cooper is one of Britain's most popular journalists, authors, and media personalities. Her latest best-selling novel is Pandora. She lives with her husband, their children, and several dogs and cats in England.