press release
THE APE OF SORROWS: From Stranger to Destroyer
The Inside Story of Humans
Maurice Rowdon, philosopher, historian, writer
Published by iUniverse, 25 February 2010 £15.00 ($23.95)
"The only measure we have of any animal's intelligence is whether it leaves its
habitat enhanced or depleted, and by this measure the human is the least intelligent
of all creatures"
WHAT kind of species goes in for collective suicide?
Have our powers of self-invention to date been deeply misconceived?
Periods of decline usually contain the seeds of renewal.
What will it take for us to survive?
The Ape of Sorrows examines human behaviour through the simple but powerful rubric
of animal intelligence, presenting a new view ofhumans as a magnificent, ifmisguided
species which lost its way as it evolved beyond its niche to be niche-less, and separate,
from all other non-linguistic animal life.
The Ape of Sorrows opens with a gripping retelling ofthe monkey brawl at London Zoo
in the 1930s. It goes on to examine the history of our relationship with animals, and the
development of our scientific, cultural and religious thought and practice through the
millennia the story that has brought us to this point of extreme instability in the 21st
century.
Author, philosopher and historian, Maurice Rowdon brings a personal philosophical view
to bear on our present state, offering an explanation as to how and why we are apparently
SO tragically committed to the destruction ofthis planet, our evolutionary mutations
revealing a hard-pressed creature who seems to have had no other course.
The Ape of Sorrows is the culmination of 15 years of dedicated thought completed in the
months before the visionary author's death in February 2009.
BIOGRAPHY Maurice Rowdon (1922-2009) earned degrees in History and Philosophy
at Oxford University and published twelve books on animal and human intelligence,
travel, and war. A writer of fiction and non-fiction as well as a prolific playwright, he
also taught his own breathing system, evolved from yoga practices, in California and
Europe. In the latter years he lived with his wife, Dachiell, who survives him, in France
and London.
Website: www.theapeofsorrows.com


Cin examua Tthe hunar as hen, moton Ahed ho hl V
li Slep ln skep gude do who 8 aL lnd, mot
we houe do judg
auli mocmi
human pu fomance
Ohce we See
Contaut 0 Huapegy Esapous.con


Customer Profile:
Maurice Rowdon, 44 Brookwood Road, London SW18 5BY. Landline phone
Authors and Other Royalty Participants
Not applicable.
Author Biography:
Maurice Rowdon took degrees in History and Philosophy at Oxford University
and has published twelve books on animal/human intelligence and war. He writes plays,
sometimes directing them, and for many years was a breath-guide in California, naming
his system in 1981 'oxygenesis' . He and his wife reside mostly in London.
Information about your book:
Title: MAD APE
Subtitle: The animal that said it wasn 't.
Author name as it should appear on book:
Maurice Rowdon.
QUOTE:
General quotes on various past work.
Italian Sketches: 'He can describe what he sees and hears with an unpretentious
immediacy that brings a scene instantly and enduringly to life. He is full of variety. .His
style is extremely simple, short words and short sentences, yet every now and then he
takes off on a purely literary flight of fancy that takes the reader with it in hilarious or
tender acceptance.' (Times Literary Supplement).
Extreme spiritual delicacy as well as physical sensibility. .Artistically
exhilarating. Often piercingly accurate. > (The Guardian).
'A loving sunlit account...like the chatter of asti spumante, effervescent and
intoxicating out of a bottle. (New Statesman)
The delighted reader forgives him all his prejudices.. He is endowed with a
sharp reporter's eye.' (Sunday Times). 'It is a real pleasure to come across a quite
original book.' 2 (Observer).
A Roman Street: 'a first-class daily-life writer and all the Romanists will want to
read him... .every word ofit rings true... .reminds us of Lawrence' (Observer).
The Fall ofVenice: Mr Rowdon is fortunate because after reading his enthralling
essays one can still return to Venice and see SO much that has survived the Fall.'
(Cyril Connolly, Sunday Times).
Stylish and haunting' (New Yorker).
Hellebore The Clown: 'One of the truest novels I have ever read....an exquisite
story' (Sunday Telegraph). 'A remarkably assured performance. Here is a fresh, vigorous
and altogether unusual talent.' (John O' London's Weekly).


MAURICE ROWDON
ITALIAN SKETCHES
THE FALL OF VENICE
'Itis a real pleasure to come across a quite
original book on Italy. Iderived much
The new book is a bold and vigorous one, and
pleasure from it.'
though true to its title is written with such
SIR HAROLD NICOLSON The Observer
enthusiasm that one cannot help concluding
'So often
accurate ands far
that to fall is happier than to rise.'
piercingly
so under
NIGEL DENNIS Sunday Telegraph
the skin ofeveryday appearances thati it is really
anew appraisal almost ofa new country'
'Mr Rowdon is fortunate, because after reading
ISABEL QUIGLEY The Guardian
his enthralling essays one can still return to
Venice and see: sO much that has survived the
Within a couple of pages he has established a
strong literary personality'
CYRIL CONNOLLY Sunday Times
Punch
Stylish and haunting' New Yorker
A new writer ofimportance' - Punch
Endowed with a sharp reporter's eye'
A ROMAN STREET
- Sunday Times
'Iam quite delighted with it. It catches the very
He can describe what he sees and hears
voice and breath ofRome'
J. I. M. STEWART
with an unpretentious immediacy that
brings a scene instantly and enduringly to
'A first-class daily-life writer and all the
life' - Times
Romanists will want to read him. Every word
Literary Supplement
ofit rings true. reminds us ofLawrence'
'All books about Italy are frantic attempts
BERNARD WALL The Observer
to try and understand the nature ofits
fascination, and ifMr Rowdon's book
ELKEG BELAM
(Italian Sketches) is one ofthel best attempts
Highly entertaining and provocative,
thatl has been made for many years, this is
this is the incredible, true-life account
because he tries so deeply to understand and
of two astonishing dogs who com-
must excite the sympathy of anyone else
municate with humans, solve arith-
who has tried to do so'. - Sunday Telegraph
metic problems faster than you can,
'A loving, sunlit account - something of
and discuss topics ranging from the
Lawrence's travel books, something of
weather to religion.
Durrell's island books : like the chatter of
Many other attempts of varying success have
an opera recitative, like asti spumante
been and will be madet to communicate with
gurgling effervescent and intoxicating out
animals-dogs, horses, chimpanzees, dolphins.
bottle '-New Statesman
Inl Thel Talking Dogs, MauriceF Rowdon has
ofa
documented- painstakingly. impressively and
convincingly-ones such experiment, takingg place
THE COMPANION GUIDE TO
right now, thath has emphatically worked.
UMBRIA
Mr Rowdon has written an exceptionally well-
perimeter west
informed and entertaining guide. This is an
outstanding travel book.'
For all who care for literature that
Eastern. Daily. Press
concerns itself with the things that really
happen and really matter, Perimeter West
is a novel to notice. It is original; its
vision is simple and mature; and it speaks
Clowns, some say, are a dying race.
But if ever a sad day comes when The
for a generation unacclimatised to peace
Great Clowns are no more, and people
and quiet.
who have never seen them wonderwhat
they were like, we could confidently
"Profoundly serious" .
"As an
recommend them to read this remark-
indictment of modern warfare Of Sins
able book.
The description
and Winter is extremely powerful .
of this performance, with all its tension,
Here, it seems to me, is described the
Hellebore near-tragedy, humour and triumphant
dilemma not only of war and peace, but
nel own you ett T virtuosity, is a tour-de-force which
that of this century", wrote the reviewer
marks out Mr. Rowdon as a writer of
of Maurice Rowdon's last book in En-
the highest promise.
counter.