'Nobody will ever love you like a dog. Nobody will ever be as consistently happy to see you. Nobody will ever make you so glad to be alive.'

It all started when nine-year-old Jasmine wanted a dog and her parents, Tony and Yuriko, tried to fob her off with a rabbit. In the end, along came Stan, a bandy-legged bundle of joy, loyalty and bright red fur. And nothing like a rabbit. Set against the backdrop of Tony's life in Hampstead and their daily walks across the Heath, with its rolling hills, ponds and cast of star-studded, dog-walking neighbours ' this is a poignant, funny and deeply human memoir about a special relationship with a four-legged friend.

Full of Tony's reliably moving, wise and heartfelt writing, Man & Dog: A Love Story captures the ineffable bond between a man and his dog.