A short history of the world according to sheep
By Sally Coulthard
A Short History of the World According to Sheep is an engaging overview of some of the key impacts (good and bad) of sheep on our culture, society, and economy. An enjoyable, interesting book about an important part of our past and present. There's a lot of overlap with This Golden Fleece (which is cited as a source), but there's information not in This Golden Fleece, like an exploration of slavery and child labour in mills. Coulthard's writing style is very matter of fact, and the book had fewer personal touches than I expected given Coulthard has a flock of sheep. My enjoyment of A Short History of the World According to Sheep was overshadowed by how much I loved This Golden Fleece, but I read Coulthard's The Barn and thoroughly enjoyed it, so her writing style is very much growing on me. I'm looking forward to reading Fowl Play.
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A Short History of the World According to Sheep
Description
‘This book deserves a place in your bookcase next to Harari’s Sapiens. It’s every bit as fascinating and is surely destined to be just as successful’ Julian Norton From the plains of ancient Mesopotamia to the vast sheep farms of modern-day Australia, sheep have been central to the human story. Since our our Neolithic ancestors’ first forays into sheep-rearing nearly 11,000 years ago, these remarkable animals have fed us, clothed us, changed our diet and language and financed the conquest of large swathes of the earth.
Sally Coulthard weaves this fascinating story into a vivid and colourful tapestry of engaging anecdotes and extraordinary ovine facts, whose multiple strands celebrate just how pivotal these woolly animals are to almost every aspect of human society and culture.
‘A snappy, stimulating book, and certainly not just for shepherds’ Mail on Sunday
‘Full of fascinating social history’ Independent
‘You won’t look at a sheep in the same way again’ Country Living
Bestselling author and columnist Sally Coulthard has spent the last two decades writing about her favourite things – nature, history and craft. Many of her books delve into the traditions of rural life – from artisans to agriculture – the people, plants and creatures who make the countryside tick.
Sally’s work often weaves together different disciplines, pulling threads from social history, anthropology, archaeology, design and nature writing to bring her diverse subjects to life.
After studying Archaeology and Anthropology at Oxford, and a brief stint working in factual television production, Sally moved back to her beloved Yorkshire, married a gardener and set up a smallholding; it’s from there, surrounded by her family and other animals, that Sally writes from a shed in the old orchard.
Her books have covered a wide range of themes – from native bees and hedgehogs to folklore and the history of rural buildings. The countryside remains a constant source of inspiration – whether it’s barn owls or earthworms – and many of Sally’s books share her love of native wildlife and sustainable living.
Sally also writes a column for Country Living magazine, A Good Life, in which sh
A Short History of the World According to Sheep - Hardcover
Synopsis
'This book deserves a place in your bookcase next to Harari's
Sapiens
. It's every bit as fascinating and is surely destined to be just as successful' Julian Norton
From the plains of ancient Mesopotamia to the rolling hills of medieval England to the vast sheep farms of modern-day Australia, sheep have been central to the human story.
Starting with our Neolithic ancestors' first forays into sheep-rearing nearly 10,000 years ago, these remarkable animals have fed us, clothed us, changed our diet and languages, helped us to win wars, decorated our homes, and financed the conquest of large swathes of the earth. Enormous fortunes and new, society-changing industries have been made from the fleeces of sheep, and cities shaped by shepherds' markets and meat trading.
Sally Coulthard weaves the fascinating story of sheep into a vivid and colourful tapestry, thickly threaded with engaging anecdotes and remarkable ovine facts, whose multiple strands reflect the deep penetration of these woolly animals into every aspect of human society and culture.
REVIEWS
'Sally Coulthard's story of how sheep shaped the human