'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 An addictively free-ranging
survey of the massive impact that the domesticated ungulates of the
genus Ovis have had on human history. 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 rich and 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 story is full of rich pickings
... She weaves together a detailed story that is full of
fascinating social history' Independent 'I absolutely LOVE this ...
It's a perfect light-hearted informative history' Philippa Sandall
'This is such a great book: I would recommend it to anyone who has
an interest in history or sheep - or simply a passion for reading
captivating and high-quality prose. It's extremely well researched
and written in a very engaging style. It trumped my Clive James
memoir, which I put to one side. I read A Short History of the
World According to Sheep within two days. (And that's impressive
for me. It usually takes me weeks to finish a book.) You'd never
imagine the role sheep have played across the centuries: from the
egregious rampaging of Genghis Khan to the success of the Medici
dynasty during the Renaissance to the Scottish Highland Clearances
of the eighteenth century. The trade in their wool has financed
wars; lanolin from their fleeces has fuelled the huge industry in
beauty products, and ovine intestines even had a hand in
controlling both birth rates and the spread of syphilis. And that's
before we get onto jumpers. Or cheese...' Julian Norton, the
Yorkshire Vet
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Review This Product
Mon, 2 Dec 2024 | Review
by: Tanya K.
A better title for this book would have been "A Short History of the British Isles According to Sheep". Coulthard starts off with ancient history - the domestication of wild ovines in the Middle East and the uses that people got from these sheep, such as meat, milk, cheese and wool. The book then progresses, peacemeal, to how sheep products influenced the economy, textile manufacture, laws, trade, wars, food, and the daily life of those living in the British Isles (with a passing mention of other bits of the world). The information provided is mostly new to me and I found it interesting. The development of felt and knitting, the sheer number of sheep required to keep the Celts, Roman and Vikings in cloth, and the properties of wool were particularly interesting. In short, this is a jaunty but interesting, if somewhat casual look at how sheep influenced humanity, with heavy emphasis on the British Isles.
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