From dinosaur to dinner plate, Sally Coulthard tells the
fascinating – and sometimes shocking – story of the domestic
chicken. The chicken can fly only a few metres but – somehow –
this unlikely evolutionary descendant of Tyrannosaurus Rex has
conquered the world. Earth is now home to more than twenty billion
chickens, at least ten times more than any other bird. For every
human on the planet, there are three chickens. In Fowl Play, Sally
Coulthard charts the chicken's fascinating journey from dinosaur to
domestication to exploitation, exploring every aspect of the
history of Gallus gallus domesticus: its importance to the ancient
Egyptians, Greeks and Romans as food source and fighting bird; its
symbolic roles in religion and folklore and metaphorical function
in the language we use; its homely place as egg-providing companion
on farms, smallholdings and in suburban back gardens; and its
darker modern-day fate as battery bird raised to satisfy society's
unquenchable addiction to wings and nuggets. Of all animals,
chickens perhaps best represent the contradictory way we humans
treat other species; both beloved pet and cheap commodity, symbol
of a sustainable good life and brutalised object of factory
farming. The chicken is also a bird we feel deeply familiar with
and yet know very little about. As informative as it is
entertaining, Fowl Play tells a remarkable tale of evolutionary
change, epic global travel and ruthless exploitation – as well as
of companionship, ingenuity and the folly of human nature.
General
Imprint: |
Apollo
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
November 2023 |
Authors: |
Sally Coulthard
|
Dimensions: |
198 x 129mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
288 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-80110-448-7 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-80110-448-4 |
Barcode: |
9781801104487 |
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