320 pages
English language
Published July 15, 2020 by Head of Zeus.
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.
Full of delightful facts as well as the darker parts of sheepish history. As many have pointed out, it does have a focus on the British Isles rather than being truly about sheep the world over, but I'm not going to hold the title against it. I would recommend to those with an interest in textiles, as well as the history of rural Britain.
Coulthard takes a journalistic approach in this book that puts itself forward as a history of sheep across the world. More accurately, it is a history of sheep and wool, mostly in England (and with an occasionally nationalistic tone that interrupts the flow of the writing).
The best sections are the ones where Coulthard is talking about sheep and not humans or wool. Her tone and humour at these sections are pitch-perfect, and some of the stories are fascinating. Her presentation of the non-human eye gives a nice introduction to the idea of sheep as a companion of humans on our long journey together. Unfortunately, those stronger sections are too few, and throughout the reading the book makes some broad, unsubstantiated claims and often uses language clumsily. It's a pity, because when it is good it is really enjoyable.
