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Follow the Flock

How Sheep Shaped Human Civilization

Published by Pegasus Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
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About The Book

An addictively free-ranging survey of the massive impact that the humble and loveable sheep 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, the domesticated ungulates of the genus Ovis—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 colorful 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.

NB: This title was published in the United Kingdom under the title A Short History of the World According to Sheep

About The Author

Sally Coulthard is a best-selling author of design and outdoor living books including The Hedgehog Handbook, The Bee Bible, The Little Book of Snow, How to Build a Shed, Shed Chic, Gardenalia, The Little Book of Building Fires. She lives on a Yorkshire farm where she keeps chickens as well as—naturally—sheep.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Pegasus Books (March 2, 2021)
  • Length: 320 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781643136585

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Raves and Reviews

"Northern Yorkshire advocate for rural living, designer, and author, Coulthard has produced an addictively readable book in which she focuses on one of our oldest domestic animals: the sheep."

– Booklist

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