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Fowl Play

A History of the Chicken from Dinosaur to Dinner Plate

Sally Coulthard

$22.99

Paperback

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English
Head of Zeus
01 February 2024
The humble chicken has conquered the world. This unlikely descendant of Tyrannosaurus Rex is now so ubiquitous there are more than 20 billion chickens pecking, strutting and scratching around the planet at any one time. And yet, of all animals, the chicken perhaps best represents 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.

Sally Coulthard charts the chicken’s fascinating journey from dinosaur to domestication, exploring every aspect of the history of Gallus gallus domesticus. 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.

By:  
Imprint:   Head of Zeus
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 198mm,  Width: 129mm, 
ISBN:   9781801104487
ISBN 10:   1801104484
Pages:   288
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Sally Coulthard is a bestselling author of books about natural history and rural life including The Barn, A Short History of the World According to Sheep, The Book of the Earthworm, The Hedgehog Handbook and over twenty more titles. She lives on a Yorkshire smallholding which she shares with her husband, three girls and an assortment of unruly animals.

Reviews for Fowl Play: A History of the Chicken from Dinosaur to Dinner Plate

'Charming and illuminating... A fascinating history, light on moralising but rich in fancythat details. It may put you off your capon nuggets, but it will give you a good story to share with the parson's nose' * Mail on Sunday * 'Wonderfully entertaining and informative' -- Tim Birkhead, author of Birds and Us '[A] marvellously complete and utter history of chickens... Hen-like herself, Ms Coulthard, a smallholder, has left no stone unturned in a book as well-researched and wide-ranging as it is written. From the first page to the last, Fowl Play is as smooth as chicken supreme' * Country Life * 'My first reaction was that this was an extraordinary book to have been written, but then I came to wonder how it had not been written before, so interesting is the subject' -- Michael Portillo 'A playful, entertaining and satisfyingly informative study of this humble bird and the integral and varied roles it played thoughout human history accross the world... Thoroughly researched and engagingly written... A great read' * Archaeology Worldwide Magazine * 'A genial and wonderfully diverting read... A timely book indeed' * Daily Mail *


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