Showing results by author "Sally Coulthard" in All Categories

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.

A Waterstones Best Book of 2024: Nature Writing The untold story of rural Britain revealed through its artefacts  'A really lovely, fascinating book. I dived straight into this clever, joyous, celebration of nature, history, and – of course – the countryside.' Charles Spencer, author of...

The Apple: A Delicious History tells the engrossing and richly informative story of a fruit with a unique attachment to the human story. The 10,000-year tale of the round and pleasantly crunchy products of the trees of the genus Malus embraces not only culinary, horticultural, social and commercial history but also age-old traditions in mythology, folklore and religion.

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.

Dawn and dusk – those fleeting, half-lit hours – are when the ordinary becomes extraordinary. In THE SECRET WORLD OF TWILIGHT, author and smallholder Sally Coulthard invites us into this magical in-between realm, where seductive night-blooming flowers open, secretive mammals stir, giant moths reign and fantastical sea creatures ride the tide. Blending natural history, folklore and memoir, Coulthard reveals twilight as a vital, liminal force: one that has inspired awe for millennia and still has the power to illuminate our daily lives.

An immersive history of our coasts and the people who have shaped them The coast means something different to everyone. It’s a place of pleasure and reckless pursuits, of fishing, fearless endeavours and a crashing, rugged beauty. The coast is, and always has been, our first line of defence...

With its heart-shaped face and silent, graceful flight, the barn owl regularly tops the nation's list of favourite birds. But how much do we really know about this sublime tenant of the night? Here, bestselling author Sally Coulthard shines a light on the barn owl. Full of fascinating insights, conservation advice and the latest research, this affectionate and timely guide also tells the story of a barn owl's early life–from first pip of the shell to leaving the nest–a fascinating time in this captivating creature's journey.

Sally Coulthard explores the miraculous world of the earthworm, the modest little creature without whom life as we know it would not be possible. For Charles Darwin - who estimated every acre of land contained 53,000 earthworms - the humble earthworm was the most important creature on the planet. And yet, most people know almost nothing about these little engineers of the earth. We take them for granted but, without the earthworm, the world's soil would be barren and our gardens, fields and farms wouldn't be able to grow the food and support the animals we need to survive.