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Human civilisation was not just created by humans: we had the help of many creatures, and foremost among these were sheep. From Argentina to Australia and from Mesopotamia to Mongolia, just about every country with hills and meadows has adopted and then developed sheep farming as a way of living. And in Wales in particular, sheep played a central role in shaping landscape and culture.
Sheeplands outlines the journeys taken by some of these sheep as they voyaged across the world, both by themselves and with human shepherds, from the earliest human settlements to the present day. Along the way, Alan Marshall paints vivid portraits of the roles sheep have played in the development of the modern world, in times of peace and war, and describes how our sheeplands might continue to influence Wales and the wider world in future years.
Alan Marshall was born and raised in New Zealand, growing up on a ‘lifestyle’ farm on the edge of Wellington. His family always had half a dozen sheep – no more, no less – munching away outside the house. As well as a BSc from Wolverhampton University in the UK, he holds a Master’s degree from Massey University (New Zealand’s best ‘sheep university’) and a PhD from Wollongong University in Australia. He is the author of five previous books, including an academic title, a novel, a book for Friends of the Earth Australia, and two illustrated ‘pop’ design books for general audiences.
