Fowl Play - by Sally Coulthard

About the Book

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"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

"In this extremely well-researched book, author Sally Coulthard traces the arc of the chicken from its ancestors among the dinosaurs through domestication by humans" --Scientific American

"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

"PRAISE FOR SALLY COULTHARD:

'Full of fascinating social history' Independent.

'Global in scope, with fascinating vignettes from the ancient world to the present day' BBC History Magazine.

'A snappy, stimulating book' Mail on Sunday.

'Many wonderful tales unearthed by Coulthard... A smart little book' BBC Countryfile Magazine.

'One of our favourite books of the year'" --Yorkshire Post

"...a beautifully written and accessible interdisciplinary synthesis on this most remarkable bird" --Professor Bob Davis, University of Glasgow

"A fascinating read" --This England

"I always look forward to reading Coulthard's work. Not only is she exceptionally well-read, but she communicates extremely well. Fowl Play is no exception" --Get History

"A beautifully written and accessible interdisciplinary synthesis on this most remarkable bird" --Professor Bob Davis, University of Glasgow

"Sally Coulthard's fascinating new book...charts humanity's relationship with the chicken down the centuries" --Yorkshire Post

About the Author