A Short History of the World According to Sheep

By: Sally Coulthard

Narrated by: Karen Cass

An addictively free-ranging survey of the massive impact that the domesticated ungulates of the genus Ovis 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, 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 colourful 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.

©2020 Sally Coulthard (P)2020 Head of Zeus

Critic reviews

"This book deserves a place in your bookcase next to Harari's Sapiens. It's every bit as fascinating and is surely destined to be just as successful." (Julian Norton)

Not bad but could be much better

This book was quite informative but definitely too much focus on UK. As if other countries don’t exist. So many lost opportunities. Narration was not great - whenever she’s quoting anything she changed her voice and is very annoying and completely unnecessary.

A Concise History on Sheep and Their Uses

It may bounce around a lot, but thats what I love about it, If you been interested sheep for awhile this is the book for you.

I couldn't stop talking about sheep after reading

I was drawn to this book as a fiber artist curious about the wonders of wool and interested in perhaps keeping sheep one day. The history shared covers the globe and thousands of years giving a wide range of stories and facts of this early domesticated animal. From sheepdogs to scissors and shears, there is so much more to learn about sheep than I could have imagined. This was a great book to listen to for short drives, guaranteed to leave you with a snippet of information you can share when you get to your destination.

I finished this book 6 months ago and I still think about it almost weekly. Sheep are cute, sheep are beaut, sheep are soft and curly. Don Spencer, anyone?

Delightful and entertaining

As a knitter, history nerd (somewhat lapsed), wool enthusiast, and possible future nålbinder, spinner, and/or weaver—these fiber crafts are seductive and insidious!—this book was absolutely meant for me as the audience. Historical sheep, wool crafts, economy, and trade are surprisingly fascinating. Most of the book ended up Great Britain-centric, so the title is a bit misleading, but I was entertained and don't really have any complaints. (I will possibly search out more books to do with handicrafts and wool for further education and entertainment as I knit.)

The narration was absolutely delightful. I loved the narrator's accent and friendly voice, and appreciated her change of voice and use of other accents (skillfully!) for quotes and excerpts.

Engaging historical information

I'm a spinner, knitter, and nålbinder, and love learning more about the history of fiber crafting. But this is so much more. The social and economic impact of sheep in the human world are fascinating. The story is told in an accessible, engaging, and often humorous way, with outstanding narration. I highly recommend it not only for fiber lovers and history lovers, but anyone interested in an enjoyable and interesting listen.

Knitter, spinster, lover of all things wool

The book is short, but by no means lacking on history, humor, and trivia regarding wool, sheep and the necessity for humans to keep warm.

Very interesting history of the British wool industry crossing over to the colonies. Seems that if all the restrictions placed on the colonists nothing enraged them more than restrictions on wool.


I am happy that the author dispelled the common myths that Ganseys, Aran, & Icelandic sweaters and Scottish tartans are ancient designs passed down for generations. They are more likely the fabrication of clever marketers wanting to lure tourists into the various shops in Dublin, Glasgow, and London.

Fascinating!

So interesting especially to
Spinners and shepherds and weavers, lots of history and culture of wool
And sheep

Excellent book

This book is factual but also incredibly entertaining. The narrator has a wonderful voice. I set my device to 0.9 speed. I have listened to this book 3 times and suspect, I’ll listen to it many more.

More like Great Britain & Ireland

Not just for wool fans, this book tells how economic history depends on sheep. It’s an enjoyable listen and I appreciated all the details.

Loved it!

This was so interesting and informative! The voice acting was great, too. I only wish it was longer and had even more detail about non-Western parts of the world. There was some of that, but more would have made it even better.