'An important book on several levels... Read a few sentences out loud wherever you are.'
Rosamund Young Everybody thinks they know what sheep are like: they're stupid noisy
cowardly ('lambs to the slaughter') and they're 'sheepwrecking' the environment. Or maybe
not. Contrary to popular prejudice sheep are among the smartest animals in the farmyard
fiercely loyal forming long and lasting friendships. Sheep farmed properly are boons to
biodiversity. They also happen to taste good and their fleeces warm us through the winter -
indeed John Lewis-Stempel's family supplied the wool for Queen Elizabeth's 'hose'. Observing
the traditional shepherd's calendar The Sheep's Tale is a loving biography of ewes lambs and
rams through the seasons. Lewis-Stempel tends to his flock with deep-rooted wisdom ethical
consideration affection and humour. This book is a tribute to all the sheep he has reared and
sheared - from gregarious Action Ram to sweet Maid Marion. In his inimitable style he shares
the tales that only a shepherd can tell.
