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There are over thirty million sheep in Britain belonging to more than sixty different breeds. They are almost as varied in shape, colour and size as the many breeds of dog but are far less well-known. The sheep industry in Britain is based on a stratified system which makes the best use of the harsh mountains of Scotland, Wales and northern England, as well as of the more fertile and mild regions of southern Britain. It has helped to develop a rich range of specialist regional breed types. This book places the breeds into intelligible groups by outlining the way the national industry works, classifying their different roles and determining where each breed fits into an overall picture. Each breed and its wool is featured, and illustrated with an extensive collection of pictures.

"It details authorised standards of excellence for each breed as well as complete specifications and judging points for all standardised breeds." (Poultry World, September 2008 &Fancy Fowl, August 2008)

British Poultry Standards 6th edition is the official reference to all the recognised Poultry Standards in Great Britain. It contains complete specifications together with judging points for all standardised breeds and varieties, as compiled by the specialist Breed Clubs and recognised by the Poultry Club of Great Britain.

Breeding and exhibiting poultry is a long–held tradition as well as a popular and rewarding hobby. The work of the Breed Clubs and the many dedicated breeders in preserving the pure breeds is vital in maintaining our breeds of poultry not only for the cultural heritage of future generations but also as a gene bank for the commercial world. Under the guardianship of the Poultry Club of Great Britain, this book details the authorised standards of excellence for each breed.

New to this edition:
∗ New and improved colour images for many breeds, now with almost 300 colour photographs.
∗ The inclusion of silhouettes to show the perfect shape for each breed.
∗ An additional 14 breeds are covered.

Tom Williamson studies in detail the making of the rural English landscape in the 18th and 19th centuries. For decades historians have debated the nature, timing and even the existence of the "agricultural revolution". This book approaches the debate from a new direction: that of landscape archaeology. It argues that there was not one "agricultural revolution" but many. The enclosure of open fields and the reclamation of heath and downland-spearheaded by aristocratic improvers and large capitalist farmers-mesmerised contemporaries. But most enclosures had little to do with the improvement of arable farming, large landowners played a minor role and the really revolutionary changes took place elsewhere, in parts of England which were not characterised by large estates, and were the work of tenant farmers rather than landowners.

Since the eighteenth century British cattle breeds have spread worldwide and have made the names of several counties famous in distant lands. Yet some of those breeds have become extinct and many others have become so rare in their own country that they are in danger of disappearing. In the hope of awakening enthusiasm for the diversity that still makes British cattle so interesting, this book describes all the existing breeds and many of those that have already gone. Diversity is crucial; cattle provide meat, milk leather, muscle power and a wide range of by-products, and each breed was developed to meet specific demands.

British farming is in terminal decline: two years ago agriculture contributed 6.9 billion pounds to the British economy, around 1 per cent of GDP. The figure of 2000 is 1.8 billion pounds. In the eye of the animal holocaust of the year 2001 Andrew O'Hagan travelled the length and breadth of the country, talking to farmers, small and large, farmers with no crops and no animals. This is his report of the state of our fields. He takes the long view, tracing changes back to the Second World War, the international view of globalisation, supermarket shopping and the EU. Most of all he takes a personal view - that of one of Britain's most admired, sensitive and subtle writers.