A Shepherd's Watch: Through the Seasons with One Man and His Dogs - Hardcover

Kennard, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312332661 ISBN 13: 9780312332662

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2005

Synopsis

At Borough Farm, on North Devon's rugged, spectacular coast, David Kennard and his dogs are embarking on a new shepherding year.

Part diary of one man and his remarkable dogs, part Herriot-like homage to the countryside and its characters, A Shepherd's Watch is that rare thing: a portrait of a real life that is at once authentic and evocative, warm, and compelling. Here, David Kennard presents twelve months with his working sheepdogs, Greg, Swift, Gail, Fern, and Ernie, as they face a never-ending series of challenges: from rescuing ewes stranded on the Atlantic cliffs to running the gauntlet of psychopathic rams and officious farm inspectors, from spring lambing and summertime shearing to fending off the ever-present threats nature has in store for the 850-strong flock. All this, in the midst of a harsh economic climate for farming and a landscape that is among the most picturesque, yet wildly unpredictable, in the British Isles.

David Kennard has been a shepherd since he left school at the age of seventeen. In this, his first book, he draws on half a lifetime's experience to paint an honest and affectionate, often comic picture of a year in the life of a sheep farm and its very different canine and human personalities. As he follows the changing seasons, observing nature's inexorable journey through the dark days of winter to the rebirth and renewal of spring, he also offers a gentle meditation on man's relationship with his environment, and a poignant elegy to a rural way of life.

About this title

About the Author:

David Kennard's name has become a familiar one in the United Kingdom because of his bestselling video The Year of the Working Sheep. He lives in North Devon, England with his wife, Debbie; three children, Clare, Laura, and Nick; and, of course, his dogs, Greg, Swift, Gail, Ernie, and Fern.

Review:

'One minute he was a struggling sheep farmer, the next a runaway literary success' -- Guardian 20040405 'An honest and affectionate book about rural life, a Herriot-style homage to the countryside' -- Mail on Sunday 20040328 'Marvellously atmospheric, it is also a magnificent tribute to a laborious yet uncomplicated mode of life that has all but vanished' -- Good Book Guide 20040401 'Amid the countless novels of multicultural gangsta chic in kitten heels, A SHEPHERD'S WATCH serves as a reminder of a traditional way of life that is in decline, and of a deep-held reverence for the countryside and the seasons' -- Guardian 20040406

About this edition

• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0312332661
• ISBN 13: 9780312332662
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192