The remarkable history of Britain and its animals, told through ten iconic species

Have you ever wondered why we count sheep to get to sleep? Or where the phrase “red herring” comes from? Across British history, animals have been written about in poetry, painted in oils, and even recorded in law. Loved or feared, familiar or endangered, animals are everywhere to be seen.

In this enchanting, beautifully illustrated study, Karen R. Jones takes a journey through the history of ten animals to show the extraordinary story of “beastly” Britain. Jones looks at animals including foxes and hedgehogs, newts and beetles, ghostly hounds and even the Loch Ness Monster. She reveals the place of animals in British cultural identity and sheds new light on the most iconic moments of British history, from the Black Death to World War II.

The story of these isles may be told by human voices, but it is fully brought to life by listening to the squawks, bellows, and howls that make Britain what it is.

Karen R. Jones is professor of environmental and cultural history at the University of Kent. She has written on trails, wolves, beasts, conservation, and much more in both the US and the UK. Her books include Calamity, The Invention of the Park, and Wolf Mountains.