A LIFE FOR DEER (A Deer Vet Tells His Story and Theirs) - Hardcover

Fletcher, John

9780575070905: A LIFE FOR DEER (A Deer Vet Tells His Story and Theirs)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0575070900 ISBN 13: 9780575070905

Publisher: W&N, 2000

The social relationship between humans and deer goes back thousands of years. Our bodies are better adapted to eating venison than the fattier beef or lamb, and venison was the staple meat of Europeans from the earliest times. But deer were never domesticated, and until relatively recently were in decline from their mediaeval peak when there were thousands of deer parks. There are now more deer running wild in Britain than at any time since the last ice age. Nobody is better equipped to tell the fascinating story of deer than John Fletcher, who with his wife founded Europe's first commercial deer farm and has gone on to become the world's leading authority on deer matters, advising, among others, the Royal Family and the National Trust as well as governments and commercial organisations worldwide. John Fletcher's story is a compelling interaction between an intelligent, original and very likeable man and a group of particularly attractive animals, in which he skilfully blends the pattern of his life in deer farming from veterinary student to world authority, with digressions of scientific inquiry in the manner of Longitude.

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From the Publisher:

A chorus of praise for John Fletcher!
"An autobiography packed with good sense and shot through with imaginative observations. How many vets can quote Hesiod and The Seven Pillars of Wisdom convincingly? How many would retain their sense of humour in the face of the setbacks he suffered? ... He has many stirring experiences to relate" – Duff Hart-Davis, Independent

"His evangelical attitude towards deer has led not only to a highly interesting life, but to research that suggests that if we are going to eat meat, better deer than cows" – Sanjida O’Connell, Guardian

"If you want to discover more about deer, try the fascinating A Life for Deer" – RWF Poole, Daily Telegraph

"In these animal-obsessed times, this is just the kind of read that will appeal to a large number of people and will greatly entertain them" – Birmingham Post

"This fascinating book is a must for country-inclined folk" – Aberdeen Press and Journal

"The story of his exploits as a deer farmer and as a worldwide consultant on red deer farming makes an exciting read" – Antoinette Galbraith, Glasgow Herald

"...Entertaining, yet serious and thought-provoking ... quite simply one of the best deer books I have come across and one, moreover, which will appeal to a wide spectrum of readers" – Deer Magazine

From the Author:

FAVOURABLE PRE-PUBLICATION REVIEW
Derek Cooper, the veteran broadcaster and presenter of the Radio Four Food Programme has written of this book and the author: John Fletcher is that rare animal, a passionate enthusiast who never bores. Few people know more about deer or write with such authority. His research on the Isle of Rum led him to create with his wife Nichola a pioneering deer farm in Fife, John tells their story with wit and style. I greatly enjoyed the book.

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