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The Dogs of Windcutter Down: One Shepherd's Struggle for Survival [Hardcover]

David Kennard (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)


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Book Description

March 20, 2007
"There is no good flock without a good shepherd, and no good shepherd without good dogs."
 
These age-old words of wisdom have always guided Devon sheep farmer David Kennard. But as he battles to save his farm from extinction, they take on a greater weight than ever.
The storm clouds are already gathering when Borough Farm suffers a series of disastrous setbacks that threaten the Kennard family's traditional way of life. Though the farm has survived foot and mouth disease, an invasion of stray sheep, and the threat of disease, a malfunctioning tractor and a sickly sheepdog all add to the farm's daily pressures. How much longer can they stay afloat financially? And will David be the last shepherd to tend his flock in this rugged corner of England? Is there a way to achieve the seemingly impossible---making a living through farming sheep in the twenty-first century?
A shepherd since the age of seventeen, David offers an honest and affectionate, often comic picture of life on his sheep farm. But throughout this gentle meditation on his family's rural way of life, David is in a fight for that life, and for the survival of his family and farm. He must rely---as always---on his faithful sheepdogs Greg, Swift, Gail, Fern, and Ernie. But even he is surprised when the dogs---and the new dog on the farm---exceed his expectations and prove to be Borough Farm's secret weapon.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For the past three years, Kennard, with his wife, Debbie, and their three children, has owned and managed a 150-acre sheep farm in England's rural North Devon. This account focuses both on the difficulties of maintaining a vanishing way of life and on five border collies Kennard (A Shepherd's Watch) has expertly trained to assist him in tending his flock. From late fall through the summer, the author deals with the specter of foot-and-mouth disease, a broken tractor, lice misdiagnosed as sheep scab and the ups and downs of birthing new lambs. When it becomes clear that Greg, the lead dog, is getting too old for his job, Kennard acquires an unusual-looking puppy that his children name Jake, a collie who will prove his worth. Pressed by mounting expenses, the Kennards decide to hold sheepdog demonstrations on their farm, which garner increasingly bigger and more responsive audiences. Kennard's commitment to sheep farming, despite the hardships, comes through clearly, but his low-key style lacks detail, and while anecdotes bring Kennard's children to life, his wife remains a cardboard figure. 24 b&w photos. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Praise for The Dogs of Windcutter Down
"A loving tribute to an endangered way of life."--Kirkus Reviews
 
Praise for A Shepherd's Watch
"The appeal of Kennard's story is the enduring cycle of man, sheep, dog, and a wild, depopulated countryside. A beautiful book."--The Bark magazine

"An honest and affectionate book about rural life, a Herriot-style homage to the countryside."--Mail on Sunday
 
"A runaway literary success . . . one of those surprise publishing sensations."--The Guardian
 
"Marvelously atmospheric, it is also a magnificent tribute to a laborious yet uncomplicated mode of life that has all but vanished."--The Good Book Guide
"A gentle meditation on the relationship between a sheep farmer and his environment."--The Western Mail
 
"A beautiful book that should grace the shelves of many lovers of the countryside."--Newmarket Journal

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; First Edition edition (March 20, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0312362005
  • ISBN-13: 978-0312362003
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL book!, June 1, 2009
By 
Dianne Kuhl (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Dogs of Windcutter Down: One Shepherd's Struggle for Survival (Hardcover)
The second of David Kennard's wonderful stories of life on an English sheep farm is every bit as good as the first, and I highly recommend both books!

Kennard writes with a quiet passion for his calling as a shepherd, and is both educational and entertaining. He's a gift for using words to create such vivid pictures that you almost fancy you were there as he recounts his tales of family, neighbors, days working with his dogs, the challenges facing today's farmers, and the beauty of the rugged English coast. The dogs, of course, steal the show, and Kennard captures their individual personalities beautifully.

More than once, I laughed out loud when reading this book. The Dogs of Windcutter Down will take you through a full range of emotions, but at the end of the day, you're left with a good feeling and the sincere hope that there's another book on the way!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Must go to England someday!, August 16, 2010
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This review is from: The Dogs of Windcutter Down: One Shepherd's Struggle for Survival (Hardcover)
Really enjoyed this book and a long distance picture of what it is like to live and work in England with these great dogs.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Service, December 10, 2009
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This review is from: The Dogs of Windcutter Down: One Shepherd's Struggle for Survival (Hardcover)
The book arrived in a timely way and in beautiful condition. I'm very satisfied.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
A wicked blast of Atlantic wind wrenched the gate from my hand and sent it crashing shut. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sheepdog display, working sheepdog, come bye, sheep scab, sheepdog trials, lambing season
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Land Rover, Borough Farm, Morte Point, Windcutter Down, North Devon, Town Farm, Blackmoor Gate, Christmas Day, National Trust
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