The Illustrated Herdwick Shepherd

by James Rebanks

I am the luckiest man alive, because I get to live and work in the most beautiful place on earth: Matterdale in the English Lake District. When I was a child we didn't really go anywhere, except a week in the Isle of Man when I was about ten years old, and I never left Britain until I was twenty. Even now, years later, the best bit of any travelling is coming home. Bringing us into the world of shepherd's baking competitions, sheep shows and moments out on the fell watching the sheep run away home, James Rebanks interweaves thoughts and reflections on the art of shepherding with his photographs of the valley, people and animals that make up the daily life of the fells. A life lived by the three hundred surviving fell farming families, this is a book of photos and words filled with reverence and love.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Nature, Photography, Animals, British Literature, Biography

176 pages, Hardcover

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

James Rebanks runs a family-owned farm in the Lake District in northern England. A graduate of Oxford University, James works as an expert advisor to UNESCO on sustainable tourism.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book about the real life on a farm with sheep. Beautiful photography flows through this book, the best is on page 27.
A way of life that needs to last forever.

Right! lunch is over, yeesh.

THE ORIGINAL REVIEW

Picked this up in the bookshop this evening spent a minute looking through it and decided there and then to buy it. What can one say, the pictures are wonderful, the writing is full of warmth, so much so that you can't help but want to be there.

Beautifully bound and printed. Looks great on the shelf.

Looking forward to reading this with unrestrained pleasure.

[Eva Lavrikova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toto je neuveritelne milá, láskavá, vrúcna kniha. O ovciach. Je krásna.

[Alexandra Jurišová · Rating 5 out of 5]

Táto kniha je krásna, vtipná, doplnená nádhernými fotografiami a rozprávač je fakt veľmi sympatický. Detailne približuje čitateľom pastiersky svet, svoje radosti aj starosti. Vďaka nemu sme o krok bližšie k prírode. Krása!

[Jason Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and easy read but a really great insight into the ins and outs of being a shepherd in the Lake District.. Some very surprising and unlikely rituals learnt and some wonderful photographs taken in... I got it as a Christmas present as I was staying up there and I'm so pleased I did now that I've moved back down to the South of England where shepherding isn't quite as idyllic and steeped in custom I expect! Recommended for anyone who has spent time appreciating Herdys in the Lakes or for anyone interested in old farming ways. #ace :)

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would that we were all so hardworking and content. I am now homesick.
I do believe the world has gone completely mad So many people work hundreds of miles away from their families and for why. Criss crossing the globe in the pursuit of more stuff.Enough. James Rebanks ; you are the luckiest of men.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let's get this out of the way: it's not God's Own Country (i.e. Yorkshire), but it's pretty close.

Filled with quintessentially English countryside and more gems about real sheep-farming life, this is a wonderful keepsake book. There's a handy primer on Cumbrian vocabulary, the strange commands yelled at sheep-dogs (who are invariably and lovingly referred to as "you stupid bugger"), and reflections on being a bestselling author whom neighbours still yell at for letting your sheep roam where they shouldn't.

[Miriam Hrádeľová · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ak sa pýtaš že prečo kniha o ovciach a prečo 5 hviezdičiek.. skús byť vychovaný v lone prírody a skončiť v betóne Brna

[Klára · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Všetci chceme žiť z darov zeme, ale väčšina z nás to túži robiť tak, aby sa sovy vracali hniezdiť do stodôl, aby v potokoch plávali vydry a na lúkach sa pásli srny."

Chytila som ju pred 2 hodinami a položila až keď som ju dočítala. Potrebujem viac kníh ako je táto, také čo citujú Heaneyho na jednej strane a na druhej vám vysvetľujú slovo pirť alebo dávaju návod ako vybrať správnu Herdwičku na výstavu.

Už navždy budem vidieť ovčie stáda ako bielo sivú rieku tečúcu domov.

P.s. skvelý prekladateľ.

[Monica Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Shepherd's Life, I was happy to realise that James Rebanks had written another book, and this one was full of photos! Also contains some translations ;)

Of course, James' laconic wit is sprinkled throughout - I have never heard a Cumbrian accent but I can still hear his in my head, somehow! I am highly unlikely to get to where he lives any time soon (especially since the COVID thing hit) but this book made me want to. I am glad he took pics of grey days and sheep in snow as well, just to illustrate to us foreigners who want to move to his part of the world, that everyday life isn't always green hills and white legged sheep.

Nevertheless, I wanted to move to the other side of the world once I read this book :) The thought of people living their lives in such an honest and traditional way, filled me with joy.

Good on you James Rebanks; because of you, people like me have a much greater understanding of what really matters in life.

[Maťa Levásovská · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nádherná kniha. Nádherné fotografie. Najradšej by som sa teraz zbalila a išla na sever Slovenska pásť ovce.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up because I love the author's twitter account. Posts photos of his flock and dogs, mostly taken with his phone. Recognized some pictures in the book from twitter. He's also a funny and eloquent writer. I learned more about the history of his part of England, and want even more to visit the area than before. @herdyshepherd1

[Katarína Kullmanova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Napadaju mi len dve slova - krasa a neha... okej a laska, uprimne cista. Laska k prirode a ovciam. Tato kniha je balzam na dusu. “Vravi sa, ze svetlu trva osem minut, kym dorazi od slnka k zemi, a ta cesta stoji za to, lebo ked rozziari toto udolie, vyrazi vam dych.”

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable being transported to another world. I'd love to visit the English Lake District someday!

[Sarah Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We are all only as good as the things we know, or as good as the last day’s work we did.”

[Robert Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a coffee table type book, but charming as always

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked his Shepherd's Life, and loved the Shepherd's View. Perfect snippets of his life and his people in the Lake District with perfectly matching photographs (or maybe that's the other way round...no matter). Some might question if this is great literature worthy of 5 stars. I say his words, and photos, conveyed exactly what he wanted them to.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

AWWW - I read this book in one fast gulp. Though I loved what was there, after reading "A Shepherd's Life, I had imagined something more. I wanted captions on the photos (Is that your son holding a lamb on page 125?), specifics about the breed of your sheepdogs (border collies?), and a picture of your house converted from a barn. I wanted to see the barnyard, the chickens, and those school children frolicking in the meadows. Being a farm girl, more clipping photos, dipping and worming, and even lambing photos would have been welcome. Are sheep like goats and so they eat those purple thistles or do you have to treat weeds on your acreage?
Mr. Rebanks, you've reminded me of all the wonderful rural folk that I knew growing up on a farm in Illinois and made me smile to recall my grandfather's love of his "lead sheep". Thank you for making me laugh, reminding me of the joy of hard work (even when it involves bad weather and manure), and sharing your priorities in life (the absolute contentment from a love of home which includes both a sense of place and the special people who reside there). Most of all thank you for reminding all readers what true passion looks and feels like. I believe that in life, "thus done alreet".

[Kbrooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely companion to The Shepherd's Life, which was one of my favorite books of 2015. Beautiful photos matched with humorous and heartfelt vignettes of shepherding in England's breathtaking Lake District. Not a lengthy read, but one that merits being savored and revisited over many nice pots of tea. And just a wonderfully produced volume in every way. A fine argument for the continued importance and enduring aura of physical books. Don't waste this on a Kindle!

[Patti Shaughnessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved everything about this book. As a city girl I am always interested in the country life. The Shepherd's life is fascinating. The book is informative yet fun. I love his writing style. And the photos are glorious. It is one of my favorite book of 2016! Can't wait to read his previous book.

[Lael Braday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who would think that a book on sheepherding would be so interesting? Rebanks offers more than a simple lesson in animal husbandry, sharing insight on relationships with other sheep farmers and giving a history lesson on the area, families, and flocks. Also, the pictures are gorgeous. He tells all about his wonderful sheepdogs, which was my favorite part of the book.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. Also entertaining and I even learned some things. This book was a gift from my daughter and I loved every word and photograph.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic follow up to his first book. I am utterly in love with the life - challenging though it may be. The sheep, the people, the dogs, and the photos are all spectacular.

[Griflet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful book.
Would read anything this author wrote.



"WHY I LOVE MATTERDALE

NOBODY IS GOING TO GET TOO BIG FOR THEIR BOOTS:

I was recently lucky enough to have some success with a book I wrote called 'The Shepherd's Life'. My neighbour rang me up one night and left a message on the answering machine:

'It's all very well being a writer and being on TV and all that stuff, but could you maybe remember to shut your gates, you dopey bugger, because your bloody sheep are on the road. Good night.'

"SHEEPDOG COMMANDS EXPLAINED:

Come here: Please come to me right now. (It is not good if the dog keeps going over the horizon.)

Lie down: Please stop and drop to the ground, because you have gone crazy, the sheep are scattering, and if you don't lie down right now they will be halfway to Manchester. 'Lie down,' said again means, 'if you don't stop right now you're sacked.'

Stay: Please freeze right now, and don't move a muscle. I once heard an old shepherd say his dog was so obedient that he forgot he had told it to stay by some sheep - until he came back the next day and it was still holding them in the same place.

Away: Please go in an anti-clockwise direction around the sheep (God only knows how sheepdogs know what clockwise is).

Come by: Please go in a clockwise direction around the sheep (opposite of the above). Do not jump over the fence at the far end and keep going into the sunset

Look back: I can see sheep that you can't. You didn't go far enough, so turn around, you idiot, and look back to where they are. Sometimes the dog looks back as if to say, I'm the one up here, mate, and I'm telling you this is the best we are going to do.

N.B. A good dog hangs on your every word. A great dog sometimes knows best and does what needs doing whatever you've said. We call this a 'clever fucker'; but if it ignores you and is wrong, a 'useless fucker'.

Steady: Slow down, or the sheep will jump the wall into the vicarage or the back gardens of incomers and I will be getting angry phone calls and threats of insurance claims all evening.

Heel: I don't want you to do anything just yet, so walk at my heels, almost touching my leg and stay there, because I don't want you running about upsetting the sheep.

Bike: I know you can't drive it, but get on the quad bike and stay there.

Bed: Go straight to your kennel - you are an idiot, doing more harm than good. Stay in your kennel. Never come out of your kennel again.

Good dog, you did alright: Oh my God, you are amazing. I've never seen better sheepdog work. If I had to choose right now between my wife and you, she's packing her bags and you can come in and watch TV."

[Letha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read both of Rebanks previous books, A Shepherd's Life and English Pastoral/Pastoral Song, his wife's recent book, A Farmer's Wife, followed both of them on Twitter for several years now, and spent a night at the shepherds hut next to the barn/sheep shed/classroom/office at their farm, I went into this book just to complete the cycle and did not expect to read much new material or learn much more about his life and farming in the Lake District. But Rebanks never fails to surprise me; just when I think I know all I could possible know as a citi/suburbs dweller about the history and his current traditional/environment friendly family farming efforts in his area of the Lake District, Rebanks still throws out enough new punches in his delightful, tolerably arrogant, and always knowledgable and informative way to engross me into a one sitting reading of this book. His style (which is exactly what he sounds like when you meet him in his unassuming person) still drew chuckles from me. So thank you for a delightful afternoon's reading. And looking forward to your next book that I am sure is in the works...

[Anne Dunham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A complement to the last book I read, A Shepherd's Life, this book by the same author features short anecdotes and stunning photographs of the life of a shepherd in northern England's fell country. Life as it used to be for many years continues there and still thrives. This personal look at the thoughtfulness, care, and gratitude shared by humans and the animals on which their lives depend paints a realistic picture of harsh times as well as good times. It shows life as it really is at a basic level that is not colored by modern society and industry. Reading this can cause one to pause and ponder what makes up the good life.

[Jerry Kolwinska · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enlightening book - all about sheep, and a few other things about life.

The photos are a very important part of the work. The book is set up by topics that illuminate other elements of the shepherd’s life in the Lake Country.

I laughed at several points, and if you enjoyed The Shepherd’s Life, you will like this one, too.

The disappointment for me was that I purchased The Shepherd’s View as a separate work, but apart for a few embellishments, The Shepherd’s View is a repeat of The Illustrated Herdwick Shepherd. In fact, Good Reads assumes these two works are the same.

[Peg Lotvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book of mostly photographs (I'm trying to finish my quota for the year). The Shepherd's View makes me want to visit the fells to see the country and the sheep that graze there. I'd even like to meet James Rebanks on his quad with the Border Collies riding on the back. I'd love to see the dogs work a flock of sheep that are out of sight of the handler. Even when one or another dog goes astray and brings home some stranger sheep she found in the minister's garden. Lots of tongue in cheek and humorous asides about raising sheep along with just lovely photos of it all.

[Pam Lindholm-levy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in love with the hard life of this Englishman and his family, who raise, show, and sell Herdwick sheep. Partly because I also love Beatrix Potter, who raised the same breed after she stopped writing about Peter Rabbit. Love the Lake District, where both Potter and Rebanks lived/live. Rebanks has written two narratives of his life as a farmer and the environment he is passionate about saving and protecting. It's a hard go, he has a hard life and I wish him and his family and the like-minded farmers all success.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up while processing a hold for a patron. Anyone that knows me, knows how much I long to be in England. So, this is nothing new at all. It might look boring at first glance of the title, but I was not at all bored nor disappointed. It is rather charming, witty, and beautifuly written all at once. I hope to find it at the book sale to re-read it when I am feeling homesick for a place I yearn to live. :)

[Maggie Ignasiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful read! It is visually pleasing and super relatable (not that I've ever sheared anything or lived in North England, but it definitely makes the world feel smaller). It's great! I would recommend this to anyone, but especially those who are interested in agriculture or travel writing.