New Books in Environmental Studies

Sally Coulthard, "A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects" (HarperCollins UK, 2024)


Listen Later

For most of human history, we were rural folk. Our daily lives were bound up with working the land, living within the rhythm of the seasons. We poured our energies into growing food, tending to animals and watching the weather. Family, friends and neighbours were often one and the same. Life revolved around the village and its key spaces and places – the church, the green, the school and the marketplace.

And yet rural life is oddly invisible our historical records. The daily routine of the peasant, the farmer or the craftsperson could never compete with the glamour of city life, war and royal drama. Lives went unrecorded, stories untold.

There is, though, one way in which we can learn about our rural past. The things we have left behind provide a connection that no document can match; physical artefacts are touchstones that breathe life into its history. From farming tools to children’s toys, domestic objects and strange curios, the everyday items of the past reveal fascinating insights into an often-forgotten way of life. Birth, death, celebration, work, crime, play, medicine, beliefs, diet and our relationship with nature can all be read from these remnants of our past.

From ancient artefacts to modern-day memorabilia, A Brief History of the Countryside in 100 Objects (HarperNorth, 2024) by Sally Coulthard weaves a rich tapestry from the fragments of our rural past.

This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda’s episodes on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

New Books in Environmental StudiesBy Marshall Poe

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

18 ratings


More shows like New Books in Environmental Studies

View all
New Books in History by Marshall Poe

New Books in History

210 Listeners

New Books in Psychoanalysis by Marshall Poe

New Books in Psychoanalysis

188 Listeners

New Books in Military History by Marshall Poe

New Books in Military History

162 Listeners

New Books in African American Studies by New Books Network

New Books in African American Studies

160 Listeners

New Books in Anthropology by New Books Network

New Books in Anthropology

49 Listeners

New Books in Sociology by New Books Network

New Books in Sociology

46 Listeners

New Books in Literary Studies by New Books Network

New Books in Literary Studies

23 Listeners

New Books in Philosophy by New Books Network

New Books in Philosophy

111 Listeners

The LRB Podcast by The London Review of Books

The LRB Podcast

288 Listeners

New Books in Critical Theory by Marshall Poe

New Books in Critical Theory

142 Listeners

New Books in Intellectual History by New Books Network

New Books in Intellectual History

63 Listeners

Jacobin Radio by Jacobin

Jacobin Radio

1,399 Listeners

For The Wild by For The Wild

For The Wild

1,146 Listeners

Upstream by Upstream

Upstream

1,785 Listeners

Why Theory by Why Theory

Why Theory

555 Listeners

Emergence Magazine Podcast by Emergence Magazine

Emergence Magazine Podcast

476 Listeners

Politics Theory Other by Politics Theory Other

Politics Theory Other

153 Listeners

Green Dreamer: Seeding change towards collective healing, sustainability, regeneration by kaméa chayne

Green Dreamer: Seeding change towards collective healing, sustainability, regeneration

603 Listeners

Acid Horizon by Acid Horizon

Acid Horizon

176 Listeners

What's Left of Philosophy by Lillian Cicerchia, Owen Glyn-Williams, Gil Morejón, and William Paris

What's Left of Philosophy

258 Listeners

Planet: Critical by Rachel Donald

Planet: Critical

87 Listeners

On the Nose by Jewish Currents

On the Nose

223 Listeners

Macrodose by Planet B Productions

Macrodose

27 Listeners

Ordinary Unhappiness by Patrick & Abby

Ordinary Unhappiness

201 Listeners