Chapter 1. Introduction -- Chapter 2. The Cock in Antiquity: revered, venerated, deified -- Chapter 3. The Cock and the Early Church -- Chapter 4. The Cock Profaned.-Chapter 5. The Carnival Pursuits of Schoolboys -- Chapter 6. Cockfighting: ‘a sport peculiar to the English’ -- Chapter 7. Cockfighting: A National Pastime -- Chapter 8. Early Writers on Cockfighting -- Chapter 9. The Rules of the Game -- Chapter 10. Sod ‘n’ Turf: a symbiotic relationship -- Chapter 11. A Cocker’s Reckoning -- Chapter 12. ‘Tyrannic Man’s Dominion’ -- Chapter 13. Conclusion.

This book looks at the relationship of the cock and cockfighting in Britain from ancient times to the early modern period, showing the societal and cultural changes that affected that relationship. It examines the evolution of the cock’s role in religion and sport and, the evolution of cockfighting as a sport, in light of the changing culture of pastimes, the historical development of humankind’s relationship with animals, and the philosophy related to animal cruelty and animal rights. Alexander Sutherland is an honorary senior teaching fellow in the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen, UK.