Product Description

Exploring the natural and man-made features of the land - fields, highways, hedgerows, fens, marshes, rivers, heaths, coasts, woods and wood pastures - he shows conclusively and unforgettably how they have developed over the centuries. In doing so, he covers a wealth of related subjects to provide a fascinating account of the sometimes subtle and sometimes radical ways in which people, fauna, flora, climate, soils and other physical conditions have played their part in the shaping of the countryside. 'One thing is certain: no one would be wise to write further on our natural history, or to make films about it, without thinking very hard about what is contained in these authoritative pages' Country Life 'A classic of scholarship and imagination...A monumental work, but it is written with humanity, dignity, concern and a great deal of humour' Times Educational Supplement

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64694 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

From the Publisher
“A classic of scholarship and imagination…a monumental work” Richard Mabey, Times Educational Supplement. 'One thing is certain: no one would be wise to write further on our natural history, or to make films about it, without thinking very hard about what is contained in these authoritative pages' Ronald Blythe, Country Life

About the Author
An acknowledged authority on the countryside and its history, Dr Oliver Rackham carries out research in the Botany Department at Cambridge University, where he is a Fellow of Corpus Christi College.

Customer Reviews

Rackham Does It Again!
Rackham, a senior fellow at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, outdoes himself with this stunning exposition of the English countryside. He displays a grasp of his material both wide and deep, saturated with intuitive understanding and ecological consciousness. Rackham really outdoes himself with this one! Highly recommended. The treatment of Essex marshland represents a particular contribution to the literautre.

And a good read too!
In addition to reviewer 1's comments, you will also find that this is a very well-written, enjoyable book, even if you don't have an academic interest in the countryside, like me. I thoroughly enjoyed it for it's illumination of th truth and disposal of complete myths that I had always accepted as given truths about woodland. I have since noticed, for example, that planted trees (apart from farmed forestry) nearly always fail. I enjoyed the book, and my rambles around the UK have been much enriched.

Essential Reading for anybody with interest in the Countryside
This is as close to an essential text as you get if you are interested in the development of the English Countryside and current state of the Environment in the UK. Written with the clear authority of excellent research, but presented in a way which is highly accessible, this is a model of both scholarship and style. After introducing the research methods used by the book it book addresses aspects of the landscape such as fields, woodlands and moorlands on a chapter by chapter basis. However, the book always manages to maintain a coherent picture of these aspects within the wider landscape. The origin and nature of the British Countryside is swathed in many myths and factoids - this book goes a very long way to addressing these. As the other reviews have said - it comes highly recommended.