Ian Niall, sportsman and naturalist, shares with his reader the joy of the countryman, captured in these varied recollections which draw on a lifetime observing nature, studying wildlife, shooting and fishing. His fascinating essays cover corncrakes and partridges, snipe and woodcock, foxes, hares and pigeons, duck and geese, trout and pike.

His unerring eye for all the nuances of nature finds its perfect partner in C.F. Tunnicliffe’s matchless illustrations. Together, author and artist have created a celebrated classic, an elegy to a passing world, that will delight a new generation of country lovers and book collectors.

Bernard O’Donoghue, the distinguished poet and countryman, writes in his foreword to this book: ‘This is a grown-up’s nature book, with all the pleasure remembered from childhood books that introduced us to nature writing. Niall’s appreciative eye is wonder-fully served by C.F. Tunnicliffe’s illustrations which are the sealing distinction of a perfectly executed book.’