The unofficial countryside

'This is, in the most literal sense, a triumphant book. ' THE TIMES Under the banner of progress, urban and suburban development is fast wiping out our rural heritage. Yet Nature is adapting to even the worst of Man's excesses, and in this brilliant book Richard Mabey reveals the astonishing rich world of animal and plant life surviving and often thriving among docklands, railways, factories and canals. From orchids growing in abandoned cars to kestrels over Kensington, this is Britain's UNOFFICIAL COUNTRYSIDE. 'Every once in a while I get the intense pleasure of opening a book and finding it an entirely new way of looking at things. Such a book is Mr Mabey's. . . Truly remarkable. ' DAILY EXPRESS 'Mr Mabey's book is one that should hearten those who feel their surroundings are too mundane and 'spoiled' to provide sanctuary for wildlife. ' COUNTRYSIDE