The History of the Countryside
1987
First Published
4.39
Average Rating
453
Number of Pages
Fields, highways, hedgerows, fens, marshes, rivers, heaths, coasts, woods, and wood pastures: this tribute to the endlessly changing character of Britain's countryside illustrates how it developed over the centuries. Going right up to the present day, and including both natural and man-made features, it demonstrates the sometimes subtle, sometimes radical ways in which people, flora, fauna, climate, soils, and other physical conditions have played a role in shaping the landscape. "...quirky and rewarding...full of answers to questions that others have not had the wit to ask."—Economist. "One thing is certain: no one would be wise to write further on our natural history...without thinking very hard about what is contained in these authoritative pages."—Country Life.
Avg Rating
4.39
Number of Ratings
220
5 STARS
52%
4 STARS
36%
3 STARS
11%
2 STARS
0%
1 STARS
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Author
Oliver Rackham
Author · 4 books
Oliver Rackham OBE FBA was an English academic who studied the British countryside, especially trees, woodlands and wood pasture, Rackham wrote a number of books, including The History of the Countryside (1986) and one on Hatfield Forest. He also studied and published extensively on the ecology of Crete, Greece. In 1998 he was awarded the OBE for "services to Nature Conservation". In 2006 he was appointed Honorary Professor of Historical Ecology in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge. He was a Life Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and Keeper of the College Records. On 15 October 2007 Rackham was elected Master of Corpus Christi College until 1 October 2008.
