In 1983, the British Trust for Ornithology celebrated its first 50 years. This volume records much of the history of birdwatching and ornithology since the early 1930s.

The book is not a history of the BTO, but many of the Trust's achievements helped fashion the development and direction of ornithology over the decades, and major aspects of the Trust's work rightly have detailed treatment.

The book ranges widely, it looks at the changing bird as well as the changing bird watcher and records the work of related conservation bodies, it considers the future and the past and includes an extensive section of useful facts and figures, whilst never losing sight of the central theme which is the book's title.