John Richard Jefferies was an English nature writer, noted for his depiction of English rural life in essays, books of natural history, and novels. Since his death his books have enjoyed intermittent spells of popularity, but he is still largely unknown. Jefferies, however, has been an inspiration to a number of more prominent writers - W.H. Hudson, Edward Thomas, Henry Williamson and John Fowles are among those who have acknowledged their debt to him. The selection of Jefferies' work collected in this volume will surely help re-establish Jefferies as one of the greatest writers in this genre.