Richard Adams was born in 1920, the son of a country doctor at Newbury, Berkshire, and in his childhood came to know well the Kennet valley and the open country lying between Newbury and the Southern Downs.

He was educated at Bradfield College, Berkshire, and at Worcester College, Oxford (of which he was a Scholar). He served for five and a half years in the army from 1940 to 1946 and then joined the higher civil service in Whitehall.

In 1949 he married Elizabeth Acland, by whom he has two daughters. WATERSHIP DOWN began as a story told orally to the little girls. At their strong instigation he wrote the story, which was first published by Rex Collings Ltd in 1972. In the same year this won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Award for Children’s Literature.

Since then he has published six other novels: SHARDIK, THE PLAGUE DOGS, THE GIRL IN A SWING, MAIA, TRAVELLER and THE OUTLANDISH KNIGHT, plus other works, including an autobiography, narrative poems and short stories. He lives with his wife in a 300-year-old house (listed) at Whitchurch, Hampshire.

His latest novel DANIEL, was published by Wrecking Ball Press in 2006.

Fiver could sense danger. Something terrible was going to happen to the warren - he felt sure of it. So did his brother Hazel, for Fiver's sixth sense was never wrong. They had to leave immediately, and they had to persuade the other rabbits to join them.

And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver's vision finally leads them to Watership Down, but here they face their most difficult challenge of all...

"Watership Down" is an epic journey, a stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival against the odds.

First published in 1972, this beautiful edition celebrates its thirty-fifth anniversary.