This book is the course text for the Open University ethnography module, D844, and it's one of the few textbooks which I've found truly enjoyable to read. It's a great introduction to ethnography (which I've never studied before), and is very thorough, deep and detailed, without at any point becoming too dry. Hammersley and Atkinson really explain the concepts tackled, and never fall into the trap of merely scratching the surface and then moving on (a textbook trait which I find infuriating!).
There are many illustrative examples taken from a diverse range of previous ethnographic studies, so that theory and practice are linked. This book is clear, the authors' enthusiasm comes across by the bucketful, and most importantly this gives an excellent grounding in the nature, practicalities and possibilities of ethnographic research. If only all textbooks could be like this!