Roger Scruton offers here a brief account of his initiation into hunting society and a defence of fox hunting in the context of a wider conspectus of rural life in contemporary Britain. Readers familiar with the author's philosophical and political writings will not be surprised to find that the ostensible subject of this book forms only the hub from which radiate concise, witty meditations on the author's core concerns; in particular, a heartfelt lament for the disappearance of English traditional life and the values which informed it. The author is something of a professional controversialist, yet this book tempers its polemic with humour and autobiographical detail which suggests a more complex and aimiable personality. I was surprised to find that a cogent and even humane argument in favour of hunting as an essential (almost as a defining) human activity could be made with force and elegance. Political and cultural conservatives will love this book; but I would recommend it more strongly to readers whose sympathies might more naturally lie with the animal rights theorists and hunt protestors. Those who have no strong views on the subject will still enjoy the author's admirable style and economy.