Strengths: Superbly laid out, well written, full of information
Weaknesses: None.

What can I add - this is a superb book in every way.
If you are interested in getting about to see butterflies then this book is your bible, I have visited several of the sites listed in the book and have followed the directions, maps, diagrams etc... and they have lead me to the target species every single time.

Superbly written and illustrated, this book is a joy to own, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Strengths: Shots of the places as well as the species to be found there.
Weaknesses: Not a fault but very little where I live in Kent. We need volume 2!

A beautifully written and presented guide that has had a huge amount of work put into it. If you're after a particular species or just finding places to find butterflies on a holiday then I recommend you to buy it.

As mentioned above, only one site noted in Kent, but I should imagine to showcase all the possible sites, would take years.

A smashing book, one for all butterfly enthusiasts..

This is a site-guide for butterfly enthusiasts, giving details of 66 sites scattered through England, Scotland and Wales. Inevitably, there is a marked concentration south of a line from the Severn to the Wash, with just four sites in Wales and five in Scotland (a 'gazetteer' gives brief details of a further 43 sites, but just two of these are in Scotland, with none in Wales). The main site entries follow a more-or-less standardised double-page format, with a rather discursive main section giving basic details about the sites, suggested routes, the butterflies to be found there (and sometimes brief details of other wildlife), local pubs and other nearby attractions considered to be worth visiting (which may or may not be butterfly related). Further information on the site's ownership and management, the target butterfly species and detailed directions are given in shaded boxes, and each account has a good colour map. Many accounts also have a short poem by Patricia Newland.

The accounts are illustrated with photographs of relevant butterflies, the site itself, other wildlife, notable buildings, signs and even reserve maps. Following on from the 66 main site accounts, each species of butterfly gets an individual account with details of identification and life cycles, flight periods, hints on how to find them and a brief history of the butterfly (and its names) in Britain, cross-referenced to the best sites. Each species account is illustrated with a single portrait photograph.

The selection of sites for such a book is inevitably arbitrary, and while most sites included are 'no brainers', I do wonder why Wiveton Downs in Norfolk deserves a place in a national guide. For the sites I know, the access details appear to be accurate, and the combination of the directions and the map will certainly get you there. The species lists seem accurate too, but Chalkhill Blue does not occur at Narborough Railway Line in Norfolk (nor anywhere else in the county). Its large format (262mm x 195mm) and numerous colour photographs mean that this book will sell on its good looks. The photographs, all by David Newland, are mostly good, but I find the design to be rather cluttered and this sometimes detracts from what are very nice pictures. Indeed, the captioning is sometimes confusing and the plethora of shaded boxes and an often poor choice of text colour to overlay the photographs means that it is sometimes difficult to read and to extract the information that you want. Notwithstanding the design, however, I thoroughly recommend this book, which really whets the appetite on a winter's day, and I hope that it will actually get more people out there to look at and cherish our butterflies.