‘Paul Lamb has written a book of truth about a hidden world. A book to be read slowly to savour every last ounce of its magnificent storytelling. A hymn to a world we all need to know and care more about. I loved it.’ (John Connell, number one bestselling author of The Cow Book and Twelve Sheep. )

‘Evoking landscapes that often recall the novels of Thomas Hardy, [Lamb’s] book – charmingly illustrated by woodcuts by Robin Mackenzie – beautifully conveys the rhythm of the seasons as he describes how the British countryside is shaped by these ancient boundaries and ecological treasure troves.’ (Caroline Sanderson)

‘It’s as if the Green Man himself had written a hymn to the English countryside, its natural history, its rural craftsmen and those who continue, against all odds, to work this ancient land. Pleasingly old-fashioned, immersive, honest, informative and true, Of Thorn & Briar is written by a master craftsman and a true countryman, a man who has had the courage to tread his own path. Paul Lamb lives it, touches it – the land, its trees, its plants and its people. His world is the cycling of day into night, of winter into summer and back again; he writes about outdoor living and the hard physical graft of the rural labourer, out in all weathers, all seasons. He is part of this land’s story, and after reading his book you’ll not look at a hedge, or small farm, or our land, in the same way again.’ (Dan Boothby, author of Island of Dreams)