"To see a hare sit still as stone, to watch a hare boxing on a frosty March morning, to witness a hare bolt . . . these are great things. Every field should have a hare."

Elusive, swift and largely unseen, the hare is a creature more often encountered in folklore than in everyday life. A night-roamer of field and hedgerow, it has inspired centuries of myth: shape-shifter, witch’s familiar, symbol of fertility, and trickster of fable, from Aesop’s boastful racer to Lewis Carroll’s Mad March Hare. In the gap left by their secrecy, stories have flourished. But what of the real animal behind the legend?

In The Private Life of the Hare, acclaimed nature writer John Lewis-Stempel unravels the myths and history surrounding this remarkable creature, revealing the truth of its habits, mysteries and enduring hold on our imagination. With his signature blend of lyrical prose and deep natural insight, Lewis-Stempel celebrates the hare as one of the few wild beings that remains genuinely magical in our over-observed world.

A captivating blend of folklore, natural history and cultural storytelling, perfect for readers drawn to British wildlife, rural traditions and the enduring enchantment of the hare.