Published by William Collins / HarperCollins, London, 2019
ISBN 10: 0008321671 ISBN 13: 9780008321673
Language: English
Seller: The Print Room, Cockernhoe nr Luton, United Kingdom
First Edition
Hardcover. Condition: Near Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine. 1st Edition. First edition, second impression with '2' on copyright page. Some slight edge wear to top and bottom of jacket and spine, corners very slightly bruised, very slight lean, not price clipped (£20.00), internally clean and tight, overall a vg+ copy. 376pp, illustrated. Who owns England? Behind this simple question lies this country's oldest and best kept secret. This is the history of how England's elite came to own our land, and an inspiring manifesto for how to open up our countryside once more. This book has been a long time coming. Since 1086 in fact. For centuries, England's elite have covered up how they got their hands on millions of acres of our land, by constructing walls, burying surveys and more recently, sheltering behind offshore shell companies. But with the dawn of digital mapping and the Freedom of Information Act, it's becoming increasingly difficult for them to hide. Trespassing through tightly guarded country estates, ecologically ravaged grouse moors and empty Mayfair mansions, writer and activist Guy Shrubsole has used these 21st century tools to uncover a wealth of never before seen information about the people who own our land, to create the most comprehensive map of land ownership in England that has ever been made public. From secret military islands to tunnels deep beneath London, Shrubsole unearths truths concealed since the Domesday Book about who is really in charge of this country, at a time when Brexit is meant to be returning sovereignty to the people. Melding history, politics and polemic, he vividly demonstrates how taking control of land ownership is key to tackling everything from the housing crisis to climate change and even halting the erosion of our very democracy. It's time to expose the truth about who owns England and finally take back our green and pleasant land. Quite a scarce book.