Watership Down
The landmark debut and the clearest introduction to Adams's animal fantasy.
Author guide
Richard Adams Books in Order
Richard George Adams (1920–2016) was an English novelist and writer whose career began with Watership Down. His work ranges from animal fantasy and children's literature to adult fantasy, historical fiction, nature writing, travel nonfiction, autobiography, poetry, and short fiction. He also co-authored nature and travel books and wrote the posthumously published picture book The Adventures of Egg Box Dragon.
animal fantasychildren's literaturefantasyhistorical fictionliterary fictionnonfictionmemoirpoetry
Catalog record updated .
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Start with one of these
Shardik
The opening volume of the complete Beklan Empire sequence.
Read in order
Books by series
series · complete
Watership Down
A series of linked fiction about the rabbits and mythology of Watership Down.
- 1 Watership Down
Book 1 · novel · 1972
A worldwide bestseller for more than fifty years, Watership Down is one of the most beloved novels of all time. Set in England’s Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale follows a band of very special creatures on their…
- 2 Tales from Watership Down
Book 2 · short-story-collection · 1996
At last: twenty-four years after the publication of Watership Down - one of the century's best-loved works of imaginative literature - the superb storyteller Richard Adams reenters that unique and special world to tell us about the lives…
- 1 Shardik
Book 1 · novel · 1974
"Shardik is a powerful work, dipping deep into old forms-allegory, epic, myth-resonating in the caverns of the readers' unconscious . . . It is an exciting story, the adventures compelling." (Los Angeles Times) "Grips with suspense,…
- 2 Maia
Book 2 · novel · 1984
Sold into slavery to the dealer Lalloc by her mother when her stepfather seduces her, the beautiful 15-year-old Maia is almost raped by Genshed, one of Lalloc's employees but is saved by Occula, a black slave girl. With no-one but Occula…
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (9)
- Nature Through the Seasons
nonfiction · 1975
Describes the animals, birds, trees, and flowers that the amateur naturalist is likely to encounter in each season.
- The Plague Dogs
novel · 1977
Two dogs, Snitter and Rowf, escape from a research laboratory in the Lake District where it is wrongly supposed they have been purposely infected with a deadly virus and now pose a dangerous threat to the human population. As the…
- Nature Day and Night
nonfiction · 1978
- The Girl in a Swing
novel · 1980
Alan Desland, who feels himself to be an ordinary and unremarkable man, falls passionately in love with the beautiful but mysterious German stenographer, Karin, who is sent to assist him during a business trip to Denmark. To his astounded…
- Voyage Through the Antarctic
nonfiction · 1982
The Antarctic is the least explored area on earth, and the most densely populated with wildlife - whales, seals, dolphins, penguins, albatrosses and many other birds and animals. A natural sanctuary of spectacular beauty, created and…
- A Nature Diary
nonfiction · 1985
- Traveller
novel · 1988
Examines the events of the Civil War through the eyes of General Robert E. Lee's closest companion and devoted horse, Traveller.
- The Outlandish Knight
novel · 1999
On the run with the wife of a West Country mason, Raymond, a wandering minstrel, joins the forces massing to challenge the reign of Richard of York. His bravery in fighting for Henry Tudor's cause begins a tradition in which he and his…
- Daniel
novel · 2006
Nonfiction (1)
- The Day Gone By
memoir · 1990
The author recounts his childhood, education, and World War II experiences
Short fiction (1)
- The Iron Wolf and Other Stories
short-story-collection · 1980
Children's books (2)
- The Bureaucats
children's story · 1985
Presents the humorous adventures of two lovable but mischievous kittens whose good intentions often lead to trouble for their master.
- The Adventures of Egg Box Dragon
picture-book · 2017
Poetry (3)
- The Tyger Voyage
poetry · 1976
The adventures of two young inexperienced Tygers who set out from Victorian England into the timeless unknown.
- The Adventures and Brave Deeds of the Ship's Cat on the Spanish Maine: Together with the Most Lamentable Losse of the Alcestis and Triumphant Firing of the Port of Chagres
poetry · 1977
The adventures and brave deeds of a cat living aboard a ship sailing along the Spanish Main.
- The Legend of Te Tuna
poetry · 1982
Frequently asked questions about Richard Adams
Who was Richard Adams?
Richard George Adams (1920–2016) was an English novelist best known for the internationally acclaimed animal fantasy novel Watership Down.
What did Richard Adams do before becoming a full-time writer?
He served in the British Army during the Second World War and later worked as a civil servant in government departments. He became a full-time author after the success of Watership Down.
Sources: simonandschuster.com (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)
What inspired Richard Adams to write Watership Down?
Adams first told the story to entertain his daughters during car journeys. He also drew on his observations of rabbits and the Berkshire countryside, as well as R. M. Lockley’s study The Private Life of the Rabbit.
What awards did Richard Adams win for Watership Down?
Watership Down won both the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, despite being published initially as an adult novel.
Sources: theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)
Why is Richard Adams still remembered?
Adams is remembered for making animal fantasy intellectually ambitious and widely appealing to both children and adults. Watership Down became a lasting classic, sold tens of millions of copies, and inspired major screen adaptations.
Sources: theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)theguardian.com (opens in a new tab)