Adam's "Watership Down" made publishing history. A #1 international bestseller in hardcover and paperback, it remains an immortal classic -- and it was only the first in a long succession of highly praised works by this accomplished author. As he did so successfully in his remarkable literary debut, Adams viewed the failings and perilous follies of humanity through the eyes of animals in The Plague Dogs (1977) and again in Traveler (1988). His sweeping allegorical adventure Shardik (1974) and colorfully, provocatively sensuous epic Maia (1984) each transported readers to the a richly imagined Beklan Empire, immersing them in a singular world plagued by ignorance, superstition, and by senseless brutalities not unlike our own. With The Girl in a Swing (1980), he masterfully combined love story with ghost story to brilliant dramatic effect. In addition, he has contributed to numerous anthologies, and has written several works of nonfiction, including his 1991 autobiography The Day Gone By.

In 1996, Richard Adams finally returned to the province -- and to the heroes -- of his earliest triumph. An Avon paperback publication for March 1998, "Tales From Watership Down" -- thelong-awaited sequel to the beloved original -- has earned kudos from the national critics and the dedication of devoted fans who are thrilled to be back among old friends at last.

When he is not writing, Richard Adams enjoys gardening with his wife, Elizabeth, at their home in the South of England. It is a fitting pastime for a "late bloomer" whose work has greatly enriched the world's literary garden.