One of the early New Naturalist series, Ford's book (first published in 1945) covers the biology, classification and natural history of British Butterflies. It is substantially out-of-date because of the changes in populations and distribution of butterflies in the UK, but it remains a fascinating and readable work. Ford was an Oxford academic (entomologist and geneticist) and a butterfly collector since childhood, so he brings a rare combination of academic understanding and personal enthusiasm and field knowledge.