Dartmoor is one of England's most inhospitable landscapes, yet it is here that many generations of farming people have chosen to build their homes and to make a living from the land. The author, Stephen Woods, is best known for his classic work, Dartmoor Stone, a book which has remained in print since its first publication in 1988. In his new book he provides a fascinating study of farming on Dartmoor, looking back over a thousand years. The major part of the book covers the period in the last 150 years. Using diaries and photographs, much of which has never previously been published, he presents a picture of the changes that have taken place over this period of rapid change. The central pivot around which research and writing took place is the diaries kept by the Hannaford family of Southcombe Farm, in the parish of Widecombe-in-the-Moor. These diaries cover the period 1896-1968, recording the day to day work on the farm, with glimpses of family life and community events. Whilst specific to Southcombe, the diaries are representative of most farms on the moor and they are a remarkable record of daily events on the farm over several generations. Many elements of farming are researched: dwellings and farmsteads, field names, farm implements, livestock, methods of cultivation, crops, haymaking and harvesting. Binding the whole together, are photographs which depict the many facets of farming life. Apart from the author's own contemporary photographs, the book contains many historic photographs drawn from a wide variety of sources. This will be an essential book for anyone who has an interest in Dartmoor.