This volume provides a fascinating account of the natural forces which shaped the Island's landscape from its formation some 500 million years ago to the present nature of the Manx environment and landscape. The story of the island's colonisation by plants and animals sets the scene for the later volumes which deal with the impact of man's arrival. A key element of the volume is an in depth examination of the contemporary landscape, with an appraisal of how the environment has affected man and how man has affected the environment.