Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) was the foremost wood engraver of his generation, and the quality of his work has remained unsurpassed. His extraordinary woodcuts of animals and birds made him famous, and he dramatically influenced the development of the illustrated book in both England and America. Yet Bewick was no isolated creative genius toiling in an artists atelier, but a trade engraver in the heart of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, working at the very moment when the Industrial Revolution was beginning to change the world. This book celebrates the skill of the artist by presenting 60 engravings, some never published before, and by offering a historical perspective.