<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Originally published in 1972, Watership Down by Richard Adams went on to win the Library Association Carnegie Medal, and become one of the most beloved fantasy novels ever written. Adams set the novel, his first, in the English countryside near where he grew up. Watership Down can be found in Hampshire, and forms a part of the Berkshire Downs.

The story concerns a warren of rabbits, whose home is about to be razed to make way for a housing development. One of their number, Fiver, has a vision of the destruction to come, and persuades a few others, mostly disgruntled young males, to join him in search of a new home. The company is led by Hazel, Fiver's elder brother, a sincere and steadfast rabbit. Bigwig provides the group's muscle, along with another strong fighter, Silver. Blackberry, much the cleverest rabbit, saves the group by coming up with crafty plans that confound their enemies. Dandelion is a speedy runner and the group's storyteller, while Bluebell provides comic relief. Their chief enemy is General Woundwort, who runs his warren like a concentration camp.

The rabbits can talk, they have a culture, and they exhibit virtues such as loyalty and courage in the face of fear. Although the book was intended for children, it is a serious fable that can be read with enjoyment at any age.

In 1978, Watership Down was adapted into an animated movie. In 1998, Adams followed up his masterpiece with Tales from Watership Down, a collection of related stories, some of which continue the chronicles of Hazel and his companions, and some that celebrate the deeds of the rabbit-hero El-ahrairah. In 1999, an animated Watership Down TV series aired in the UK, intended for viewers of ages seven to ten.