‘A formidable, brave and important book’ Robert Macfarlane

‘Absolutely brilliant…You cannot read this book and defend the establishment’ Alastair Campbell, The Rest is Politics

Who owns England?

Behind this simple question lies this country’s oldest and best-kept secret. This is the story of how England’s elite came to own our land, and an inspiring manifesto on how to open up our countryside again.

This book has been awaited for a long time. Since 1086, in fact. For centuries, the elite of England has covered up how they acquired millions of acres of land, building walls, burying surveys, and more recently, hiding behind offshore shell companies. But with the advent of digital mapping and the Freedom of Information Act, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to hide.

Operating in strictly guarded estates, ecologically damaged grouse moors, and empty houses in Mayfair, the author and activist Guy Shrubsole has used these 21st-century tools to reveal a wealth of never-before-seen information about the people who own our land, creating the most detailed map of land ownership in England ever published.

From secret military islands to tunnels deep beneath London, Shrubsole uncovers truths that have been hidden since the time of the Domesday Book about who really has control of the country – at a time when Brexit is supposed to be returning sovereignty to citizens. Combining history, politics, and polemic, he vividly demonstrates how controlling land ownership is key to tackling issues from the housing crisis to climate change – and even stopping the erosion of our very democracy.

It is time to uncover the truth about who owns England – and ultimately reclaim our green and pleasant land.

Pages: 384, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm