The Hidden World of the Fox

In the spirit of H is for Hawk, an intimate portrait of foxes, by a British mammal ecologist who has studied the beloved yet mysterious creatures across four continents.

“Succinct, clear, sophisticated. I couldn’t stop reading.” —Jeff VanderMeer, bestselling author of Annihilation and the Southern Reach Trilogy

For thousands of years, human beings have been fascinated by the fox. Refusing to be domesticated, the fox has thrived at the margins of human activity. The astonishing intelligence and cunning that served them well in the ancient wildwood now helps them navigate concrete parking lots and railroad lines, as human settlements increasingly encroach on their habitat.

Adele Brand, a renowned British mammal ecologist, has followed the fox from the windswept prairies of Canada to the green meadows of Romania, jaguar-prowled jungles in Mexico to the scorching salt deserts of India. In The Hidden World of the Fox, she pens a lyrical love letter to this beloved animal.

Brand takes us on a scientific and personal journey into the heart of the fox. Drawing upon evolution (like dogs, foxes have thrived because they are highly adaptable to their environment, and eat an unusually varied diet), cultural history (the fox has starred in myths, religious rituals, and English literature), and philosophy (what do we owe to our natural neighbors?), Brand offers a heartfelt paean to a revered animal. Over the course of the book, we get to know a host of furry acquaintances—among them Chatter, Old Dogfox, Sooty, and the aptly named The Interloper—and are charmed, and transformed, by their intelligence and grace.