This is a comprehensive account of a decisive epoch in England's economic development by a leading economic historian.

'Works of economic history often get bogged dwon in figures - so many machines, so much unemployment, often, too, they are histories of technology, not of economic organization. Professor Ashworth goes to the opposite extreme in a most praiseworthy way: his book is actually good to read. Though there are tables of statistics (eleven of them), the book is an essay in interpretation, not an encyclopedia; it enriches our understanding rather than adding to our knowledge.' A.J.P. Taylor.

This classic book was first published in 1960.

This is a comprehensive account of a decisive epoch in England's economic development by a leading economic historian. 'Works of economic history often get bogged dwon in figures - so many machines, so much unemployment, often, too, they are histories of technology, not of economic organization. Professor Ashworth goes to the opposite extreme in a most praiseworthy way: his book is actually good to read. Though there are tables of statistics (eleven of them), the book is an essay in interpretation, not an encyclopedia; it enriches our understanding rather than adding to our knowledge.' A.J.P. Taylor. This classic book was first published in 1960.

The Ogallala Aquifer that lies deep beneath the Great Plains from Texas to Colorado contains enough water to fill Lake Erie nine times! Every year five trillion gallons are pumped out for irrigation, and if (or when) the aquifer goes dry, $20 billion worth of food and fiber grown with that irrigation will disappear. William Ashforth tells the fascinating history of the Ogallala from its formation millions of years ago to glimpses of the future when the Great Plains could return to their Sahara Desert-like past.

Great Lakes Journey is a follow-up to William Ashworth's earlier book ""The Late, Great Lakes"", published in 1986. Fifteen years after his first trip, Ashworth journeys to many of the same places and talks to many of the same people to examine the changes that have taken place along the Great Lakes since the 1980s. It is a poetic account of his 6000-mile trip, mixed with explanations of the scientific and poilitical realities behind the observed changes, reminiscences of his 1983 trip, and conversations with local residents - some of them scientists, and other simply people who care. Through personal observations, research and numerous interviews with scientists, activists and government agencies, Ashworth creates a detailed picture of the status of the Great Lakes at the end of the 20th century. Among the most prominent changes he finds are the arrival of the zebra mussel and other exotic species, the rise and fall of the RAP process for pollution cleanup, a growing public mistrust of government action, a substantial loss of habitat and biodiversity, and an explosion of urban sprawl along the shores of the Lakes. Scholars and students of environmental studies and ecology and readers interested in the health of the Great Lakes should find this fresh look at one of America's endangered regions of value.

The Late, Great Lakes is a powerful indictment of man's carelessness, ignorance, and apathy toward the Great Lakes. With the longest continuous coastline in the United States, they hold one-fifth of the world's freshwater supply. Author William Ashworth presents a compelling history of the Great Lakes, from their formation in the Ice Age, to their "discovery" by Samuel de Champlian in 1615, and, finally, to their impending death in our time. Ashworth systematically deals with the wild life that once flourished in the region-beaver, salmon, whitefish, and trout-and describes the threatening elements which have displaced them-the predatory sea lamprey, the alewives, toxic waste, and volatile solids.

"Great Lakes Journey" is a follow-up to William Ashworth's earlier book "The Late, Great Lakes", published in 1986. Fifteen years after his first trip, Ashworth journeys to many of the same places and talks to many of the same people to examine the changes that have taken place along the Great Lakes since the 1980s. It is a poetic account of his 6000-mile trip, mixed with explanations of the scientific and poilitical realities behind the observed changes, reminiscences of his 1983 trip, and conversations with local residents - some of them scientists, and other simply people who care. Through personal observations, research and numerous interviews with scientists, activists and government agencies, Ashworth creates a detailed picture of the status of the Great Lakes at the end of the 20th century. Among the most prominent changes he finds are the arrival of the zebra mussel and other exotic species, the rise and fall of the RAP process for pollution cleanup, a growing public mistrust of government action, a substantial loss of habitat and biodiversity, and an explosion of urban sprawl along the shores of the Lakes. Scholars and students of environmental studies and ecology and readers interested in the health of the Great Lakes should find this fresh look at one of America's endangered regions of value.