In 1992, Champion and Fielding published the first book in the two volume ‘Migration Processes and Patterns’ series. Two decades have passed and while the patterns described are now historical, the detailed attention given to the underlying processes mean that the book is still a must-read for anyone new to the study of internal migration in Britain. Fielding's new book re-treads much of the same ground of ‘Migration Processes and Patterns’ but brings it right up to date; not just through the analysis of current data and a masterful synthesis of the most recent research conducted on internal migration in Britain, but with an environmental lean in the latter half of the book in keeping with the pervading zeitgeist but quite out of keeping with the focus of much of the contemporary domestic work in this field.

The book is structured into three parts. Part I is an empirical analysis of internal migration patterns within the UK, with Fielding describing the patterns of flows between 2000–01 and 2009–10 for regions and counties in Britain. Fielding concedes at the beginning of the part that those who do not share his ‘enthusiasm for maps and graphs’ should skip to Part II of the book – a surprising recommendation given that this part comprises over half of the full text! As someone with more than a passing interest in maps and graphs however, I continued, although now with some trepidation.

Fielding first sets out his stall defining the phenomenon of internal migration and includes some interesting discussion around, for example, the fuzziness surrounding the classification of migration between regions in a Federal Europe (should this be internal or international migration?). After some justification of his method, Fielding launches into a detailed analysis of the main patterns of internal migration – initially concentrating on regional migration rates, before taking each region in turn and examining the sub-regional rates and age-specific patterns. Indeed the methodical description is not for the faint-hearted and it would take a dedicated reader to tackle this part in one sitting – perhaps something Fielding was aware of when he made his earlier recommendation.

For those who are unfamiliar with the main patterns of migration in Britain, Part I is a very comprehensive overview of the most recent patterns. Fielding's treatment of this region-by-region means that readers can skip to the geographical area of interest, and while editorial decisions mean that the figures are often several pages away from the corresponding text (something which can be a little irksome), should one wish to discover more about the dominant role London plays in the internal migration system in Britain, for example, then an authoritative description can be found.

Where Fielding really gets into his stride is in Part II of the book. This part is divided into five chapters which look at the economic, social, demographic, political and environmental drivers of migration, as well as the agency of migrants. Fielding's prose flows effortlessly as he marshals a very wide literature to illustrate his central thesis – that it is the economic drivers of migration and the ebb and flow of the business cycle which are vital to understanding the evolving patterns of migration within the UK, but that other factors such as social class, ethnicity, sexuality and life-course can all act to influence whether or not people choose to migrate and then where they move from and to. It is a compelling argument that is put forward and one which is enjoyable to read.

In final chapter of Part II, Fielding reaches for his crystal ball and speculates on the likely changes in the political economy of the UK and further afield which may come to affect internal migration patterns in Britain in the future. Whilst this is speculation, it is one of the most entertaining chapters of the book as Fielding offers up a variety of possible scenarios, judging them either more or less probable given current and past trends. To an extent this speculative approach is carried over into Part III of the book which confronts the issues associated with climate change affecting the UK and the associated effects this might have on internal migration patterns. The sense one gets is that on the whole, the UK is rather fortunate with its location in the North Atlantic insulating it from the worst extremes of climate change. Consequently, Fielding is unable to find much that is likely to affect population flows in Britain and has to make do with ‘what-ifs’ and examples from elsewhere in the world where the story may be different.

To this end, I was left wanting a little more after reading the final section of the book. This is not really the fault of Fielding, rather the physical geography of the British Isles – for the foreseeable future the environment is likely to be a peripheral influence on migration flows within the isles and thus there is little to say on the subject. The dearth of research in this area is probably a reflection of this.

Overall, as one would expect from one of the leading scholars of migration within Britain, this is a well composed and accessible book, and a worthy successor to the Champion and Fielding 1992 classic. Fielding's real strength here is in the analysis of the drivers of migration in the heart of the book, and this is its highlight. While Part I may be a little dense and Part III devoid of any exciting new findings, this does not detract from what is an excellent book and one which will remain an important reference for migration scholars in years to come.