It is rare to see such a comprehensive, well-illustrated book of insect and mite pests of a wide range of fruit and hops. This Colour Handbook builds on the very successful ‘A Colour Atlas of Fruit Pests’, first published in 1984, which was largely limited to pests in the British Isles. This fully revised edition now includes pests in Europe, and as such will be valuable for many consultants, growers, researchers, students and lecturers who are increasingly working throughout Europe. A comprehensive list of pests of top and small fruits is illustrated with over 1100 high quality photographs which should aid accurate identification of the pest. Most of the images in the book have been taken by the author and reflect the pest itself or the damage it causes. Very occasionally, images of small insects and mites would have benefited from being enlarged, or alternatives sourced elsewhere, e.g. image 259, raspberry beetle adult, is in my opinion too indistinct to be useful. Similarly, a better understanding of mites would have benefited from images of examples of individuals or small groups. This may be nit-picking, as more than adequate images of the damage caused are shown. The description of the various stages of the pest's development is simple and concise and the life history and damage, although brief, is more than adequate for the purpose of the book.

Accurate identification is essential as pest management of high quality and high value fruit relies more on Integrated Pest and Disease Management or Integrated Fruit Production systems. Having access to such a comprehensive Handbook will make this task much easier and accurate so that the appropriate control strategy can be chosen.

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone working or teaching in the field of fruit crops. The new layout is clear and to a large extent ‘future-proofed’ as this edition does not refer to control measures which are constantly changing and rapidly become out dated. I might criticize the book for the cost, but the quality of the finish and images to a large extent justifies the price asked. If the previous editions are anything to go by, this will become a well-thumbed book that needs to stand up to constant use.