The gardens of Cambridge have been praised for centuries in written records that begin with Celia Fiennes in 1697 and continue with tributes from Thomas Gray, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Henry James and many others, yet this is the first book about them. Their range is astonishing: from formal gardens reminiscent of Hidcote and Sissinghurst to the famous lawns of the Backs, from scientific collections of mulleins and insectivorous plant to wildernesses and beech­shadowed pools, from a pets' cemetery in what was once a monastery to a 350-year-old mulberry tree. They afford walks of all lengths from five minutes to several hours, and one could spend a whole holiday fortnight visiting them arid still discover riches galore next time. Tourists, gardeners, botanists, Cambridge citizens and anyone who enjoys getting to know not only a garden's trees, shrubs and flowers but also something of its purpose, design and historical associations will find this book a tempting invitation to exploration, and an ideal companion and guide. The opening chapter explains the development of the many green and flowering spaces, open and enclosed, that give Cambridge its special character (and make it so different from Oxford). A description of each of the established college gardens is followed by a tour of the University Botanic Garden, and the book ends with a mention of some of the areas in the care of the City Parks Department that contribute to make Cambridge a garden city. The author of the text, Ronald Gray, Vice-Master of Emmanuel College, has enjoyed these gardens for almost forty years, and has an unrivalled knowledge of them as a whole. His lively account is matched in 60 full colour photographs by Ernest Frankl, Senior Tutor of Trinity Hall, whose eye for the classic views and unexpected delights of Cambridge is well known.