Tim Coleman, A5 ,sb, 244pp

Recent mineral exploration in the UK has been a combination of efforts on the part of mining and exploration companies, encouraged in may cases by UK Government programmes and aided by the British Geological Survey. The author worked for the BGS for 35 years and has access to many sources of information of difficult access to the average researcher.

The UK is perceived as a difficult country in which to carry out exploration, with little obvious potential. This is partly due to the fragmented pattern of land ownership, large population and small land area which makes it difficult to carry out development without attracting attention. However, new mining, concentration and exploration techniques, together with interests in minerals which have hitherto been regarded as of little value have stimulated considerable activity. This has been encouraged by the large suite of minerals present in the UK and its long history of mining.

This will be of interest to researchers interested in recent aspects of the mining fields of the UK and to anyone who wishes to learn about the many difficulties encountered in exploring this difficult and sensitive area.